JAZZPROFILES lives in the music 1,572 Jazz Artists fully Profiled! Riccardo Fioravanti
Last updated October 1, 2026
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Riccardo Fioravanti, on the cover of his 2005 trio album *Bill Evans Project* (Abeat Records). None - all rights reserved (Abeat Records album cover art, used as an honest fallback; not a CC-licensed or public-domain photograph). — Abeat Records, Bill Evans Project (2005) front cover, retrieved via the Discogs release page's image asset through the public Discogs API, release 18845248: https://www.discogs.com/release/18845248-Riccardo-Fioravanti-Trio-Bill-Evans-Project . Image URL: https://i.discogs.com/-tBraf_-qFA8faad3SE6Hu99DXJSSD0l3vehO5480B4/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:500/w:500/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTE4ODQ1/MjQ4LTE2MjE3NjMx/NzktMzI0Ny5qcGVn.jpeg
Riccardo Fioravanti was born February 23, 1957 in Milan, Italy. He began on electric bass in 1973, and by 1975, at eighteen, was already working as a session musician in Milan's recording studios. He went on to enter the double bass class at Milan's "Giuseppe Verdi" Conservatory, building a parallel career as a classically trained double bassist and an in-demand jazz and studio player.
Across five decades Fioravanti has recorded jazz with Giorgio Gaslini, Franco Cerri, Gianni Basso and Dado Moroni, and shared sessions, seminars and performances with a run of prominent American visitors, among them Tom Harrell, Bob Mintzer, Joe La Barbera, Phil Woods, Lee Konitz, Clark Terry, Slide Hampton, Adam Nussbaum, Alvin Queen, Paul Wertico and Danny Gottlieb. As a leader and co-leader he has built his own catalog largely around tribute projects: a piano-less trio recasting of Bill Evans (Bill Evans Project, 2005), a three-trumpet reworking of John Coltrane repertoire (Coltrane Project, 2012) and a solo-billed album of Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn compositions named for flowers (Duke's Flowers, 2016, which closes with one of his own compositions). He also plays bass on La Vita È Bella (2010), a jazz-quartet recasting of Nicola Piovani's Academy Award-winning score for Roberto Benigni's film of the same name, alongside Bob Mintzer, Dado Moroni and Joe La Barbera.
Alongside his own jazz recordings, Fioravanti has had a long parallel career as a session and touring bassist in Italian mainstream popular music, credited on recordings by Mina, Ornella Vanoni, Amii Stewart, Massimo Ranieri, Gigi D'Alessio and others - a common dual track for a working Milanese bassist of his generation, and one he has kept up alongside a substantial and continuous jazz catalog rather than instead of it.
Teaching has run alongside performing for most of his career. He has taught at the conservatories of Piacenza, Cuneo, Alessandria, Brescia, Ferrara and Catania, and currently teaches electric bass, double bass and the history of jazz at the Conservatory of Como, as well as jazz courses at Milan's Accademia del Suono. In his own classes he has described building a program that traces Impressionist music's influence on major jazz figures such as Bill Evans, a thread that runs directly through his own Bill Evans Project. He continues to perform, including a 2025 tribute concert to the late Franco Cerri.
Fioravanti works in the mainstream post-bop and hard-bop tradition of the modern acoustic and electric bass, and has built much of his leader discography around close studies of specific jazz songbooks and composers: Bill Evans, John Coltrane, and Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn. That same instinct toward reinterpretation carried into film music on La Vita È Bella, where a working jazz quartet recast Nicola Piovani's orchestral score as small-group jazz. His teaching, tracing a line from musical Impressionism to Bill Evans, reflects the same harmonic curiosity that runs through his own records.
