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Profile No. IT-408

Mauro Negri

Clarinet, saxophones (alto, tenor, soprano) — Italian — B: 1966, Mantua, Italy

Last updated September 28, 2026

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Mauro Negri

Mauro Negri, portrait, from the cover of *Line Up* (2005) Not CC-licensed - album cover art, editorial/identification use, per this project's photo-scarcity fallback policy — Discogs release 14126246, Line Up (2005); cover photography credited to Luciano Rossetti

Mauro Negri was born in Mantua in 1966 and trained classically on clarinet under Giovanni Bertolini, studying jazz alongside his conservatory work. At eighteen, in 1984, he placed second in a competition for first saxophone chair run by RAI in Milan and went on to work with the RAI orchestra in the years that followed. The next year he was named best overall musician at the national "Viva i Giovani" contest, and he later won Best New National Talent in the Top Jazz poll run by the magazine Musica Jazz, along with the Jazz Contest organized by Musica Oggi.

He made his recorded debut as a leader with Patarau (1989, Splasc(h) Records), featuring Franco D'Andrea as special guest, and has led a steady stream of small-group and duo records since: Poirot (1992), Piku (1994), So Funky (1997, with Enrico Rava as special guest), two duo albums with the Slovenian free-improvisation drummer Zlatko Kaučič, Glasba Za Romana (1998) and Squarci (2000, tagged Free Jazz and Free Improvisation on Discogs), and Line Up (2005), a quartet date with bassist Furio Di Castri, pianist Paolo Birro and drummer Fabrizio Sferra whose cover portrait, shot by photographer Luciano Rossetti, illustrates this profile.

From 1998 to 2001 Negri was a fixed member of French drummer Aldo Romano's quartet, touring Paris, Monaco, Hong Kong, Porto, Guadeloupe and Amiens and recording Corners (1999, Label Bleu) alongside bassist Michel Benita and guitarist Tim Miller. He returned as a guest on three further Romano leader dates over the next two decades: Etat de Fait (2007), Just Jazz (2008, with Henri Texier and Geraldine Laurent) and Reborn (2020, which also features Enrico Rava on trumpet). Separately, he spent three years as first alto saxophone and clarinet in the Vienna Art Orchestra, the Austrian big band led by Mathias Rüegg, recording Swing & Affairs (2005) and 3 (2007) with the ensemble and touring internationally.

Negri's other Discogs-verified sessions include three dates with Enrico Rava (Certi Angoli Segreti, 1998, on which he shares track 3 with pianist Stefano Bollani; [Vento], 2000, again alongside Bollani and singer Barbara Casini; and Jazzitaliano Live 2006), Claudio Fasoli's career retrospective Résumé (2000), Enrico Intra's Luciano Berio tribute Le Case Di Berio (2005), Furio Di Castri's own Wooden You (1999) and Zapping (2008), and Antonio Faraò's Boundaries (2015), on which Negri plays tenor and soprano saxophone; Faraò returned the favor as special guest pianist on Negri's own Buds (2015, TRJ Records). He was also a sideman on the Dream Band septet's A Jazz Story Suite (2002), alongside trumpeter Fabrizio Bosso and pianist Dado Moroni, and formed the guitar-led S.F. Group with guitarist Bebo Ferra, recording So Funky (1997) and, later, the co-billed SF 4 (2010).

His own leader catalog also runs through Colours (2003, with pianist Nico Morelli), L'Attente Des Femmes (2003, a duo with Breton harpist Kristen Noguès), Touch & Go (2006), Dune (2013, with the F.M. 4tet) and, more recently, Jazz 4Amy (2021) and All Right Session (2025, Mauro Negri Quartet). He leads or has led a run of named groups beyond his own quartet, including the Mauro Negri Double Quartet, Keptorchestra (which recorded with the free-jazz soprano saxophonist Steve Lacy in 1994), the Bartolomeo Barenghi 7tet, the Riccardo Fioravanti Quartet and the GPN Trio, and has been a member of the Claudio Fasoli Nonet and the Lydian Sound Orchestra. He has taught at the Conservatorio di Mantova since 2006.

His own biography and press coverage also name Richard Galliano, Kenny Wheeler, Billy Cobham, Albert Mangelsdorff, Lee Konitz, Gato Barbieri and Tony Scott among his collaborators; those connections are not independently confirmed at the Discogs credit level in this profile's own research and are noted here for completeness rather than asserted as verified.

