Hank Roberts, a cellist and jazz musician, is one of the best. He works mainly in the avant-garde as well as the modern creative fields. Roberts was born in Terre Haute on March 24, 1955. He began studying classical cello when he was ten years old and also tried his hand at guitar, trombone, and piano high school. Roberts was 19 when he attended Berklee School of Music. There he developed an improvisational style that combined jazz, blues, and classical music. He often used double-stops or chord voicings. Roberts wasn’t able to enter professional music until the 1980s when he moved from Ithaca, New York, and eventually settled in Ithaca. He made a huge impression on downtown N.Y.C. He quickly joined the Bill Frisell and Tim Berne band. Both were featured on Black Pastels, his 1987 debut album as a leader (on JMT). Roberts was a member of two ensembles in 1989: Miniature, which featured Berne and Joey Baron as a free-spirited trio; and Arcado (a string trio that included Mark Feldman and Mark Dresser). Both of them released their eponymous debuts in 1989. Miniature had three albums, before being disbanded in 1991. Arcado’s second swan song was issued in 1992. Roberts’ second album, Birds of Prey in 1990, was his first as a leader. The next year, he formed his own trio with drummer Bill King and bassist Peter Chwazik. He became a teacher to be closer to his family in the middle of the decade. He returned to the studio in 1997, recording two sessions. The 22 Years From Now session was recorded in a monastery and featured only Roberts’ long-standing trio. Roberts recorded Cause and Reflect with Tim Berne in 1999. The following year, he performed with Ti Ti Chickapea, an acoustic trio, on their debut album A Change of Worlds. Allmusic
