Felice Clemente

Bio

I was born in Milan on August 9, 1974. My passion for music grew naturally in a family environment where music was the air that we breathed, thanks to my grandfather, a clarinetist.

Under his guidance I started my journey with the clarinet, then I continued my studies at the Conservatory of Milan with Maestro Tessari. Soon I obtained my degree.

However, my classical studies had only opened a door for me, leading to the immense musical world that was to be my life. I discovered JAZZ and the saxophone! At that point I began my studies with the saxophonists Paolo Tomelleri, Pietro Tonolo and Tino Tracanna, and graduated with flying colours under the guidance of Maestro Tracanna.

Since then, I have never stopped, between masterclasses, teaching qualifications, recording records, and engaging in collaborations with amazing artists...

I could tell you all about it with plenty of details (although for those is best to refer to my "official biography"), but I would rather mention only one particular episode.

I remember it as if it was yesterday. It was May 10, 2001, the day I first met my idol, my inspiration, a musician that until that moment I had only had the chance to listen through his records: Sonny Rollins.

A man who together with a few other musicians has made the history of jazz. After listening to his music in a memorable concert at the Teatro Valli in Reggio Emilia, a wonderful performance, so full of emotion, I was lucky enough to be able to talk to him for over an hour, and I was truly enchanted by this man, and his incredible passion. There and then, I felt like I completely understood what my path was going to be...jazz. Within a year, I recorded my first album, under my own name.

That day was the turning point in my career and my life.

Felice

Biography

Felice Clemente – saxophonist, clarinettist, composer, conductor, band-leader and teacher – was called “the best young Italian saxophonist” by Enzo Siciliano (la Repubblica) and “a talent destined to make jazz history” by Cadence Magazine (USA).

Born in Milan in 1974, he grew up with music thanks to his grandfather, a clarinet teacher, and graduated with top marks from the G. Verdi Conservatory in Milan under Maestro Tessari. As a clarinettist he was among the winners of the “Premio Ispra” International Music Competition (1991), the “Vito di Lena” National Clarinet Competition in Segni (1994) and the International Music Tournament (T.I.M.) in Erba (1997).

Alongside his classical studies, discovering jazz and the saxophone led him to study with Paolo Tomelleri, Pietro Tonolo and Tino Tracanna, and he also graduated in jazz with top marks under Maestro Tracanna at the same Conservatory. In the early 2000s he attended jazz arranging masterclasses with Corrado Guarino, Dave Liebman and Massimo Colombo, and he obtained his teaching qualification.

His substantial discography – 18 records as leader and co-leader and 16 as sideman – has earned him reviews and features in the leading Italian and international jazz press. He was voted among the best saxophonists of the year in the Top Jazz poll of Musica Jazz magazine (2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014) and in the Jazzit Awards (2010 to 2018). His albums “Nuvole di Carta” and “6:35 AM” received 4 stars from the American magazine DownBeat (November 2011 and June 2015). His album “Solo” was named among the 10 best jazz records of 2020 by the Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik, alongside releases by Kenny Barron, Dave Holland, Wynton Marsalis’s Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra and Charlie Porter. In May 2023 he published the book “Clemente, una vita per la musica” (Blonk).

He has worked with some of the best-known artists on the Italian and international scene, including Gregory Hutchinson, Xavier Davis, Eliot Zigmund, Danny Grissett, Ugonna Okegwo, Jimmy Greene, Quincy Davis, Asaf Sirkis, Yuri Goloubev, Ken Field, Mike Westbrook, Cyro Baptista, Stjepko Gut, Adam Rudolph, Michel Godard, Flavio Boltro, Paolino Dalla Porta, Marco Tamburini, Massimo Moriconi, Paolo Birro, Tino Tracanna, Massimo Colombo, Massimo Manzi, Sandro Gibellini, Bebo Ferra, Stefano Di Battista, Andrea Dulbecco, Ares Tavolazzi, Stefano Bagnoli, Achille Succi, Riccardo Fioravanti, Rudy Migliardi, Massimo Morganti, Antonio Faraò, Ellade Bandini, Roberto Cecchetto, Claudio Fasoli, Tullio De Piscopo, Karima, Sergio Orlandi, Bruno De Filippi, Daniele di Gregorio, Carlo Uboldi, Javier Pérez Forte, Francesco D’Auria, the Montecarlo Night Orchestra and Nick The Nightfly conducted by Gabriele Comelio, and many others.

