JAZZPROFILES lives in the music 1,572 Jazz Artists fully Profiled! Roberto Rossi
Last updated October 1, 2026
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Roberto Rossi is an Italian jazz trombonist, composer and educator born July 7, 1962, in Rimini, on Italy's Adriatic coast. He studied at the Liceo Musicale "G. Lettimi" in Rimini under Orio Lucchi, where he had his first exposure to jazz playing in the school's big band, and earned his trombone diploma as a private student of the Conservatory "G. Malerbi" in Lugo in 1984. His earliest professional work was classical: he played in chamber ensembles and in symphony orchestras including the Sanremo Symphony Orchestra, the RAI Orchestra, the Rossini Opera Festival Orchestra and the Orchestra Regionale Toscana, and won prizes at international competitions.
His entry into jazz came in 1986, when he joined bassist Giovanni Tommaso's "Hamburger Serenade" orchestra, which appeared on the Italian television program of the same name directed by filmmaker Pupi Avati. From there his jazz career expanded quickly: he has performed across Italy, Europe, Africa and the Americas alongside internationally known soloists, and has recorded as a guest or sideman on roughly a hundred albums. He appeared with American saxophonist Lee Konitz on Lee Konitz E Il Suono Improvviso A Venezia (1993), with Phil Woods on the Big Bang Orchestra session Embraceable You (1989), and with Joe Lovano and Steve Lacy as guest soloists of Pietro Tonolo's student big band Keptorchestra, on Miss Etna (1996) and Sweet Sixteen (1994) respectively. He recorded with trombonist Slide Hampton, who arranged and played alongside him on Marco Tamburini's Trip Of Emotion (1996), and, decades later, with pianist Ethan Iverson's Umbria Jazz Orchestra on the live album Bud Powell In The 21st Century (2021), recorded at Umbria Jazz Winter in Orvieto.
Since 2002 Rossi has been a core member of the Lydian Sound Orchestra, the Vicenza-based big band founded in 1989 by arranger Riccardo Brazzale to rework the Monk and Ellington big-band traditions in a contemporary idiom. With the orchestra he has recorded Monk At Town Hall & More (2002), Back To Da Capo (2008), The Lydian Trip (2009), Reflections (2012), Music For Lonely Lovers (2016), We Resist! (2018) and Mare 1519 (2019). He also plays regularly in the working groups of Pietro Tonolo and drummer Roberto Gatto, and for many years in the Civica Jazz Band of Milan, the municipal big band directed by pianist Enrico Intra. He has since directed his own large ensembles, the Emilia Romagna Jazz Orchestra and the Reunion Big Band, and leads a working small group billed as the Roberto Rossi 5et, which has featured Dutch tenor saxophonist Barend Middelhoff and, in other configurations, fellow Italian saxophonist Piero Odorici. Among his original compositions are "Albero Cromato" and "Bossa To Criss," the latter written as a tribute to trumpeter Marco Tamburini, his longtime bandstand colleague, following Tamburini's 2011 death; the Reunion Big Band's My Life Is Now (2019) is itself a tribute recording to Tamburini.
Rossi is the author of Master in Trombone Jazz (Ricordi, 2006), a two-volume study method with accompanying recordings that distills his own playing and teaching experience for conservatory-level jazz trombone study, tested first with his students in Milan's Civici Corsi di Jazz. He has taught in Italian state conservatories for more than twenty years, holding a dedicated jazz chair since 2001 at the conservatories of Bologna, Adria and Verona, and later at Cosenza and Milan; he currently teaches jazz ensemble and improvisation at the Conservatorio "Maderna-Lettimi" in Cesena. Alongside his jazz career, he has worked as a horn session player on numerous mainstream Italian pop recordings, including for Jovanotti, Laura Pausini, Gianni Morandi, Marco Mengoni, Lucio Dalla, Vinicio Capossela and Luciano Pavarotti.
Rossi's playing sits in the mainstream and big-band tradition, shaped by a classical conservatory grounding and four decades inside Italy's leading large jazz ensembles. His discography centers on repertory-based big-band and small-group jazz built around the Monk, Ellington and Bud Powell songbooks and bebop-era vocabulary, reflected in the Lydian Sound Orchestra's Monk-focused catalog, the Umbria Jazz Orchestra's Bud Powell tribute, and recorded tributes to Duke Ellington and Charlie Parker by other Italian big bands he has appeared with. He is equally active as an educator, and his own jazz trombone method reflects a pedagogical interest in bridging classical trombone technique with jazz combo and big-band performance practice.
