Enrico Rava (born 20 August 1939), is an Italian jazz trumpeter. He started on trombone, then changed to the trumpet after hearing Miles Davis.

Career

He was born in Trieste, Italy. His first commercial work was as a member of Gato Barbieri's Italian quintet in the mid-1960s; in the late 1960s he was a member of Steve Lacy's group. In 1967, Rava moved to New York City and, one month later, became a member of the group Gas Mask, which had one album released on Tonsil Records in 1970. In the 1970s and 1980s, he worked with John Abercrombie, Andrea Centazzo, Gil Evans, Richard Galliano, Joe Henderson, Joe Lovano, Pat Metheny, Michel Petrucciani, Cecil Taylor, and Miroslav Vitouš. He has also worked with Carla Bley, Lee Konitz, Jeanne Lee, Paul Motian, and Roswell Rudd. Chiefly an exponent of bebop jazz, Rava has also played in avant-garde jazz settings. With trumpeter Paolo Fresu, Rava recorded four albums on the influence of Bix Beiderbecke, Louis Armstrong, Chet Baker, and Miles Davis. Also of note are his albums Rava, L'Opera Va' and Carmen, which are his interpretations of operatic arias and overtures. In 2001, he founded a quintet with pianist Stefano Bollani and toured with Gato Barbieri and Aldo Romano. In the trio Europeans, he worked with Eberhard Weber and Swiss percussionist Reto Weber. In June 2005, Rava was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Music from Berklee College of Music at the twentieth anniversary of jazz education at the Umbria Jazz Festival, in Perugia, Italy. In 2023, Rava assembled a band of young Italian jazz musicians called The Fearless Five, consisting of Matteo Paggi on trombone, Francesco Ponticelli on double bass, drummer and singer Evita Polidoro, and guitarist Francesco Diodati, and began touring the major European jazz festivals. In July 2024, he released the album Fearless Five with this new band, featuring new versions of some of his most famous songs such as "Lavori Casalinghi" and "The Trial".

Discography

As leader/co-leader

As member

European Jazz Ensemble Globe Unity Orchestra ICP Orchestra Italian Instabile Orchestra

As sideman

With Gianni Basso With Andrea Centazzo With Giorgio Gaslini With Steve Lacy With Roswell Rudd With Bruce Ditmas With others