Mike Rossi

About Mike Rossi

Mike Rossi is Professor in Jazz and Woodwinds at the South African College of Music, University of Cape Town, South Africa. Mike regularly performs at jazz festivals and conducts workshops and master-classes in Africa, Europe and the United States. In 2013 the Mike Rossi Project (sextet) performed at the JazzKif Jazz Festival in Kinshasa, DRC numerous jazz venues across Cape Town, the 2013 Standard Bank National Youth Jazz Festival in Grahamstown, the 2014 Cape Town International Jazz Festival, and the 2014 Joy of Jazz Festival in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Uncommon Bebop from Common Bebop Practices and Concepts, Uncommon Etudes from Common Scales, and Contrast and Continuity in Jazz Improvisation have been published by Advance Music and with translations in other languages.  Advance Music and Schott Music have published a number of Rossi’s original compositions arranged for mixed ensemble.

His diverse recording credits include Impronte Mediterranee (Italy),The Wam Trio – Summer Ballads, featuring Mike Rossi (Italy), The Mike Rossi Project – Trespassing Permitted, Two And Four/To And Fro, For Lydia and the Lion, and Before It’s Too Late with the Darius Brubeck Quartet, Conceptions: UCT Jazz 2010, Jazz und Elektronik - Live at the Baxter, Twenty Fabulous Fingers, Common Ground with Micu Narunsky, and Two in One – Mike Rossi/Ulrich Suesse. His CD of original jazz compositions, Beauty and the Blues features jazz greats Rufus Reid, Tom McKinley and Billy Hart.

Rossi is the first recipient of the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Jazz Studies from the New England Conservatory of Music, Boston. Some of his performing and recording credits include appearances with David Liebman, Clark Terry, Joe Williams, Tony Bennett, Anthony Weller, Lou Rawls, Rob McConnell, Bill Prince, Gabriele Pesaresi, Roberto Desiderio, Samuele Garofoli, George Russell, Micu Narunsky, Bill Watrous, Aretha Franklin, Rosemary Clooney, Herbert Joos, Jurgen Brauninger, Alec Dankworth, Jack van Poll, Hein van de Gyn, Winston Mankunku, Barney Rachabane, Andre Petersen, Kesivan Naidoo, Andrew Ford, Johnny Fourie and Carlo Mombelli, The Boston Big Band, The Artie Shaw Orchestra, The Mike Campbell Big Band and The African Jazz Pioneers.

Rossi presently serves as President of SAJE (South African Association for Jazz Education) for a second term, following three terms as Secretary and is a member of JEN (Jazz Education Network) and IASJ (International Association of Schools of Jazz). He is a Rampone & Cazzani Saxophone Artist; makers of Hand Made Italian Saxophones performing on the R1 Soprano, R1 Jazz Saxello, R1 Jazz Altello, R1 Jazz Alto and R1 Jazz Tenor.

For more information visit http://www.mikerossijazz.com