He performs extensively with several projects: Felice Clemente sax and clarinet “Solo” and “Muri Sonori”, the Felice Clemente New Quartet “Le Nuvole e il Fulmine” (with Alberto Mandarini, Giulio Corini and Massimo Manzi), the Felice Clemente Quartet “Mino Legacy” (with Fabio Nuzzolese, Giulio Corini and Massimo Manzi), the Felice Clemente Trio “6:35 AM” (with Giulio Corini and Massimo Manzi) featuring Daniele di Gregorio, the duo with Javier Pérez Forte “Evolución”, the duo with Carlo Uboldi “Introspective”, and he leads the ten-piece Unity Music Project “Italian Songs”.

Critical acclaim has brought him to prestigious theatres and concert halls in Italy and abroad, as a soloist, in chamber groups and with symphony orchestras such as the Orchestra Sinfonica di Pesaro, the Symphony Orchestra of the G. Verdi Conservatory in Milan, the Orchestra Villa-Lobos of Paderno Dugnano and the Operà Ensemble of Milan. As solo clarinettist he played the closing concert of the Festival Verdiano at the Teatro Verdi in Busseto in 2009. With Nuevos Aires he explored the folk, tango and jazz rhythms of South America, and he has worked with the Artchipel Orchestra conducted by Ferdinando Faraò.

The clubs and festivals that have hosted him include the Blue Note in Milan (where he has played 40 times), Smalls and the Kitano in New York, the Boston Jazz Festival, the Lily Pad in Boston, Umbria Jazz, the Casa del Jazz in Rome, the Torino Jazz Festival, La Palma in Rome, Fano Jazz Club, Stresa Seven in Jazz, Jazz & Wine Cormons, the Valtidone Festival and the No Borders Italian Jazz Festival in Gubbio.

He has been a frequent guest on Rai Radio 3 (Piazza Verdi, Primo Movimento), Radio Rai International, Radio Marconi, Radio Popolare and Radio Classica. He was artistic director of the Crocevia di Suoni Jazz Festival in Agrate Brianza (2005–2008) and of the Blué Jazz Club in Cernusco sul Naviglio (2013–2014), and in 2007 he founded the label Crocevia di Suoni Records. In theatre he co-arranged the musical “La principessa Neghitò” for the Teatro delle Erbe in Milan (2001); he has also written advertising jingles for Seat Pagine Gialle.

Teaching plays a central role in his work, which has seen him teaching at the CPM Institute (Centro Professione Musica) in Milan, teaching and conducting Orchestra Felice in Villasanta, and serving as artistic director and conductor of the Unity Music Project in Milan and of OJBM, the jazz orchestra of the province of Monza and Brianza; he founded and led Milan’s Mixiland Jazz Band for 16 years. He sat on the board of the national association “Il jazz va a scuola”, founded by the Italian Jazz Federation chaired by Paolo Fresu, and has taught in several state schools. A promoter of many projects to spread jazz culture, he regularly gives jazz saxophone masterclasses and seminars on the history of jazz.