Negri's discography splits between mainstream small-group jazz and more exploratory territory. The two duo records with Zlatko Kaučič, and the earlier group date with Steve Lacy, sit at the free-improvisation end of his output; Discogs itself tags Squarci Free Jazz and Free Improvisation. The bulk of his leader and sideman work, by contrast, sits in a straighter post-bop and mainstream idiom, built around the clarinet and the full family of saxophones. His three-year stint as lead alto and clarinet in the Vienna Art Orchestra put him inside one of European jazz's most durable large ensembles, and that big-band thread continues through his membership in the Lydian Sound Orchestra and the Reunion Big Band.

Key Recordings
Full Discography

Mauro Negri: Full Discography

Verified against the Discogs API, artist 1177076, September 2026. The artist page carries 103 credited entries. A separate Discogs entity, "Mauro Negri (2)" (artist 6632846), is a different musician, a member of the group Les Antipop with a single 1990 cassette appearance; that entity has no jazz connection and is not this artist.

As Leader

Album Year Label Personnel Notes Listen Buy
Patarau 1989 Splasc(h) Records Mauro Negri, special guest Franco D'Andrea (piano) His recorded debut as a leader. Discogs release 2703147. Spotify Amazon
Poirot 1992 Splasc(h) Records Mauro Negri, Simone Guiducci, Riccardo Biancoli, Marco Remondini Discogs release 21208189. not found Amazon
Piku 1994 Sentemo Records Mauro Negri Discogs release 4883504; Discogs styles tag Avant-garde Jazz. not found Amazon
So Funky 1997 Splasc(h) Records Mauro Negri, special guest Enrico Rava; Bebo Ferra, Fiorenzo Delegà, Christian Meyer Recorded October 1996 at Charlie Lab, Mantua. Discogs release 9181417. not found Amazon
The Tender Trap 1997 - Sandro Gibellini, Silvia Birro, Mauro Negri Trio date. Discogs master 3832962. not found Amazon
Glasba Za Romana 1998 Jota, self-released Zlatko Kaučič, Mauro Negri Duo with the Slovenian free-improvisation drummer. Discogs release 4791186. not found Amazon
Trios 1998 Velut Luna Mauro Negri, Simone Guiducci Discogs release 31521530. not found Amazon
Squarci 2000 Splasc(h) Records Mauro Negri, Zlatko Kaučič Second duo record with Kaučič; Discogs genre/style tags this release Free Jazz / Free Improvisation. Discogs release 4798333. not found Amazon
Serengeti 2000 Velut Luna Oscar Del Barba, Mauro Negri, Trio Fenice Discogs release 13816628. not found Amazon
Clarinet Trip 2000 Via Veneto Jazz Mauro Negri, S.F. Group Discogs release 15136104. not found Amazon
Colours 2003 Splasc(h) Records Nico Morelli meets Mauro Negri Discogs release 18642361. not found Amazon
L'Attente Des Femmes 2003 Nunentertainment Kristen Noguès, Mauro Negri Duo with the French Celtic-harp player. Discogs release 10493679. not found Amazon
Line Up 2005 Not On Label Mauro Negri, Furio Di Castri (bass), Paolo Birro (piano), Fabrizio Sferra (drums) Cover photography by Luciano Rossetti; the source of this profile's portrait. Discogs release 14126246. not found Amazon
Touch & Go 2006 Azzurra Music Luca Boscagin, Mauro Negri, Marco Vaggi, Stefano Bagnoli Discogs release 22485953. not found Amazon
SF 4 2010 TRJ Records Mauro Negri, Bebo Ferra (guitar), Christian Meyer (drums), Fiorenzo Delegà (bass) Discogs release 9218315. not found Amazon
Dune 2013 Ultra Sound Records F.M. 4tet plus Mauro Negri Discogs release 11102719. not found Amazon
Buds 2015 TRJ Records Mauro Negri, Marcello Abate (guitar), Gabriele Rampi (bass), Federico Negri (drums), special guest Antonio Faraò (piano) Discogs release 15608674. not found Amazon
Jazz 4Amy 2021 TRJ Records Lara Ferrari, Mauro Negri, Fiorenzo Delegà, Federico Negri Discogs release 21369139. not found Amazon
All Right Session 2025 All Right Riserva Recordz Mauro Negri Quartet Discogs release 35881123, LP. not found Amazon

As Sideman and Guest

Discogs credits Negri on roughly 60 Appearance and Track Appearance entries. The releases below are organized chronologically; entries connecting to another artist already profiled on jazzprofiles.com are linked and instrument-credited from the Discogs release page. The remaining entries are session and compilation credits without a further documented connection to this project's catalog.