- Bill Evans Project (2005, Abeat Records) - a piano-less trio reworking of Bill Evans's book, with guitarist Bebo Ferra and vibraphonist Andrea Dulbecco. Spotify - Bill Evans Project Listen · Buy
- Note Basse (2007, Abeat Records) - Riccardo Fioravanti Quartet, with Mauro Negri on bass clarinet and Roberto Rossi on trombone. Spotify - Note Basse Listen · Buy
- Coltrane Project (2012, Abeat Records) - Riccardo Fioravanti Trio + Trumpets, rotating Fabrizio Bosso, Giovanni Falzone and Dino Rubino through a saxophone-less take on Coltrane. Spotify - Coltrane Project Listen · Buy
- Duke's Flowers (2016, Abeat Records) - his sole solo-billed leader album, an Ellington and Strayhorn songbook of flower-named compositions. Spotify - Duke's Flowers Listen · Buy
- La Vita È Bella (2010, Abeat Records) - a jazz-quartet recasting of Nicola Piovani's film score, with Bob Mintzer, Dado Moroni and Joe La Barbera. Spotify - La Vita È Bella Listen · Buy
Riccardo Fioravanti: Full Discography
Riccardo Fioravanti, born February 23, 1957 in Milan, Italy. Double bass, electric bass. Identity confirmed via Discogs artist ID 1005555 ("Riccardo Fioravanti"), profile note "Italian bassist, born in 1957 in Milan, Italy." Related entities are his own named groups, not collisions: Riccardo Fioravanti Trio (5670072) and Riccardo Fioravanti Quartet (9556765). He is not the same person as drummer Ettore Fioravanti (b. 1958, Rome), a separate, already-profiled Italian jazz musician with the same surname; a stray mislink between the two on Flavio Boltro's own discography page (which had credited the drummer for a bass part) has been corrected there; see Flavio Boltro's discography-full.md.
Every Spotify link below was opened and confirmed to resolve to the named release before it was included. Where nothing could be confirmed, the cell reads "not found" rather than carrying a guess.
Albums as Leader or Co-Leader
| Album | Year | Label | Personnel | Notes | Listen | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| In A Sentimental Mood | 2001 | CDpM LION | Giampiero Prina, Marco Brioschi, Andrea Dulbecco, Riccardo Fioravanti, Stefano Bagnoli | Collective quintet billing; instrument-level Discogs credits are not itemized for this release. Discogs release 11819806. | not found | Amazon |
| Into The Blue | 2004 | Red Record | Flavio Boltro (trumpet), Michele Bozza (tenor saxophone), Piero Bassini (piano), Riccardo Fioravanti (bass), Giampiero Prina (drums) | Co-billed quintet. Discogs release 12012382. | not found | Amazon |
| Bill Evans Project | 2005 | Abeat Records (ABJZ031) | Riccardo Fioravanti (double bass), Bebo Ferra (guitar), Andrea Dulbecco (vibraphone) | Billed to the Riccardo Fioravanti Trio; recasts Bill Evans compositions for a piano-less trio. Discogs release 18845248. | Spotify | Amazon |
| Note Basse | 2007 | Abeat Records | Riccardo Fioravanti (double bass), Mauro Negri (bass clarinet), Roberto Rossi (trombone), Stefano Bagnoli (drums) | Billed to the Riccardo Fioravanti Quartet. Discogs release 19243726. | Spotify | Amazon |
| The Cube | 2008 | Abeat Records | Dado Moroni (piano, electric piano), Tom Harrell (trumpet, flugelhorn), Andrea Dulbecco (vibraphone, marimba), Riccardo Fioravanti (double bass), Stefano Bagnoli and Enzo Zirilli (drums) | Collective billing led by Dado Moroni; recorded at Recording Studios Nikto, Milan, April 2007. Discogs release 10209624. | Track: "The Cube" | Amazon |
| La Vita È Bella | 2010 | Abeat Records | Bob Mintzer (tenor saxophone), Dado Moroni (piano), Riccardo Fioravanti (contrabass), Joe La Barbera (drums) | A jazz-quartet recasting of Nicola Piovani's score for Roberto Benigni's film La Vita È Bella. Discogs release 8900565. | Spotify | Amazon |
| Coltrane Project | 2012 | Abeat Records (AB JZ 106) | Riccardo Fioravanti (double bass), Bebo Ferra (acoustic guitar), Andrea Dulbecco (vibraphone, marimba); trumpets: Giovanni Falzone, Dino Rubino (tracks 3, 7, 11), Fabrizio Bosso (tracks 4, 8, 10) | Billed to the Riccardo Fioravanti Trio + Trumpets; a saxophone-less recasting of John Coltrane repertoire for three rotating trumpeters. Discogs release 10083911. | Spotify | Amazon |
| Quiet Yesterday | 2012 | Abeat Records (ABJZ 103) | Dado Moroni (piano), Tom Harrell (trumpet, flugelhorn), Bob Mintzer (tenor saxophone), Andrea Dulbecco (vibraphone, marimba), Riccardo Fioravanti (double bass), Stefano Bagnoli and Enzo Zirilli (drums) | Second "Cube" album with Dado Moroni, adding Bob Mintzer; tracks recorded 2007 and 2009. Discogs release 13308191. | Track: "Quiet Yesterday" | Amazon |
| Songs | 2014 | Jazzit Records | Giovanni Mazzarino (piano), Riccardo Fioravanti (double bass), Stefano Bagnoli (drums) | Standards trio drawing on Broadway songwriters (Cole Porter, Gershwin) and jazz composers (Charlie Haden, J.J. Johnson). Discogs release 14466930. | not found | Amazon |
| Duke's Flowers | 2016 | Abeat Records (AB JZ157) | Riccardo Fioravanti (electric bass, composer on track 9), Roberto Cecchetto (electric and acoustic guitar), Alessandro Rossi (drums, percussion), Daniele Raimondi (trumpet, human beatbox, effects) | Sole leader billing; a concept album of Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn compositions named for flowers and plants, closing with one Fioravanti original ("Blue Flower"). Discogs release 17366458. | Spotify | Amazon |
Two further leader dates are documented by the artist's own conservatory biography and independent retail/press listings but are not catalogued under his Discogs artist page: Baritone Trio (a later working group, per a 2023 concert preview) and any studio recording by it. No Discogs release or confirmed streaming link was found for a "Baritone Trio" album as of this writing; it is not included as a discography row for that reason.
