Left:
John Cocuzzi aboard the MS Zaandam, December 3, 2004. Photo © Don Mopsick.
Left:
John Cocuzzi aboard the MS Zaandam, December 3, 2004. Photo © Don Mopsick.
John Cocuzzi was born at Andrews Air Force Base, just outside Washington, DC, on October 26, 1964. He graduated from Springbrook High school in 1982, and went directly to Montgomery Junior College in Rockville, MD as an applied percussion major. In college, he studied arranging with Bill Potts.
In a short time, John established himself in the Washington, DC area for his dynamic style on vibes, drums and piano. For the past 14 years, John has performed at the 219 Restaurant in historic Old Town, Alexandria, VA every Tuesday and Wednesday night.
He currently has 2 shows running on the BET Jazz Network/The Jazz Central Show. Over the last 10 years, festival performances include the Atlanta Jazz Party, the San Diego Swinging Jazz Festival, the West Texas Jazz Society, events for the New Jersey Jazz Society, and many festivals in Holland and Belgium. During that time, John has performed with Bucky and John Pizzarelli, Russell Malone, Howard Alden, Warren and Allan Vaché, Ken Peplowski, Chuck Hedges, Bob Wilber, Ed Polcer, Snooky Young, Milt Hinton, Joe Ascione, Louis Bellson, Mark Shane, Johnny Varro, Dick Hyman and a host of other world-class musicians.
At home, John has performed at the John F. Kennedy Center For the Performing Arts, the Corcoran Art Gallery, the Smithsonian, the National Press Club, the Meyerhoff Symphony Hall in Baltimore, MD and Washington DC's premier jazz club, Blues Alley. Since 1997, John has been the piano sound and style in the nationally-renowned swing, jump and blues band, BIG JOE AND THE DYNAFLOWS, under the direction of Big Joe Maher.
John Cocuzzi's latest release, SWINGING AND BURNING (on the Wildchild label) was produced by Big Joe and features his talent as an expert time-keeper on the drums, as well as Washington, DC musicians John Previti on bass, Steve Abshire on guitar, and special guest Allan Vaché on clarinet.
John Cocuzzi continues to produce standing ovations and add new excitement to his live performances.
John Cocuzzi is featured in the Riverwalk program:
Let's Dance Again: The Music of Benny Goodman
