John Ruocco (USA,1952) plays tenor saxophone and clarinet. He has been closely associated with the Belgian scene. He performed with several groups there, recently as a guest with the Frank Vaganne Trio (CD 'Trios') and as a member of the Philippe Aerts Trio (CD Cat Walk). John is director of the Dutch Jazz Orchestra and he has directed The Den Haag Conservatory big band for a number of years. He had extensive featured appearances with Belgian National Radio and Television, French Radio, German National Radio and Television. He teaches at the Koninklijk Conservatorium Brussels, Belgium,since1996. and at the Koninklijk Conservatorium Den Haag, The Netherlands since 1987. Further he gave several workshops and clinics in Europe, USA and Taiwan and appeared on major European Festivals. For Challenge Records he appeared on 'Baseline Returns' with Hein van de Geyn and on 'With A Song In My Heart’ with Fay Claassen.

Graduated in 1987 at the Rotterdam Conservatory with the highest possible mark (A with distinction). He won several awards, a.o. the second prize at the first "Thelonious Monk Jazzpiano Competition" (Washington D.C.), soloist awards in Germany/Belgium, the Wessel Ilcken Award (Holland) and the Dutch Grammy (Edison) for the cd "Rob van Bavel trio".
He made many cd's as a sideman and as leader: Rob van Bavel Octet and Rob van Bavel Trio. Some cd's released by RVB Productions, a.o. "Duo Rob van Bavel/Marc van Rooij LIVE".
Nowadays working as a teacher at the Rotterdam Conservatory (Codarts) and the Amsterdam Conservatory (Conservatorium van Amsterdam). Of course also performing (inter-)nationally with several groups, such as The Ghost, The King And I. Van Bavel played with Woody Shaw, Randy Brecker, Slide Hampton, Johnny Griffin, Bob Mintzer, Wynton Marsalis, Gary Willis a.o.