Album Year Label Actual Leader / Context Listen Buy
8th European Jazz Competition '89 1989 Westdeutscher Rundfunk, Response Records Various artists, competition compilation not found Amazon
Color 1989 - Luigi Tessarollo Trio not found Amazon
Felix 1990 Tirreno Sandro Gibellini not found Amazon
Come Eravamo Stupidi 1991 - Rudy Marra not found Amazon
Jazz Contest '91 1991 - Trapezomantilo Project / Sardinia Quartet not found Amazon
Modì 1991 - Vinicio Capossela not found Amazon
Il Paese Dei Balocchi 1992 - Edoardo Bennato not found Amazon
Mendicante E Altre Storie 1992 - Mariella Nava not found Amazon
Melodious Thunk 1993 Totem Records Lydian Sound Orchestra not found Amazon
Pandora 1993 Le Parc Trapezomantilo not found Amazon
Winter Sky 1994 Penta Flowers, Gemini Music Library Nello Toscano, with Enrico Rava not found Amazon
New Flamenco Sketches 1994 Le Parc Simone Guiducci not found Amazon
Sweet Sixteen 1994 - Keptorchestra Meets Steve Lacy Negri's own group hosting the free-jazz soprano saxophonist Steve Lacy. not found
Gramelot 1995 Esagono Record Simone Guiducci not found Amazon
Timon Of Athens Suite 1995 Flex Records Lydian Sound Orchestra not found Amazon
Strade 1995 Le Parc Wood Quartet not found Amazon
Non Saprei 1996 Arci - Nuova Associazione Salvatore Majore not found Amazon
Ring Dis Bel 1996 Splasc(h) Records Trapezomantilo not found Amazon
Certi Angoli Segreti 1998 Label Bleu, Musica Jazz Enrico Rava; Negri on clarinet (tracks 3, 6, 7), with Stefano Bollani on piano (tracks 3, 5) not found Amazon
Wooden You 1999 Splasc(h) Records Furio Di Castri; Negri on clarinet, bass clarinet not found Amazon
Corners 1999 Label Bleu Aldo Romano Quartet, with Michel Benita and Tim Miller; Negri a fixed quartet member 1998-2001 Spotify Amazon
[Vento] 2000 Label Bleu Barbara Casini and Enrico Rava; Negri on clarinet, with Stefano Bollani on piano and vocals Spotify Amazon
Résumé 2000 Musica Jazz Claudio Fasoli; Negri on clarinet not found Amazon
Chiaroscuri 2000 Splasc(h) Records Marco Cocconi not found Amazon
Mattia's Walk 2001 Splasc(h) Records Andrea Tofanelli not found Amazon
Malìa 2001 - Lucia Minetti not found Amazon
Caro Nanni 2002 Velut Luna Sax Four Fun not found Amazon
Acusti(k)auto 2002 Via Veneto Jazz Trapeziomantilo not found Amazon
A Jazz Story Suite 2002 Abeat Records Dream Band (7), with Fabrizio Bosso and Dado Moroni; Negri on alto saxophone not found Amazon
Azurka 2003 Abeat Records Lydian Sound Orchestra & Claudio Fasoli not found Amazon
Jazz & Radio 2003 Musica Jazz Various artists, compilation not found Amazon
Omaggio A Mina - E.Biscom 2003 Not On Label Civica Jazz Band, Orchestra Sinfonica Guido Cantelli not found Amazon
Clarinetti Italiani 2003 Music Center Alfredo Ferrario not found Amazon
Plays Ellington-Gershwin 2003 Splasc(h) Records Mauro Negri Double Quartet Compilation billed to Negri's own group. not found
Casamoderna 2003 Abeat Records Massimo Nunzi con Roberto Gatto not found Amazon
Label Bleu Story Una Maison Del Jazz 2004 Musica Jazz, Label Bleu Various artists, label compilation not found Amazon
Le Case Di Berio 2005 Rai Trade, Alfa Music Enrico Intra; Negri on clarinet not found Amazon
Money For Dope 2005 EMI Luttazzi not found Amazon
Swing & Affairs 2005 EmArcy, Universal Vienna Art Orchestra; Negri on clarinet and alto saxophone as the orchestra's first-chair reed not found Amazon
Valzer Transgenico 2006 Hukapan Elio E Le Storie Tese & Mondo Marcio not found Amazon
