World-class pianist leads virtuoso trio

The Marcus Roberts Trio will be appearing at the Whitefish Performing Arts Center on June 7 and Brumar Estate in Bigfork on June 8. Shows start at 8 p.m. both nights. (Ticket information below)

Roberts, a world-class pianist, was featured on a March 30 episode of CBS’ “60 Minutes” in a segment titled “The Virtuoso: Marcus Roberts.” 

Wynton Marsalis opens the feature by saying, “Who’s the greatest American musician most people have never heard of? To me, it’s Marcus Roberts.”

Roberts became blind at the age of 5. His mother is also blind and taught Roberts to face his situation with courage. She also inspired him to pursue a musical career with her own gospel singing. He attended the Florida School for the Deaf and Blind, the same school as Ray Charles. When Roberts was 8, his parents bought him a piano and he figured out how to play the songs he learned from the radio by artists popular at the time, such as Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye and The Jackson Five.

In 1985, Roberts graduated from Florida State University with a degree in piano performance studying classical music and jazz. That same year he began his career as the pianist with The Wynton Marsalis Band where he stayed until 1991.  Since then, he’s been leading his own trio, composing, performing as a piano soloist with numerous symphony orchestras, recording and creating musical notation technology for the blind. For the last decade, he’s also been teaching at his alma mater, FSU. Roberts lives in Tallahassee. On May 23, he received an honorary doctorate from The Juilliard School at Lincoln Center.

Jason Marsalis, Wynton’s youngest brother has been the drummer for the Marcus Roberts Trio since 1994 when at the age of 17, he showed up for his first gig having memorized all the music from Roberts’ CD “Gershwin for Lovers.” Another one of his best recordings is "Cole After Midnight" a tribute to both Cole Porter and Nat King Cole. Rodney Jordan (bass) is also on the staff at Florida State University School of Music. Like Roberts, he can be hauntingly soulful or relentlessly swinging. The Marcus Roberts Trio’s style is powerfully melodic, blues-based, improvisational and a whole lot of fun.

The Marcus Roberts Trio

 WHITEFISH PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

8 p.m.., Saturday, June 7

Tickets $25-$27-$29-$32

A Benefit for The Steinway Fund

 BRUMAR ESTATE

29048 Broken Leg Road, Bigfork

8 p.m., Sunday, June 8

Tickets $27

 Tickets can be purchased at SingerandSimpson.com or Tix.com  For assistance call 406-730-2817.

Sponsored by Don “K” Subaru, and produced by Singer & Simpson Productions.