Selected Guest and Sideman Credits (jazz recordings)
Fioravanti's Discogs sideman catalog runs to well over 100 further "Appearance"-role credits across five decades. The selection below covers his most jazz-significant and best-documented sideman dates; a chronological list of everything found is in the Sources note at the end of this file.
| Release | Leader / Billing | Year | Label | Notes | Listen | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cocò | Francesco Magni | 1980 | Ariston | Early session credit, five years into his studio career. Discogs release 5100804. | not found | Amazon |
| Zallizbo | Quintetto Bolli Bozza | 1985 | Bull Records | Fioravanti mixed the album and plays on "Il Blu (È) Minore." Discogs release 2302275. | not found | Amazon |
| First Flight | Alfredo Golino, special guest Franco Ambrosetti | 1988 | Dire | Sideman date alongside trumpeter Franco Ambrosetti. Discogs release 4037105. | not found | Amazon |
| Sound And Colours | Jazz Class Orchestra, guests Franco Ambrosetti and Franco D'Andrea | 1991 | Ducale Jazz | Big-band date with two internationally prominent Italian jazz guests. Discogs release 20114044. | not found | Amazon |
| Transformations | Arrigo Cappelletti Quartet | 1993 | Silex | Discogs release 11384520. | not found | Amazon |
| Once Upon A Time... | Bebo Ferra, featuring Franco D'Andrea | 1993 | - | Fioravanti plays double bass on the track "Inatteso," alongside Bebo Ferra (guitar), Giampiero Prina (drums) and Massimo Colombo (piano); D'Andrea is the release's featured artist but is not credited on this specific track. Discogs master 4228770. | not found | Amazon |
| Bebop | Gianni Basso Big Band, featuring Slide Hampton | 2000 | Nuova Era Records / Arsis | Big-band date arranged by Slide Hampton; Fioravanti on bass alongside fellow bandmembers Andrea Pozza, Emilio Soana and Fabrizio Bosso. Discogs release 9021662. | not found | Amazon |
| Mattia's Walk | Andrea Tofanelli | 2001 | Splasc(h) Records | Discogs release 14848980. | not found | Amazon |
| El Cerrito Pl | Silvano Borzacchiello Trio | 2001 | Altrisuoni | Discogs release 15664602. | not found | Amazon |
| Gemma | Paolo & Marco Brioschi 4/5et | 2000 | Philology | Discogs release 20933503. | not found | Amazon |
| 'S Wonderful | Lara Iacovini Band | 2011 | Abeat Fast Line | Fioravanti produced the album; Steve Swallow and Adam Nussbaum also appear on it. Discogs release 15073954. | not found | Amazon |
| Beyond | Mattia Cigalini | 2013 | C.A.M. Jazz | Discogs release 14321710. | not found | Amazon |
| Kairòs | Dino Rubino | 2014 | Tǔk Music | Discogs release 13494237. | not found | Amazon |
| Barber Shop | Franco Cerri | 2014 | Abeat Records | Late-career Franco Cerri quartet date with Dado Moroni on piano and Stefano Bagnoli on drums. Discogs release 14497489. | Spotify | not found |
| Barber Shop 2. Novant'anni suonati! | Franco Cerri | 2016 | Abeat Records | Same quartet, marking Cerri's ninetieth year. Discogs release 16218376. | Spotify | not found |
Beyond Jazz: Italian Pop and Session Work
Alongside his jazz catalog, Fioravanti has worked as a session and touring bassist across mainstream Italian popular music since the mid-1970s, credited on Discogs on releases by Mina, Ornella Vanoni, Amii Stewart, Gigi D'Alessio, Marcella Bella, Fabio Concato, Silvia Salemi, Massimo Ranieri, Roberto Vecchioni, Mauro Pagani, Enzo Jannacci and the rock songwriter Faust'o, among others, plus an early credit on a 1982 single by Faust'o. This side of his discography runs well past 60 further Discogs entries and is not itemized row by row here; it is documented in full on his Discogs artist page.