Jazzitaliano Live 2006 2006 Casa Del Jazz Enrico Rava, with Giovanni Guidi, Francesco Ponticelli, Emanuele Maniscalco; Negri on tenor saxophone and clarinet not found Amazon
Etat De Fait 2007 Dreyfus Jazz Aldo Romano; Negri on clarinet not found Amazon
3 2007 EmArcy Vienna Art Orchestra; Negri on alto saxophone and clarinet not found Amazon
Liquid Places 2007 Abeat Records Mauro Negri Quartet not found Amazon
Drums And JAO 2007 Not On Label Jazz Art Orchestra not found Amazon
Note Basse 2007 Abeat Records Riccardo Fioravanti Quartet not found Amazon
Zapping 2008 Promo Music Furio Di Castri; Negri on clarinet, bass clarinet Spotify Amazon
Omaggio All'Opera - Il Vino All'Opera 2008 Casa Del Jazz Furio Di Castri e Antonello Salis not found Amazon
Just Jazz 2008 Dreyfus Jazz Aldo Romano, with Henri Texier and Geraldine Laurent; Negri on clarinet Spotify Amazon
Sulla Tua Bocca Lo Dirò 2009 - Mina not found Amazon
The Big Band Years 2010 EmArcy Vienna Art Orchestra, career-retrospective box set not found Amazon
KRApapeladaMER 2010 Not On Label Mantua Band Studio not found Amazon
Chiaroscuri 2010 Philology Enrico Pitaro 4et not found Amazon
Time In Jazz - Della Musica E Dei Luoghi 2011 Musica Jazz Various artists; festival compilation compiled and edited by Paolo Fresu, not a co-performance credit not found Amazon
That's All Folks 2011 TRJ Records Simone Guiducci Gramelot Ensemble not found Amazon
Prelúdio E Saudade 2011 Quadrant Records Bartolomeo Barenghi 7tet not found Amazon
Continuando 2012 Blue Serge Silvia Donati, Sandro Gibellini not found Amazon
Recital Trio Live 2012 nBn Records Michele Francesconi, Paolo Ghetti, Carlo Alberto Canevali not found Amazon
Bix Factor 2012 Parco Della Musica Records Mauro Ottolini Sousaphonix not found Amazon
Singin' Ornette!!! 2013 Blue Serge Barbara Raimondi not found Amazon
Boundaries 2015 Verve Records Antonio Faraò; Negri on tenor and soprano saxophone Spotify Amazon
Elisa Nel Paese Delle Meraviglie 2015 TRJ Records Elisa Marangon not found Amazon
Recurring Dreams 2015 Abeat Skyline Dario Faiella Meets Monday Orchestra not found Amazon
Generations 16 2016 Generecords Various artists, Frauenfeld jazz festival compilation not found Amazon
Interlace 2016 Ultra Sound Records GPN Trio not found Amazon
Jazzonze + Festival Lausanne, 30 Ans De Live 2017 Espace 2 Various artists, festival compilation not found Amazon
Mare 1519 2019 Parco Della Musica Records Lydian Sound Orchestra not found Amazon
My Life Is Now (Tributo A Marco Tamburini) 2019 Caligola Reunion Big Band not found Amazon
Reborn 2020 Le Triton Aldo Romano, with Enrico Rava; Negri on clarinet Spotify Amazon
Liverno 2020 Caligola Andrea Paganetto not found Amazon
The Princess Of The Allen Keys 2021 - Noisy Diners not found Amazon
No More Wrong Mistakes (This Our Music) 2022 Parco Della Musica Records Lydian Sound Orchestra, conducted by Riccardo Brazzale, featuring David Murray not found Amazon

Track Appearances (compilations)

Album Year Label Listen Buy
Dancing Paradise 1981 Centotre not found Amazon
Atelier Musicale Del Ventesimo Secolo - Stagione '96-'97 1997 SM - Associazione Culturale Secondo Maggio not found Amazon
Accendi La Tua Luce - Il Natale Degli Artisti Mantovani 2003 Gazzetta di Mantova not found Amazon
Carosello Napoletano 2003 D.V. More Record not found Amazon
Les Trésors De Jazz A Porquerolles 2009 Jazz Magazine not found Amazon
Momenti Di Jazz 2015 Musica Jazz not found Amazon

Full catalog at Discogs: Mauro Negri, artist 1177076.

Personnel & Collaborations
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