About Magris’ style, jazz critic Ira Gitler wrote: “as a pianist he 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 transitions in his playing that don’t necessarily summon up instant comparisons to any of the above or others.”
Sounds Like
FESTIVALS AND CONCERTS
Distrito Jazz Bilbao (Spain 2008), Porgy & Bess Vienna and Jazzfreunde Bad Ischl (Austria 2008), Europa Fest Bucharest (Romania 2008), The Blue Room, Kansas City (USA 2007), Galway Jazz Festival (Ireland 2007), Nomme Jazz Festival, Tallinn (Estonia 2007), Nardis Jazz Club, Istanbul (Turkey 2007), Downtown Sambosi Jazz Festival, Budapest (Hungary 2007), Catalina’s Jazz Club and The Jazz Bakery, Los Angeles (USA 2006), Jazz at the Hermitage Garden, Moscow (Russia 2006), Krakow Jazz Festival and Muniak Jazz Club (Poland 2006), Umbria Jazz (Italy 2006), Notorious and Thelonious, Buenos Aires (Argentina 2006), Centre Culturel Francais, Libreville (Gabon 2006), Centro Cultural Ruta Maya, Managua (Nicaragua 2006), Granados Hall Asuncion and Encarnacion (Paraguay 2006), Aarau and Olten jazzclubs (Switzerland 2005), Hong Kong Performing Arts Festival and Guangzhou Xhinghai Festival (China 2004), Jakarta Festival (Indonesia 2004), Sofia Jazz Peak (Bulgaria 2004), Tashkent Jazz Festival and Samarcanda (Uzbekistan 2003), Melbourne Italian Jazz Festival and Bennett’s Lane Jazzclub (Australia 2003), Jazz en Lima (Perù 2003), Mar del Plata Jazz Festival (Argentina 2003), Jazz Tour Montevideo (Uruguay 2003), No Borders Music (Italy 2003), Kaunas Jazz and Vilnius (Lithuania 2002), Locarno Jazz (Switzerland 2002), Montreal Jazz Festival, Toronto Downtown Jazz Festival and Atlantic Jazz Festival Halifax (Canada 2001), Gostenhofer Jazztage Nuernberg (Germany 2001), Udine Jazz (Italy 2001), Half Note Athens (Greece 2001), Agharta Prague (Czech Rep. 2001), San Sebastian Jazz Festival (Spain 2000), Newport Jazz Festival Torino (Italy 2000), Ocho Rios Jazz Festival (Jamaica 2000), Curacao Jazz Festival 1999 (Dutch Antilles 1999), Juan Sebastian Bar Caracas (Venezuela 1999), Jazzkaar Tallin (Estonia 1999), Festival Guanajuato and Festival Olimpio Merìda (Mexico 1999), Festival Jazz Corinthos and Athens Music Festival (Greece 1998), Festival Cervantino, Festival Metepec and Festival Guanajuato (Mexico 1997), Jazz Time Rijeka (Croatia 1994/95/97), Moritzburg Jazz Festival Halle (Germany 1996), Atlantis Basler Jazz Woche (Switzerland 1995), Jazz in Raab (Austria 1994), International Jazz Days Zagreb (Croatia 1993), Jazz Days Liberec (Czech Rep. 1992), Jazz Festival Wuerzburg (Germany 1992), Ancona Jazz (Italy 1992), Lange Jazz Nacht Lindau (Germany 1991), Festival Jazz Sant Cugat (Spain 1990), Jazz Ost-West Nuernberg (Germany 1990), Messina Jazz Meeting (Italy 1989), Pannonton Jazz Napok Budapest (Hungary 1989), Prerov Jazz Days (Czech Rep. 1988), Euro Jazz Ivrea (Italy 1988), Sibiu Jazz (Romania 1986), Jazz Festival Gottwaldov and Blansko Jazz Days (Czech Rep. 1986), Cegled Jazz Show (Hungary 1986), International Jazz Festival Prague (Czech Rep. 1984)
Magris was born in Trieste (Italy) in 1959 and began his jazz career in the late ‘70s. In the ‘80s, he led a jazz trio named “Gruppo Jazz Marca”, whose recordings were reissued in 2006, as collector’s items, by English label Arision. In 1987, he founded the “Roberto Magris Quartet”, a group that has performed all around the world for two decades. In 1998, he founded the “Europlane Orchestra”, a central-European jazz venture sponsored by INCE-CEI (Central European Initiative), which eventually led to the creation of the Internationally renowned “Roberto Magris Europlane”. In 2003, he collaborated with Herb Geller (the West-Coast jazz master), recording the Cd “Il bello del Jazz” (Soulnote). In the same year, he started his musical partnership with Tony Lakatos (the outstanding European jazz saxophonist), recording the Cd “Check In” (Soulnote). Both the Cd’s received stunning reviews from the International jazz critics.
