Roberto Magris (born 19 June 1959) is an Italian jazz pianist, composer, and arranger.
Early life Magris was born in Trieste, Italy, on 19 June 1959. He had piano lessons between the ages of four and sixteen. He became interested in jazz after hearing the Oscar Peterson album The Way I Really Play in 1977.
Career 1980–2000 In the 1980s, he led the jazz trio Gruppo Jazz Marca and recorded three albums, Comunicazione Sonora (1982),Comunicazione Sonora at All Music All Music Aria di Città (1983) Aria di Città at All Music All Music and Mitteleuropa (1986),Mitteleuropa at Rateyourmusic.com Rateyourmusic.com re-issued in 2006 by the English Label Arision.Arision Recordings Rateyourmusic.com In 1987 he founded his Italian quartet, which operated for nearly 20 years, performing tours in Europe, Asia, Australia and South America and recording four albums, Life in Israel (issued by Jazzis),Jazzis Records Discography Jazzis Records Maliblues,Nuovo Jazz Italiano by Roberto Franchina Nuovo Jazz Italiano Live In Melbourne and Love Is Passing Thru (recorded in 2005 and issued by JMood in 2024).Dan McClenaghan Roberto Magris: Love Is Passing Thru All About JazzEdward Blanco Roberto Magris: Love Is Passing Thru All About JazzEric Harabadian Jazz, blues and alternative views – part 5 Aoide Magazine In the 1990s he founded the acid-jazz groups DMA Urban Jazz Funk and Alfabeats Nu Jazz, performing in Europe and in America and recording two albums, Up to the Beat (2003) and Stones (2006).Alfabeats Nu Jazz at All About Jazz All About Jazz
In 1998 Magris formed the Europlane Orchestra (a central-European jazz venture sponsored by INCE-CEI Central European InitiativeEuroplane Orchestra members Europlane Orchestra including several jazz musicians from various European countries. With the Europlane Orchestra he recorded 3 albums,Edward Blanco Roberto Magris & The Europlane Orchestra: Current Views All About Jazz Live At Zooest,Live At Zooest at Discogs Discogs Plays Kurt WeillPlays Kurt Weill at All About Jazz All About Jazz and Current Views (issued by Soul Note).
Career 2000–present
In 2005, Magris partnered with Hungarian saxophonist Tony Lakatos on the album Check-In (issued by Soul Note).Jack Bowers Roberto Magris Europlane: Check-In All About Jazz In 2006 Magris collaborated with bassist Art Davis and drummer Jimmy "Junebug" Jackson on the album Kansas City Outbound (issued by JMood).Jerry D’Souza Roberto Magris: Kansas City Outbound All About Jazz That same year, he collaborated with alto saxophonist Herb Geller on the album Il Bello del Jazz (issued by Soul Note)Budd Kopman Roberto Magris Europlane: Il Bello Del Jazz All About Jazz and some years later, the JMood released a more album with Herb Geller entitled An Evening with Herb Geller & The Roberto Magris Trio – Live in Europe 2009.Jack Bowers An Evening With Herb Geller & The Roberto Magris Trio All About JazzC. Michael Bailey An Evening With Herb Geller & The Roberto Magris Trio AllAboutJazz
In the United States, Magris became the musical director of JMood Records Kazunori Harada Roberto Magris, a pianist / composer / arranger who has produced a number of masterpieces from the up-and-coming label J Mood Diskunion and recorded two albums in tribute to the trumpeter Lee Morgan,Edward Blanco Roberto Magris Quintet: Morgan Rewind Vol. 1 All About JazzEdward Blanco Roberto Magris Septet: Morgan Rewind Vol. 2 All About JazzSean J. O'Connell Roberto Magris: Morgan Rewind Vol. 2 Down Beat two albums on trio with Elisa Pruett and Albert "Tootie" Heath devoted to the music of pianist Elmo Hope,Edward Blanco Roberto Magris Trio: One Night In With Hope and More Vol. 1 All About JazzC. Michael Bailey Roberto Magris Trio: One Night In With Hope and More Vol. 2 All About Jazz and another to the legacy of alto saxophonist Julian "Cannonball" Adderley.Jack Bowers Roberto Magris Quintet: Cannonball Funk'n Friends All About Jazz He recorded one album in Los Angeles with Idris