About

As a composer and bandleader, Rolff has released 10 albums under his own name and has appeared on more than twenty additional recordings as a sideman and co-leader. His discography reflects a continuous artistic evolution: from the straight-ahead language of his early recordings to increasingly ambitious works for larger ensembles and thematic projects.

Among his most significant releases are Unit Five (2006), Naked (2009), More Music (2012), Scream! (2014), Italian Life in Contemporary Time (2016), Jazz Sharing (2016), Home Feeling (2018), Gershwin on Air – Porgy, Bess and Beyond (Challenge Records, 2021), Adventures on Magia (Challenge Records, 2023), featuring a twelve-piece ensemble, and Peace on Earth – In Loving Memory of John Coltrane (2026), a piano trio project celebrating the centenary of John Coltrane through original arrangements and new compositions.

Alongside his performing career, Rolff has become a respected educator and cultural producer. He is Professor of Jazz Bass and History of Jazz and Head of the Jazz Department at the Conservatorio “Giuseppe Nicolini” in Piacenza, Italy, where he combines teaching with the development of innovative educational and artistic projects. He regularly presents masterclasses at conservatories, universities and international institutions, focusing on improvisation, ensemble interaction, composition and artistic identity.

His commitment to jazz extends well beyond the concert stage. In 2008 he became founder and Artistic Director of the Count Basie Jazz Club in Genoa, today considered one of Italy’s leading jazz venues. He later founded Slow Foot Music, an organisation dedicated to concert production, artist development and international cultural exchange. In 2026 these activities evolved into Hemiola / Slow Foot Productions, an independent record label and production company devoted to producing original music and supporting emerging and established jazz artists.

Born in Genoa in 1973, Rolff began playing guitar before discovering the electric bass during his teenage years. A life-changing experience came at the age of sixteen, when attending Miles Davis’ Amandla Tour inspired him to dedicate himself entirely to jazz. Seeking an international perspective, he moved to the Netherlands, graduating from the Prince Claus Conservatoire in Groningen in Electric Bass and Music Pedagogy. Shortly afterwards he received a scholarship from the Dutch Government to continue his studies at the Bass Collective in New York City with John Patitucci and Lincoln Goines.

After returning to Italy, the discovery of the double bass became another decisive turning point, shaping the artistic voice for which he is internationally recognised today.

Based in Genoa, on Italy’s Ligurian coast, Massimiliano Rolff continues to tour internationally, composing new music, producing recordings and developing artistic collaborations that connect musicians, cultures and audiences across the world.