- Alliance (1993, Splasc(h) Records) - A quintet session billed to the collective Alliance, with Pietro Tonolo, pianist Riccardo Zegna, bassist Piero Leveratto and American drummer Joe Chambers. Not found on Spotify; Discogs.
- Embraceable You (1989, Philology) - Phil Woods Meets Big Bang Orchestra, with Roberto Gatto, Maurizio Giammarco, Paolo Fresu, Marco Tamburini and Danilo Rea. Not found on Spotify; Discogs.
- Lee Konitz E Il Suono Improvviso A Venezia (1993, Splasc(h) Records) - A large student-ensemble recording led by Lee Konitz with Il Suono Improvviso. Not found on Spotify; Discogs.
- Miss Etna (1996, Philology) - Keptorchestra Meets Joe Lovano, Pietro Tonolo's student big band with guest soloists Joe Lovano and Judi Silvano. Spotify. Listen
- Monk At Town Hall & More (2002, Philology) - His first recording as a titular member of the Lydian Sound Orchestra, a big-band reworking of Thelonious Monk's book. Not found on Spotify; Discogs. Buy
- Bud Powell In The 21st Century (2021, Sunnyside) - Recorded live at Umbria Jazz Winter in Orvieto with pianist Ethan Iverson leading the Umbria Jazz Orchestra. Spotify. Listen
Roberto Rossi: Full Discography
Roberto Rossi, born July 7, 1962, in Rimini, Italy. Trombone. Identity confirmed via Discogs artist ID 144443 ("Roberto Rossi"), profile text "Italian trombonist and composer. Born July 7, 1962 in Rimini, Italy." Discogs lists roughly twenty other, unrelated artist entries sharing the name "Roberto Rossi" (a disco/pop producer and keyboardist, a drummer/percussionist, a lyricist, a sound engineer and others); none of their releases are included here.
Rossi has never recorded as a sole-name leader. His career is built on co-billed group recordings and, above all, on his standing membership in large jazz ensembles - principally the Lydian Sound Orchestra since 2002. 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.
Co-Billed Group Recordings (Main-role Discogs credits)
| Album | Year | Label | Personnel | Notes | Listen | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alliance | 1993 | Splasc(h) Records | Pietro Tonolo (saxophone), Roberto Rossi (trombone), Riccardo Zegna (piano), Piero Leveratto (bass), Joe Chambers (drums, vibraphone) | Collective billing to "Alliance." Discogs release 2998009. | not found | Amazon |
| Luna Park | 2000 | Egea | Pietro Tonolo (tenor/soprano saxophone), Gabriele Mirabassi (clarinet), Massimo Pirone (tuba), Rossano Emili (baritone saxophone, clarinet), Roberto Rossi (trombone), Giampaolo Casati (trumpet, cornet) | Collective sextet billing. Discogs release 2997757. | not found | Amazon |
| Orbit - The Music Of Bill Evans | 2007 | - | Lucio Terzano (double bass), Luigi Bonafede (drums), Paolo Birro (piano), Pietro Tonolo (tenor/soprano saxophone), Roberto Rossi (trombone, guest) | Billed to the Lucio Terzano Quartet with Rossi as guest. Discogs release 19740265. | not found | Amazon |
Lydian Sound Orchestra (core member since 2002)
| Album | Year | Label | Notes | Listen | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monk At Town Hall & More | 2002 | Philology | Eight-track reworking of Thelonious Monk's big-band book; Rossi's first recording as a titular Lydian member. Discogs release 9194255. | not found | Amazon |
| Back To Da Capo | 2008 | Philology | Discogs release 9185227. | not found | Amazon |
| The Lydian Trip | 2009 | Philology | Includes the track "Turkish Cuckoo." Discogs release 2333032. | Track: "Turkish Cuckoo" | Amazon |
| Reflections | 2012 | Philology | Discogs release 9284104. | not found | Amazon |
| Music For Lonely Lovers | 2016 | Alma Records | Reviewed on All About Jazz under a variant title, Music For Lonely Souls (beloved by nature). Discogs release 9273864. | not found | Amazon |
| We Resist! | 2018 | Alma Records | Discogs release 12034627. | not found | Amazon |
| Mare 1519 | 2019 | Alma Records | Discogs release 14706524. | Spotify | Amazon |
Selected Guest and Sideman Credits (jazz recordings)
Rossi's Discogs sideman catalog runs to more than eighty further "Appearance"-role credits across four decades. The selection below covers his most jazz-significant and best-documented sideman dates; a chronological list of the remainder follows.