Muhammad and saxmen Paul Carr and Michael O'Neill, Mating Call,Edward Blanco Roberto Magris Quintet: Mating Call All About Jazz one album with Philadelphian Sam Reed,Jack Bowers Sam Reed Meets Roberto Magris: Ready For Reed All About Jazz one double CD set in tribute to the bebop era, Aliens in a Bebop Planet,John Ephland Roberto Magris Space Trek: Aliens in a Bebop Planet Down Beat one album on a small big band format with the JM Horns, High Quote,Jack Bowers Roberto Magris: High Quote All About Jazz and three albums with his trio from Kansas City (Enigmatix,Edward Blanco Roberto Magris: Enigmatix All About JazzJack Bowers Roberto Magris: Enigmatix All About JazzCarlo Wolff Roberto Magris: Enigmatix Down Beat Need to Bring Out LoveEdward Blanco Roberto Magris: Need To Bring Out Love All About Jazz and World GardensMarc Myers Roberto Magris: World Gardens JazzWaxRaul D’Gama Rose Roberto Magris: World Gardens JazzdaGama). He recorded three albums in Miami, Roberto Magris Sextet Live in Miami @ The WDNA Jazz GalleryCarlo Wolff Roberto Magris Sextet: Live In Miami @ The WDNA Jazz Gallery Down BeatRandy Freedman Roberto Magris Sextet: Live In Miami @ The WDNA Jazz Gallery Chicago Jazz MagazineRaul D’Gama Rose Roberto Magris Sextet: Live In Miami @ The WDNA Jazz Gallery JazzdaGama with a group including Brian Lynch, Sun Stone featuring Ira SullivanYves Sportis Roberto Magris Sextet: Sun Stone Jazz HotMarc Myers Roberto Magris Sextet: Sun Stone JazzWaxJerome Wilson Roberto Magris: Sun Stone All About Jazz and Match Point.Scott Yanow Jazz Cd Reviews April 2022 Los Angeles Jazz SceneYves Sportis Roberto Magris: Match Point Jazz HotEric Harabadian Jazz, blues and alternative views – part 2 Aoide Magazine He also recorded three albums in Chicago, Suite!,Dan McClenaghan Roberto Magris: Suite! All About JazzEdward Blanco Roberto Magris: Suite! All About JazzKarl Ackermann Roberto Magris: Suite! All About JazzHrayr Attarian Roberto Magris: Suite! Chicago Jazz Magazine with a group including trumpeter Eric Jacobson and tenor saxophonist Mark Colby, Shuffling Ivories on duo with bassist Eric Hochberg,Dan McClenaghan Roberto Magris & Eric Hochberg: Shuffling Ivories All About JazzEdward Blanco Roberto Magris & Eric Hochberg: Shuffling Ivories All About JazzScott Yanow Roberto Magris & Eric Hochberg: Shuffling Ivories Los Angeles Jazz SceneRalph A. Miriello Shuffling Ivories Musical Magic by Roberto Magris & Eric Hochberg Notes on JazzJerome Partage and Yves Sportis Roberto Magris & Eric Hochberg: Shuffling Ivories Jazz Hot and Duo & Trio on duo with Mark Colby a.o.Jack Bowers Roberto Magris: Duo & Trio All About JazzMarc Myers Roberto Magris: Duo & Trio JazzWaxYves Sportis Roberto Magris: Duo & Trio Jazz Hot
In Europe, Magris has performed at festivals and jazz clubs with the MUH Trio (Roberto Magris/František Uhlíř/Jaromir Helešic Trio), which has its base in Prague and recorded the albums Prague After Dark in 2016 C. Michael Bailey MUH Trio: Prague After Dark All About JazzJack Bowers MUH Trio: Prague After Dark All About Jazz and A Step into Light in 2020 Edward Blanco MUH Trio: A Step into Light All About JazzJerome Partage and Yves Sportis The MUH Trio: A Step Into Light Jazz Hot (both issued by JMood). In 2024, Magris reunited his Europlane group after twenty years and performed at festivals and recorded the album Freedom Is Peace (issued by JMood).Edward Blanco Roberto Magris Europlane For Jazz: Freedom Is Peace All About JazzJack Bowers Roberto Magris Europlane For Jazz: Freedom Is Peace All About Jazz In 2025, the Roberto Magris/Denis Razz Quartet, which includes Croatian jazz musicians, began performing, and in the same year recorded the album In Action (issued by JMood). Dan McClenaghan Roberto Magris/Denis Razz Quartet: In Action
