Bruno Romani


Bruno Romani was an Italian saxophonist, flautist and composer.
Romani was the founder of Detonazione, author of contemporary jazz albums and collaborator as a sideman for important artists.
He was an arranger, composer and conductor.
Romani performed in concerts and radio and television shows throughout Europe.

Life and career

Romani studied flute in Udine with maestro Milos Pahor and saxophone in Klagenfurt with maestros Kawarza and Heinz von Hermann.
At the age of 15, he was already part of a Udine jazz collective with Andrea Centazzo and Daniele D'Agaro.
In 1983, he founded the no wave/post-punk group Detonazione which between 1983 and 1989 recorded two albums and a series of 45 rpm.
With Detonazione he participates in the first edition of the Biennial of Young Artists of the Mediterranean organized in Barcelona in 1984 to inaugurate a season of cultural rebirth and opening towards the future exactly ten years after the end of Francoism.
After Detonazione in 1989, jazz activity began. He made records as a leader and co-leader of numerous musical projects ranging from pop to avant-garde. In the 1990s he collaborated on the production of three Alice albums and participated in the Italian and European tour Pass The Years Tour Alice Visconti. Still with Alice, he collaborates on the realization of the first Devogue album with Gavin Harrison, Stefano Battaglia and other musicians of different musical backgrounds.
In 1995, he won the national competition organized by ARCI "Summertime in Jazz" as the best new jazz proposal of the year and awarded with the release of the album Gang of One.
In the same year, he was selected among the six finalists of the first edition of the Massimo Urbani International Award.
In 1996, he won the competition organised by ISMEZ for the creation of the "IS Ensemble" orchestra conducted by Paolo Damiani. With the orchestra "IS Ensemble" he recorded the live album of the same name at the Europa Jazz Festival in Bari.
In 2009, he was one of the founders of NoGuRu, a project born from the meeting of 4/5 of the Ritmo Tribale and Xabier Iriondo, a former Afterhours guitarist. The debut album Milano Original Soundtrack is the best-selling album in Fnac in its release week.
In 2016, he was invited together with the French Canadian saxophonist Guy-Frank Pellerin to perform as a duo at the 30th edition of the Barga Jazz Festival.
He collaborated with AMM in Lucca, where he founded the Monteggiori Ensemble, an ensemble of improvisers who play under the direction of different composers, alternating improvisation with written music. On 14 March 2025, Bruno died at the age of 65.

Discography

As leader

  • 1995 – White Illumination - Bruno Romani Trio
  • 1996 – Gang Of One - Bruno Romani Quartet
  • 1998 – Live Evolution - Bruno Romani Evolution Trio
  • 2015 – Nightride Of An Italian Saxophone Player - Urbanightmare Bruno Romani Emanuel Donadelli
  • 2017 – As Serious As My Life - Bruno Romani Organic Crossover Group
  • 2019 – Versilia Afterdark - Bruno Romani Organic Crossover Group
  • 2023 – CPPP Requiem - Bruno Romani Organic Crossover Group

As co-leader

  • 1988 – Tarahumara - Romani And Cojaniz Duo
  • 2001 – Notes From The Borderline - Bruno Romani, Riccardo Morpurgo, Alessandra Franco
  • 2010 – Milano Original Soundtrack - NoGuRu
  • 2013 – Via Del Chiasso - The Star Pillow meet Bruno Romani

With Transition Jazz Group

  • 1986 – Mode On - Transition Jazz Group
  • 1989 – Richard's Rumba - Transition Jazz Group

With Evolution Reloaded

  • 2013 – Seagulls - Evolution Reloaded

With Electro Acoustic Ensemble

  • 2016 – Meditations in motion - Electro Acoustic Ensemble
  • 2016 – Live al Visionario - Electro Acoustic Ensemble

With Soundadalick

  • 2018 – Nero - Soundadalick

Collaboration with Alice">Alice (singer)">Alice

  • 1992 – Mezzogiorno sulle Alpi
  • 1995 – Charade
  • 1998 – ''Exit''

Collaboration with other artists

With Detonazione

Albums

  • 1984 – Riflessi conseguenti
  • 1989 – Ultimi pezzi
  • 2010 – Sorvegliare e punire 1983/1984
  • 2015 – Ultimi pezzi dentro me 1986/1989
  • 2018 – ''Anime in fiamme''

EP and 7"

  • 1983 – Sorvegliare e punire
  • 1984 – L‘Arido utile / Lamiera
  • 1986 – ''Dentro me''

Compilations

  • 1984 – The Other Side Of Futurism - with the song Zingari In Viaggio
  • 1984 – Rockgarage Compilation Vol. 4 - with the songs Grigia Miseria and I Programmi Agli Inferi
  • 1987 – F/Ear This! - A Collection Of Unheard Music, Unwritten Words And Unseen Images Inspired By Fear - with the song Dead Planet Blues
  • 1995 – Rovina Hardcore - Live 1981-1985 - with the song ''Untitled''