| Release | Leader / Billing | Year | Label | Notes | Listen | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Embraceable You | Phil Woods Meets Big Bang Orchestra | 1989 | Philology | Rossi on trombone alongside fellow trombonist Danilo Terenzi and American trombonist Hal Crook; also features Roberto Gatto, Maurizio Giammarco, Paolo Fresu, Marco Tamburini and Danilo Rea. Discogs master 561381, release 4609661. | not found | Amazon |
| Lee Konitz E Il Suono Improvviso A Venezia | Lee Konitz E Il Suono Improvviso | 1993 | Splasc(h) Records | A large Venice-based student-ensemble recording led by Lee Konitz, with four trombonists including Rossi. Discogs release 8059040. | not found | Amazon |
| Sweet Sixteen | Keptorchestra Meets Steve Lacy | 1994 | - | Pietro Tonolo's student big band Keptorchestra with guest soloist Steve Lacy. Discogs master 1294814; Rossi's membership confirmed via the Keptorchestra group entity on his own Discogs artist page. | not found | Amazon |
| Miss Etna | Keptorchestra Meets Joe Lovano | 1996 | Philology | Same Keptorchestra big band, guest soloists Joe Lovano and Judi Silvano; Rossi individually credited on trombone. Discogs release 9241570. | Spotify | Amazon |
| Trip Of Emotion | Marco Tamburini With Slide Hampton | 1996 | - | Rossi and Slide Hampton both credited on trombone. Discogs master 3735477, release 4891299. | not found | Amazon |
| Slowly | Pietro Tonolo Quartet | 1991 | Splasc(h) Records | Discogs release 2996147. | not found | Amazon |
| Disguise | Pietro Tonolo | 1997 | Splasc(h) Records | With Gianluigi Trovesi, Giampaolo Casati and Riccardo Zegna. Discogs release 2997504. | not found | Amazon |
| Lennie's Pennies | Pietro Tonolo | 2006 | - | Tristano/Konitz repertory date with Paolo Birro. Discogs release 2997990. | not found | Amazon |
| Dajaloo | Pietro Tonolo | 2013 | - | With Giampaolo Casati and West African percussionists. Discogs release 4942990. | not found | Amazon |
| Note Basse | Riccardo Fioravanti Quartet | 2007 | Abeat Records | With Riccardo Fioravanti and Mauro Negri. Discogs release 19243726. | Spotify | not found |
| A Concord Dream | Nicola Zambello Quintet | 2008 | - | With drummer Massimo Manzi and bassist Paolo Ghetti. Discogs release 11146561. | not found | Amazon |
| Pure Imagination | Roberto Gatto | 2011 | - | With Dario Deidda, Gaetano Partipilo, Giovanni Falzone, Max Ionata, Alessandro Lanzoni and Battista Lena. Discogs release 3038779. | not found | Amazon |
| Bud Powell In The 21st Century | Ethan Iverson - Umbria Jazz Orchestra | 2021 | Sunnyside | Recorded live at Umbria Jazz Winter, Orvieto, December 2018. Discogs release 17163916. | Spotify | Amazon |
Further Sideman and Studio Credits (jazz)
Chronological, Discogs-documented, not individually verified beyond the combined artist release list: Guido Guidoboni Quintet, Xoanon (1988, release 11851018); Amato Jazz Trio / Marco Tamburini Quintet, Jazz Contest '88 (1988, release 7821293); Guido Manusardi Sextet, Acqua Fragia (1989, release 4439456); D.D. Band, Tangos De La Tardor (1989, release 4667755); Augusto Martelli, Blue Genoa Sound (1989, master 1104073); Giannantonio De Vincenzo featuring Franco D'Andrea and Roberto Gatto, La Fiaba Dell'Orso (1990, release 2703746); Augusto Mancinelli, Extreme (1990, release 3213722); Claudio Chiara Quintet, Jazz (1992, release 11330748); Nuovo Sestetto Italiano, Art Song (1993, release 15176163); Mario Raja Big Bang, Ellington (1994, release 9235616); Gap Band, Tribute To Nino Rota (1995, release 5320686); Marcello Tonolo, Days (Music On Poetry) (1995, release 25356934); Guido Manusardi Sextet, The Village Fair (1997, release 2535601); Ivano Torre, Urtopia (1999, release 5471609); Civica Jazz Band with the Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano Giuseppe Verdi, The Symphonic Ellington - Night Creature (1999, release 11156679); Grande Orchestra Nazionale Di Jazz (A.M.J.), Live (2000, release 2898148); Giorgio Gaslini, Cantos (2000, release 3168811); Bruno Tommaso with the Marche Jazz Orchestra, Ulisse