Magris has performed concerts on solo piano, recording the solo album Lovely Day(s) (issued by JMood) and for jazz piano, orchestra, and strings with the Big Band Ritmo Sinfonica from Verona and the Orchestra Giovanile del Veneto, recording the album Restless Spirits - Big Band Ritmo-Sinfonica Città di Verona plays the music of Roberto Magris (issued by Velut Luna).Raul D’Gama Rose Big Band Ritmo Sinfonica from Verona: Restless Spirits All About Jazz
Critic Edward Blanco at AllAboutJazz called Magris "one of the finest piano players on the planet".Edward Blanco Review of Magris album Roberto Magris: Need to Bring Out Love All About Jazz
Critic Scott Yanow at Los Angeles Jazz Scene wrote: "Magris is an inventive player who invigorates the jazz modern mainstream, and a fine arranger who has organized a variety of stimulating groups".Scott Yanow Review of Magris album Roberto Magris: Freedom Is Peace Los Angeles Jazz Scene
Playing style Jazz critic Ira Gitler wrote: "As a pianist, [Magris] reflects some of his most admired models – Wynton Kelly, Tommy Flanagan, Bill Evans, Kenny Drew, Jaki Byard, Randy Weston, McCoy Tyner, Andrew Hill, Paul Bley, Don Pullen and Steve Kuhn – (a varied group indeed) in his own way. There is a quick, supple right hand and the rich harmonies of the two-handed transition in his playing that don’t necessarily summon up instant comparisons to any of the above or others."Mick Carlon Roberto Magris: Eyes to the (Swinging) Future, A Complementary, but not Conflicting, Approach to Jazz JazzTimes, October 8, 2015
Discography Life in Israel, with Larry Smith, Marco Castelli, Ofer Israeli, Luigi Rossi and Davide Ragazzoni (Jazzis, 1990) Music of Today, with Martin Klingeberg, Achim Goettert-Zadek, Marco Castelli, Joerg Drewing, Albrecht Riermeier, Rudi Engel and Davide Ragazzoni (Splasch, 1992) Maliblues (Map, 1994) Check-In, with Tony Lakatos, Michael Erian, Robert Balzar, Gabriele Centis and Fulvio Zafret (Soul Note, 2005) Il Bello del Jazz, with Herb Geller, Darko Jurkovic, Rudi Engel and Gabriele Centis (Soul Note, 2006) Current Views, with Philip Catherine, Bill Molenhof, Roberto Ottaviano, Vitold Rek a.o. (Soul Note, 2009) Kansas City Outbound with Art Davis and Jimmy „Junebug“ Jackson (JMood Records|JMood, 2008) Mating Call, with Paul Carr, Michael O'Neill, Elisa Pruett and Idris Muhammad (JMood, 2010) Canzoni Italiane in Jazz (Pop-Eye, 2011) Morgan Rewind: A Tribute to Lee Morgan Vol. 1, with Brandon Lee, Logan Richardson, Elisa Pruett and Albert "Tootie" Heath (JMood, 2012) One Night in with Hope and More Vol. 1, with Elisa Pruett and Albert "Tootie" Heath (JMood, 2012) Aliens in a Bebop Planet, with Matt Otto, Dominique Sanders, Brian Steever, Pablo Sanhueza and Eddie Charles (JMood, 2012) Ready for Reed - Sam Reed Meets Roberto Magris, with Sam Reed, Kendall Moore, Steve Lambert, Dominique Sanders, Brian Steever and Pablo Sanhueza (JMood, 2013) Cannonball Funk'n Friends, with Hermon Mehari, Jim Mair, Dominique Sanders and Alonzo Scooter Powell (JMood, 2013) One Night in with Hope and More Vol. 2, with Elisa Pruett, Brian Steever and Albert "Tootie" Heath (JMood, 2013) Morgan Rewind: A Tribute to Lee Morgan Vol. 2, with Hermon Mehari, Jim Mair, Peter Schlamb, Elisa Pruett, Brian Steever and Pablo Sanhueza (JMood, 2013) An Evening with Herb Geller & The Roberto Magris Trio – Live in Europe 2009, with Herb Geller a.o. (JMood, 2014) Enigmatix, with Dominique Sanders, Brian Steever, Pablo Sanhueza and Monique Danielle (JMood, 2015) Need to Bring Out Love, with Dominique Sanders, Brian Steever, Julia Haile and Monique Danielle (JMood, 2016) Live in Miami @ The WDNA Jazz Gallery - Roberto Magris Sextet with Brian Lynch, Jonathan Gomez, Chuck Bergeron, John Yarling and Murph Aucamp (JMood, 2017) World Gardens, with Dominique Sanders, Brian Steever and Pablo Sanhueza (JMood, 2018) Sun Stone, with Ira Sullivan, Mark Colby, Shareef Clayton, Jamie Ousley, Rodolfo Zuniga (JMood, 2019) Suite!, with Mark Colby, Eric Jacobson, Eric Hochberg, Greg Artry, PJ Aubree Collins (JMood, 2019) Live In Melbourne, with Ettore Martin, Rob Severini, Enzo Carpentieri (RSP, 2020)