Marcus Roberts Musical artist

Marcus Roberts (born August 7, 1963, in Jacksonville, Florida) is an American jazz pianist. Roberts is known for his originality as a pianist, composer, arranger, bandleader, and teacher. His piano style is based on creating a dialogue with the entire history of jazz. His deep soul, inherited from his Mother, a gospel singer, is united by intellect and spirituality that is grounded in understanding what links all generations of jazz musicians together, from Joplin to Monk and Coltrane and on to the present day. Roberts is also known for developing a completely new philosophy and style for the jazz trio in which the bass, drums, and piano are all featured equally. While his music is steeped in tradition, the tradition only serves as a springboard for the creation of new sounds, concepts, and ideas that have served as a foundation for his many original compositions for solo piano, trio, large ensemble, and piano and orchestra. One of the hallmarks of Roberts' piano style is the complete independence of his right and left hands, leading many to comment that it sounds like two pianists playing at the same time.