In 2006, Magris began his collaboration with Art Davis (the legendary bassist for John Coltrane, Dizzy Gillespie, Louis Armstrong and Max Roach) and performed at “Catalina’s Jazz Club” in Hollywood and at “The Jazz Bakery” in Los Angeles. In 2007 he performed on trio with Art Davis and drummer Jimmy Junebug Jackson at “The Blue Room” in Kansas City, also recording the Cd “Kansas City Outbound” (Soulnote) on releasing in Fall 2008. Also on releasing the Cd “Current Views” (Soulnote) with a large ensemble including Philip Catherine and Bill Molenhof.
As a complementary musical experience, during the ‘90s, Magris performed and recorded 2 Cd’s with the acid jazz group “DMA Urban Jazz Funk”. In 2003, he founded the progressive urban jazz band “Alfabeats Nu Jazz” and recorded the Cd “Stones” (Oasis), which received high responses from the jazz critics and community. The band is still active and currently performing on the International jazz scene.
Other Magris’ foremost collaborations include Florian Brambock, Frantisek Uhlir, Michael Erian, Franco Ambrosetti, Ines Reiger, Darko Jurkovic, Richie Buckley, Janusz Muniak, Ricardo Cavalli and the concerts for jazz piano, orchestra & strings with the “Big Band Ritmo-Sinfonica” from Verona and the “Orchestra Giovanile del Veneto”. In his early career he performed as a sideman with Kai Winding, Eddie Lockjaw Davis, Sal Nistico and as a guest soloist with the “Traditional Jazz Studio” from Prague.
Magris has recorded 16 albums with his own groups and has played concerts in more than 30 different countries in Europe, America, Asia, Africa and Australia, also performing at the top International jazz festivals worldwide.
DISCOGRAPHY
Roberto Magris & The Europlane Orchestra - Current Views (Soulnote Cd - on releasing)
Roberto Magris Trio - Kansas City Outbound (Soulnote Cd - on releasing Fall 2008)
Roberto Magris Europlane a.o. - Jazz Magazine N. 55 (Cd compilation 2007)
Alfabeats Nu Jazz - Stones (Oasis Cd 2006)
Roberto Magris Europlane feat. Herb Geller - Il Bello del Jazz (Soulnote Cd 2006)
Roberto Magris Europlane feat. Tony Lakatos - Check In (Soulnote Cd 2005)
Europlane Orchestra - Plays Kurt Weill (Pull Cd 2000)
Europlane Orchestra - Live at Zooest (Zooest Cd 1998)
Dma Urban Jazz Funk (Map Cd 1998) reissued as “Up to the beat!” (Map Cd 2003)
Dma Urban Jazz Funk a.o. - Acid Jazz Magazine N. 77 (Cd compilation 2003)
Dma Urban Jazz Funk a.o. - New Age & New Sounds Magazine N. 126 (Cd compilation 2003)
Dma Urban Jazz Funk a.o. - Vocal Groove & Jazz Dance (Srazz Cd 1996)
Roberto Magris Quartet a.o. - Trieste e il Jazz (Ed. Fenice – book/Cd 2002)
Roberto Magris Quintet a.o. - Live al Vapore (Srazz Cd 1995)
Roberto Magris Quartet - Maliblues (Map Cd 1994)
Roberto Magris & The D.I. Project - Music of Today (Splasch Cd 1992)
Achim Goettert - The D.I. Project (Ac.t Art Cd 1992)
Caminhos - Live at Desi (Ac.t Art Cd 1990)
Roberto Magris Israsextet - Life in Israel (Jazzis Cd 1990)
Gruppo Jazz Marca - Mitteleuropa (Gulliver Lp 1986) reissued by Arision (Cd 2006)
Gruppo Jazz Marca - Aria di Città (IAF Lp 1983)
Gruppo Jazz Marca - Comunicazione Sonora (IAF Lp 1982) reissued by Arision (Cd 2005)
INTERVIEWS - ARTICLES - REVIEWS
Magris’ interviews were published by Blu Jazz (1992), All About Jazz USA (2004), Musica Jazz (2005), Jazzit (2006), Jazz Colours (2007), Jazz Magazine (2007), Jazz World Quest (2007), Jazz Wax (2008). Magris’ concerts and Cd reviews were published, along the years, by Down Beat, Jazz Times, Cadence, Jazz Hot, Jazz Podium, Jazzthetik, Goldmine, Allmusic, Jazzman, Jazz Notes, The Wire, Jazz Journal International, Jazzwise, Concerto, Jazzrytmit, Cuadernos de Jazz, Jazzmozaiek, Musica Jazz, Jazzit, Acid Jazz, New Age & New Sounds a.o. and by newspapers such as The Los Angeles Times, Herald Tribune, Capital Times, News & Observer, Herald Sun, La Nacion, Clarin, ABC, El Pais, Toronto Star, El Nacional, The Gleaner, Irish Times, South China Morning Post, El Universal, Jerusalem Post, Nuernberger Zeitung, Mitteldeutsch Zeitung, Basler Zeitung, Tiroler Zeitung, Vjesnik, Novi List, Jakarta Post, La Repubblica, Corriere della Sera Magazine, Libero, La Discussione, Liberazione, Il Secolo d’Italia a.o.
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