Marcus Roberts, an American jazz pianist was born September 7, 1963 in Jacksonville. He is a skilled player who loves jazz tradition and classic standards. Roberts, who has been blind since childhood, began to play piano when he was young and continued his studies at Florida State University. He was chosen by Wynton Marsalis, the famed trumpeter, to be his sideman in 1985. He became a close friend, disciple and collaborator with Marsalis over the years. Roberts started cutting his own records with Marsalis’ help and joined him shortly after. Roberts’ albums are often homages of jazz greats and he has been wrongly criticised for not being innovative. His playing technique and playing ability have been well-respected and his music has contributed to the vocabulary of jazz piano and the trio. Roberts’ music is a testament to both his New Orleans roots as well as his bold steps onto the cutting-edge. Roberts’ piece “Nebuchadnezzar” is a perfect example of this. He first lays down the traditional harmonies and chords. Then he builds an expansive tone and melodic structure that elicits joy, confidence and a little bit of world-weariness. Roberts is a great improvisor and interpreter in solo performances. He also creates innovative and daring arrangements as a leader of large bands, but his chamber music will be remembered as his greatest contribution to American music. Marcus Roberts creates sonic palaces that invite his listeners to pay tribute to the living spirits, such as Ellington, Morton and Gershwin. Roberts was appointed professor of Jazz Studies at Florida State University in 2005. Text contributed by users is available under Creative Commons By–SA License. It may also be available under GNU FDL.