E L'Ombra (2000, release 3180521); Guido Manusardi, Doina (2000, release 9209899); Marco Tamburini, Feather Touch (2001, release 9260456); Massive Groove, Why Not? (2001, release 10779430); Ti Sha Man Nah Saxophone Quartet, Ripescando (2001, release 11094423); Aeon, Aeon (2002, release 6855438); Francesco Maccianti Septet, Mosaico (2002, release 13756200); Manuel Ruiz Queco, Tengo (2003, release 3179140); Iseo Jazz Dieci Anni Di Jazz Italiano, various artists (2003, release 4007260); Civica Jazz Band with the Orchestra Sinfonica Guido Cantelli, Omaggio A Mina - e.Biscom (2003, release 10344974); Beppe Caruso, Free Air Sextet (2003, release 10524815); Roberto Spadoni, Roberto Spadoni Six - Mingus, Cuernavaca (2004, release 9189592); Barbara Casini, Uragano Elis (2004, release 11202748); Rosalia De Souza, Jogo De Roda (2005, release 703391); Giuseppe Emmanuele and the Jazz Punto It Orchestra, Jazz Punto It (2005, release 15147773); Rosalia De Souza, Que Bandeira (2006, release 711866); Sergio Chiricosta Sextet, In Front Of You (2006, release 16408806); Beppe Caruso Free Air, Punti Di Vista (2007, release 10524822); Roberto Spadoni Nine, Panta Rei (2007, release 15003877); Stefania Rava, Send In The Clowns / Jubilee (2008, release 1606813); Augusto Mancinelli Quartet, Tribute To Charlie Parker (2008, release 3213768); Nicola Zambello Quintet is listed above; Roberto Soggetti, Encresciadum - A Dream And A Tale (2008, release 19209556); Paolo Ghetti, Profumo d'Africa (2009, release 27096543); Joanna Rimmer, Dedicated To...Just Me (2009, release 31612975); Gerardo Frisina, Will You Walk A Little Faster? (2010, release 2303258); Alessandro Fabbri, StrayHorns (2012, release 16380120); Riccardo Luppi and the Civica Jazz Band, Omaggio A Sun Ra (2013, release 6030314); Sonata Di Mare, various artists (2014, release 6057956); Top Jazz 2016, various artists (2017, release 9623485); Eazy Quartet, Snow (2018, release 19453285); Reunion Big Band, My Life Is Now (Tributo A Marco Tamburini) (2019, release 15500754); Stefano Bellon, Marcello Tonolo and the Thelonious Monk Big Band featuring Vitaliano Trevisan, Note Sui Sillabari (2022, release 32068224); NoRiPlay, Session 1 (2023, release 35290045); Chill Out Cafe Jazz, various artists (2024, release 29925547); Bruno Tommaso and the Barga Jazz Ensemble, Dagli Appennini Alle Madonie (2024, release 33054135); Giampaolo Casati, Michele Polga and Marcello Tonolo, Six Friends For Bicio - Tribute To Maurizio Caldura Nunez (2025, release 34538194).
Beyond Jazz: Italian Pop and Session Work
Alongside his jazz catalog, Rossi has worked as a horn session player on mainstream Italian popular recordings, credited on Discogs on releases by Renato Zero (1984), Andrea Mingardi (1990), Vinicio Capossela (1994, 1996, 2010), Paolo Conte (1995), Gianni Morandi (1997), Víctor Manuel (2001), Jovanotti (2002, 2012, 2015), Laura Pausini (2004), Rosalia De Souza (2006, pop/Brazilian releases), RAF (2006), Lorenzo (2008), Gerardo Frisina (2010), Sergio Cammariere (2012), Lucio Dalla (2013), Marco Mengoni (2013, 2015, 2016) and several Luciano Pavarotti releases, including the charity recording Pavarotti & Friends For Cambodia And Tibet (2000), Ti Adoro (2003) and the compilation The Best (2005). This side of his discography is documented in full on his Discogs artist page and is not itemized row by row here.
Sources
Discogs API: artist 144443 ("Roberto Rossi"). Releases and masters consulted: 2998009, 2997757, 19740265, 9194255, 9185227, 2333032, 9284104, 9273864, 12034627, 14706524, 561381, 4609661, 8059040, 1294814, 9241570, 3735477, 4891299, 2996147, 2997504, 2997990, 4942990, 19243726, 11146561, 3038779, 17163916, plus the full artist release list (112 entries across two pages). Independent web sources for Spotify verification: open.spotify.com album and track pages for each linked release. Biographical and teaching detail from the Lydian Sound Orchestra biography page, the Conservatorio "Maderna-Lettimi" faculty page, and La Piazza Rimini (September 6, 2026).