Sources
Discogs API: artist 1005555 ("Riccardo Fioravanti"), plus group entities 5670072 (Riccardo Fioravanti Trio) and 9556765 (Riccardo Fioravanti Quartet). Releases and masters consulted: 11819806, 12012382, 18845248, 19243726, 10209624, 8900565, 10083911, 13308191, 14466930, 17366458, 5100804, 2302275, 4037105, 20114044, 11384520, 4228770, 9021662, 14848980, 15664602, 20933503, 15073954, 14321710, 13494237, 14497489, 16218376, plus the full artist release list (140 entries across two pages). Independent web sources for Spotify verification: open.spotify.com album and track pages for each linked release. Biographical detail (birth date, teaching posts, early career) from the Conservatorio di Como faculty page and independent Italian press (ilPiacenza, Filarmonica Laudamo).
Dado Moroni (piano), Tom Harrell (trumpet, flugelhorn) and Bob Mintzer (tenor saxophone) - Fioravanti is the regular bassist across Moroni's two "Cube" albums with Harrell, The Cube (2008) and Quiet Yesterday (2012, adding Mintzer), and again on La Vita È Bella (2010) with Mintzer, Moroni and Joe La Barbera; Discogs-verified throughout.
Franco Cerri (guitar) - the double bassist, alongside Moroni on piano and Stefano Bagnoli on drums, in Cerri's late-career quartet on Barber Shop (2014) and Barber Shop 2. Novant'anni suonati! (2016); Discogs-verified.
Bebo Ferra (guitar) and Andrea Dulbecco (vibraphone) - his regular trio partners across Bill Evans Project (2005) and Coltrane Project (2012); Dulbecco alone also appears on the collective-billed In A Sentimental Mood (2001).
Fabrizio Bosso (trumpet) - one of three rotating trumpeters (tracks 4, 8, 10) on Coltrane Project (2012); Discogs-verified. Bosso and Fioravanti also share a big-band credit on Gianni Basso's Bebop (2000).
Gianni Basso (tenor saxophone) - Fioravanti plays bass in the Gianni Basso Big Band on Bebop (2000, Nuova Era Records / Arsis), arranged by Slide Hampton; Discogs-verified.
Flavio Boltro (trumpet) - co-billed quintet member, with Michele Bozza and Piero Bassini, on Into The Blue (2004, Red Record); Discogs-verified.
Mauro Negri (bass clarinet) - a member of Fioravanti's own Riccardo Fioravanti Quartet on Note Basse (2007); Discogs-verified.
Giovanni Mazzarino (piano) - co-billed trio partner, with Stefano Bagnoli on drums, on Songs (2014, Jazzit Records); Discogs-verified.
Stefano Bagnoli (drums) - his most frequent rhythm-section partner, appearing on Into The Blue (as Giampiero Prina's drum chair, not Bagnoli's own credit on other dates), Note Basse, The Cube, Quiet Yesterday, Songs and both Barber Shop albums.
Franco Ambrosetti (trumpet) and Franco D'Andrea (piano) - both are Discogs-verified fellow credited musicians alongside Fioravanti on First Flight (1988) and Sound And Colours (1991, guests on the same Jazz Class Orchestra release); D'Andrea is also the featured artist on Bebo Ferra's Once Upon A Time... (1993), though the specific track Fioravanti plays on that release, "Inatteso," does not itself credit D'Andrea, so that connection is noted here as a same-release rather than same-track credit.
Roberto Rossi (trombone) - Note Basse (2007), billed to the Riccardo Fioravanti Quartet.
