Music

Troy Roberts

Embracing his love for a vast variety of stylistic genres, three-time GRAMMY

nominated saxophonist, Troy Roberts is quickly becoming one of the most widely

recorded touring artists of his time. As a go-to first call saxophonist, his name

adorns several essential recordings ranging from the legendary Joey DeFrancesco,

the iconic Van Morrison, the quintessential Jeff "Tain" Watts, the tireless Orrin

Evans Captain Black Big Band, the critically acclaimed Kurt Elling, the

breathtaking Veronica Swift, to numerous other jazz veterans, and newcomers

considered tastemakers of their generation.

Roberts, a New York City based Australian immigrant, is also a prolific leader with

sixteen releases to his name. Currently celebrating his latest, Green Lights

(featuring John Patitucci, Paul Bollenback and Jimmy Macbride), Roberts maintains

a busy recording and performance schedule with his quartet, his original project Nu-

Jive, as well as some of the greatest artists of today.

PRESS

"Roberts, though young in age, certainly has an arsenal of abilities under his belt, and has the makings

and foundation of a lasting great saxophonist. Versatile in style, with a strong grasp of yesterday and

today, he is a force to be reckoned with no matter the setting. He is more than one to watch, he is one to

follow closely".

- JazzTimes Magazine

"Roberts is a boisterous and effusive player, conversant but not busy. ‘Secret Rhymes’ has a bounce to it

and Roberts excels here as a leader, with an awesomely arranged album with just a touch more arch

than one can legally call straight-ahead".

- DownBeat Magazine

"Roberts’ music seems to have been crafted by a superior musical intellect with a grasp of history and

context as well as a sense of time and place, and – above all a sense of poetry, the ability of a storyteller

and a wonderful sense of timing".

-Raul DaGama

"Stuff I Heard is full of beefy horn sections, with an energy that suggests what you might hear from big

band jazz. If you didn’t know the story behind this album, you’d probably guess that a quartet or quintet

were playing at the very least. That’s impressive enough, but it’s the music that matters here. And in this

case, it’s superb".

-The Vinyl Anachronist

"He’s not reaching out into the wilderness and grabbing something brand new, as most specialists in jazz

improvisation. Instead he’s going back and finding out what no one else noticed on the first pass. His

melodies and themes aren’t alien to jazz fans, but they always seem like they’re being approached from

a different direction. This sounds like great jazz from the past, but it also suggests new directions with

every note".

-The Vinyl Anachronist

"Substance and style will triumph over pretentiousness and ego every time. Roberts has a resume that

will certainly make one sit up and take notice having shared the stage with such luminaries as Nicholas

Payton, Orrin Evans and John Clayton. “Nu-Jive 5” is Roberts fifth release as a leader and is brimming

with vitality and that certain pop of originality that separates the "artist" from the "musician".

- Critical Jazz

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