Groove Podcast: Riccardo Oliva Interview: Bass, Fusion, and Touring with Matteo Mancuso

Riccardo Oliva is one of those modern bass players who feels less like a specialist and more like a musical system… a player, composer, producer, and thinker whose instincts move freely between groove, harmony, texture, and technology.

Born in Palermo and now based in Milan, Riccardo’s path to the bass began unusually wide. He started as a drummer, moved through piano, and eventually landed on electric bass as the instrument that best translated what he was already hearing. He was still very young when that shift happened, but the foundation was already there.

Rooted in jazz fusion yet fluent in electronic music, rock, and contemporary production, his playing reflects a generation raised on both Weather Report and YouTube… equal parts lineage and restless curiosity.

Many listeners first encountered Riccardo through his work with the ever-hot and endlessly inventive guitarist Matteo Mancuso. In that trio, his six-string bass does not simply support the music. It actively converses with it… shaping harmony, filling space, and helping this wild three-piece sound far larger than it should.

This conversation was recorded during the Montreal International Jazz Festival, where Riccardo was in town performing with Matteo to multiple sold-out audiences. It was a fitting backdrop for a discussion about momentum, visibility, and musical growth.

Beyond that role, his résumé reads like a map of the modern instrumental underground… from SNIPS to Jack Gardiner, Owane, Ze in the Clouds, Fool Arcana, and collaborations that blur the line between sideman and co-architect.

In this episode, Riccardo goes deeper than technique. He talks about how Jaco Pastorius reframed the instrument for him, how growing up in a musical household trained his ear before his hands, and why composing, producing, gaming, and even silence all feed his voice.

He is candid about touring, creativity, burnout, and the pressure of an internet-driven era… while staying grounded in the belief that music should feel right in the body before it looks impressive on a screen.

We also touch on what’s next. New Matteo music. New recordings. Ongoing production work. And a role that continues to expand beyond the label of “bass player.”

If you are curious about where the instrument is heading, not just where it has been, this episode offers a thoughtful look at a player shaping that future in real time.

Enjoy the conversation.

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