Marcus Roberts - born Marthaniel Roberts in Jacksonville, Florida on August 7, 1963 - is a jazz pianist, composer and arranger. Blind since the age of five, he began teaching himself to play the piano and had his first lesson at the age of 12. He continued to study the piano while attending Florida State University. His career began in the ‘80s when he joined Wynton Marsalis’ band. Marcus Roberts became one of the most acclaimed pianists of his generation. His first album as a leader, The Truth Is Spoken Here, was released in 1988. He continued to record several albums - Deep in the Shed (1989), Alone with Three Giants (1990), If I Could Be with You (1993) and Gershwin for Lovers (1994) - and was commissioned to write his first piano concerto, Spirit of the Blues: Piano Concerto in C-Minor. He formed the Marcus Roberts Trio with bassist David Grossman and drummer Jason Marsalis and released the album Time and Circumstance in 1996. Although the trio’s line-up would change with each album, the Marcus Roberts Trio followed their debut release with In Honor of Duke (1999) and Cole After Midnight (2001). While Marcus Roberts’ career kept him busy, it took another eight years before he and drummer Jason Marsalis went into the studio with bassist Roland Guerin and recorded the 2009 album New Orleans Meets Harlem, Vol. 1. Further albums by the trio include their own releases plus collaborations with Béla Fleck (2012’s Across the Imaginary Divide) and Wynton Marsalis (2013’s Together Again: Live in Concert). In April, 2021, Marcus Roberts received an honorary doctorate from Brigham Young University.