- Pietro Tonolo (tenor/soprano saxophone) - his most frequent recording partner, at least seven shared sessions from Alliance (1993) to Dajaloo (2013), including Slowly (1991), Disguise (1997), Luna Park (2000), Lennie's Pennies (2006) and Orbit (2007).
- Giampaolo Casati (trumpet) - Disguise (1997), Luna Park (2000) and Dajaloo (2013), all within Pietro Tonolo's groups.
- Riccardo Zegna (piano) - Alliance (1993) and Disguise (1997).
- Gianluigi Trovesi (alto saxophone, clarinet) - Disguise (1997).
- Gabriele Mirabassi (clarinet) - Luna Park (2000).
- Massimo Pirone (tuba) - Luna Park (2000).
- Lucio Terzano (double bass) - guest trombonist on the Lucio Terzano Quartet's Orbit - The Music Of Bill Evans (2007), alongside Pietro Tonolo and Paolo Birro.
- Paolo Birro (piano) - Orbit (2007) and Trip Of Emotion (1996).
- Roberto Gatto (drums) - Embraceable You (1989) and Pure Imagination (2011).
- Maurizio Giammarco (tenor saxophone) - Embraceable You (1989).
- Paolo Fresu (trumpet) - Embraceable You (1989).
- Marco Tamburini (trumpet) - Embraceable You (1989) and Trip Of Emotion (1996), on which Tamburini is the billed leader; Rossi later wrote "Bossa To Criss" in tribute to him after his 2011 death.
- Stefano Travaglini (double bass) - fellow sideman on "Eduard," the Marco Tamburini Quintet's track on Jazz Contest '88 (Dire, 1988); Discogs-verified.
- Danilo Rea (keyboards) - Embraceable You (1989).
- Danilo Terenzi (trombone) - fellow trombonist on Embraceable You (1989).
- Marcello Tonolo (fortepiano) - Trip Of Emotion (1996).
- Dario Deidda (bass) - Pure Imagination (2011).
- Gaetano Partipilo (saxophone) - Pure Imagination (2011).
- Giovanni Falzone (trumpet) - Pure Imagination (2011).
- Max Ionata (saxophone) - Pure Imagination (2011).
- Alessandro Lanzoni (piano) - Pure Imagination (2011).
- Battista Lena (guitar) - Pure Imagination (2011).
- Riccardo Fioravanti (double bass) - Note Basse (2007), billed to the Riccardo Fioravanti Quartet.
- Mauro Negri (bass clarinet) - Note Basse (2007).
- Massimo Manzi (drums) - A Concord Dream (2008), billed to the Nicola Zambello Quintet.
- Lee Konitz (alto/soprano saxophone) - Lee Konitz E Il Suono Improvviso A Venezia (1993).
- Phil Woods (alto saxophone) - Embraceable You (1989).
- Slide Hampton (trombone, arranger) - fellow trombonist and arranger on Trip Of Emotion (1996).
Bio-only, not turned into reciprocal cross-links: independent press (La Piazza Rimini, September 2026; the Conservatorio "Maderna-Lettimi" faculty page) describes Rossi performing alongside Cedar Walton and David Sanborn and at the Istanbul Jazz Weekend, and Joe Lovano and Steve Lacy as guest soloists of Keptorchestra are documented through the group's own Discogs entity rather than individually itemized session credits under Rossi's name on those two specific releases; Ethan Iverson (bandleader, Bud Powell In The 21st Century, 2021) and Riccardo Brazzale (Lydian Sound Orchestra's director and arranger since 1989) have no jazzprofiles.com profile to link to.
- Sandro Gibellini (guitar) - fellow player on Lee Konitz E Il Suono Improvviso A Venezia (1993) and the Keptorchestra's Sweet Sixteen (1994) with Steve Lacy. Profiled separately on this site.
- Simone Zanchini (accordion) - fellow member of the Ti Sha Man Nah Saxophone Quartet on Ripescando (2001, Splasc(h) Records); Discogs-confirmed.
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See all 514 Italian artists →- Roberto Rossi on Discogs
- Roberto Rossi, Lydian Sound Orchestra biography
- Roberto Rossi on jazzprofiles.com
- r/ItalianJazz
- Discogs API, artist 144443 ("Roberto Rossi," profile text "Italian trombonist and composer, born July 7, 1962 in Rimini, Italy"), its full 112-entry release list, and connected releases and masters fetched for extraartists-level credits.
- Roberto Rossi, Lydian Sound Orchestra biography page
- Roberto Rossi, Conservatorio "Maderna-Lettimi" faculty page
- Riccione, Jazz: the trombone in the history of jazz, La Piazza Rimini, September 6, 2026
- Roberto Rossi, All About Jazz musician page