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Jazz pianist
Marcus Roberts' focus on traditional styles and his willingness to speak sometimes disdainfully of music of more contemporary vintage has not been well accepted in some circles, and for a time he began to engender the type of attacks more often reserved for
Wynton Marsalis and others regarded as reactionaries by some members of the jazz press. But
Roberts must be credited with going his own way; unlike many of today's jazz pianists, he has little if any ties to
McCoy Tyner,
Ahmad Jamal, or
Bill Evans. He has some
Thelonious Monk influence, especially in his phrasing, but
Roberts' models have predominantly been
Jelly Roll Morton and
Fats Waller. While his earliest work reflected pronounced gospel and blues ties, mixed with bebop,
Roberts later devoted himself to stride and ragtime, a tactical decision wide open to intense scrutiny and second-guessing.
Roberts studied piano at Florida State University after beginning on the instrument in his youth. He won several competitions in the mid-'80s, then joined
Wynton Marsalis' band as his first regular pianist after
Kenny Kirkland.
Roberts emerged as the
Marsalis band's second prime soloist, and the hub of its rhythm section. His swing kept the group focused, and prevented
Marsalis' music from getting too stiff or introspective.
Roberts' own late-'80s and '90s albums for RCA/Novus, particularly the 1990 release
Alone with Three Giants, detailed his commitment to classic music. He continued to explore the past even upon the arrival of the 21st century, with such albums as 2001's
Cole After Midnight (a
Marcus Roberts Trio concept album featuring interpretations of
Nat King Cole and
Cole Porter) and 2009's New Orleans Meets Harlem, Vol. 1 (another trio date, this time focusing on the music of
Duke Ellington and
Scott Joplin as well as
Monk,
Morton, and
Waller), his first album as a leader in eight years. The holiday-themed Celebrating Christmas followed in 2011. While he has received considerable acclaim for his interpretive skills with historic material, whether
Marcus Roberts should be considered a dedicated preservationist or unrepentant nostalgia buff still remains open to debate. ~ Ron Wynn