Complete discography

As Leader

  • Felice Clemente New Quartet, “Le nuvole e il fulmine”, Da Vinci Jazz - June 2026, C01187 (Felice Clemente, Alberto Mandarini, Giulio Corini, Massimo Manzi).
  • Orchestra Felice cond. Felice Clemente, “Living in Jazz”, Crocevia di Suoni Records - October 2025
  • Felice Clemente, “SOLO”, Crocevia di Suoni Records - March 2020, CDS018
  • Mixiland Jazz Band cond. Felice Clemente, “Fly Me to the Moods”, Play Records Company - September 2018
  • Felice Clemente & Carlo Uboldi duo "Introspective", Music Center records - May 2018, BA402
  • Felice Clemente Quartet, “Mino Legacy”, Crocevia di Suoni Records - February 2017 CDS016 (Felice Clemente, Fabio Nuzzolese, Giulio Corini, Massimo Manzi).
  • Mixiland Jazz Band cond. Felice Clemente, “Going Ahead”, Crocevia di Suoni Records - December 2016
  • Felice Clemente & Javier Pérez Forte, “Evolución” – Crocevia di Suoni Records - February 2016, CDS014
  • Felice Clemente Trio, “6:35 AM”, Crocevia di Suoni Records CDS010 - January 2015 (Felice Clemente, Paolino Dalla Porta, Massimo Manzi, guest Daniele di Gregorio).
  • Felice Clemente & Javier Pérez Forte, “Aire Libre” – Crocevia di Suoni Records - March 2012, CDS007
  • Felice Clemente Quartet, “Nuvole di Carta”, Crocevia di Suoni Records - February 2011, CDS005 (Felice Clemente, Massimo Colombo, Giulio Corini, Massimo Manzi).
  • Massimo Colombo – Felice Clemente, “Doppia Traccia”, Crocevia di Suoni Records -November 2010, CDS003
  • Felice Clemente Quintet, “Blue of Mine” 2008, Crocevia di Suoni Records – 2008, CDS002 (Felice Clemente, Massimo Colombo, Bebo Ferra, Giulio Corini, Massimo Manzi, Tino Tracanna, Antonello Monni).
  • Felice Clemente & Javier Pérez Forte, “Escaleras”, Crocevia di Suoni Records - September 2007.
  • Felice Clemente Quartet, “Live” 2006, Picanto records - February 2007, PIC 005 (Felice Clemente, Xavier Davis, Valerio Della Fonte, Quincy Davis).
  • Felice Clemente Quartet, “Perfect World”, Picanto records - February 2006, PIC 002 (Felice Clemente, Danny Grissett, Valerio Della Fonte, Gregory Hutchinson).
  • Felice Clemente, “Inside Me”, Splasc(h) records - May 2004, CDH928.2 (F. Clemente, M. Brioschi, R. Migliardi, M.Colombo, V. Della Fonte, M.Manzi, L.Stefanuto)
  • Felice Clemente Quintet, “Way Out Sud”, Splasc(h) records – 2003, CDH786.2 (F. Clemente, G.Falzone, M.Colombo, V.Della Fonte, Tommy Bradascio).

As Sideman

  • Adalberto Ferrari QM “Music Unleashed” – Nadad record 003 - April 2016.
  • Ferdinando Faraò & Archipel Orchestra “Play Soft Machine” – Musica Jazz Magazine, September 2014
  • Dario Cellamaro Swingsuite 5et” - special guest Stjepko Gut “Omaggio a Clark Terry” - Jazzit Magazine, >July/August 2014.
  • Claudia Cantisani “Storie d’amore non troppo riuscite” - Crocevia di Suoni Records.
  • Andrea Bandel Ensemble with Felice Clemente “Eight finger” – Decam tdd-Edel - June 2013
  • Walter Marocchi Mala Hierba “Alisachni”, Working Bee record - May 2013
  • Ferdinando Faraò & Artchipel Orchestra feat. Phil Miller “Never Odd or Even”, Music center records - 2012
  • Compilation “Dodici note per un Mattone” Academy for the Arts and Professions, Monza and Brianza - 2009.
  • Opera Ensemble dir. Gerardo Colella Casa Musicale Eco - 2007
  • Compilation for Jazz Magazine, August 2007
  • Roberto Favilla Jr., “Oi Dialogoi”, Splasc(h) records - 2006
  • Marco Trifilio e Sergio Gimigliano, “Wishlist”, Picanto Records - 2006
  • Valerio Della Fonte, “Per un istante”, Splasc(h) records - 2005