Jazz Articles about Bryn Roberts

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Technocats: Passionata

by Jack Bowers
September 8, 2026

The Technocats are a Michigan-based co-op septet devoted for the most part to performing the music of fellow Michigander Gregg Hill, who composed every number on the group's 2026 recording, Passionata, including its sure-to-please “bonus" track, “Double Play." The first of Hill's compositions, “Normality," sets the enterprise in motion but in so doing lands slightly on the wrong foot. After that lone misstep, however, Passionata easily qualifies as Comeback Album of the Year, as everything else is beyond ...

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Jacob Wutzke: You Better Bet

by Jack Bowers
March 18, 2025

Jacob Wutzke, long an admirer of fellow drummer and composer Tony Williams, moved closer to Williams' orbit several years ago when acclaimed bassist Ira Coleman--who had performed and recorded with Williams in the 1980s and '90s-- relocated to Wutzke's home base in Montreal, Canada. After meeting Coleman, Wutzke proposed the idea of recording an album of Williams' music, to which Coleman replied that not only was he down with that but had in his possession Williams' entire repertoire including dozens ...

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Chuck Israels, Alvin Queen, Arturo Sandoval & Bryn Roberts

by Joe Dimino
November 24, 2024

Off the graceful and sophisticated notes of Aloft, the 2024 album by pianist and composer Bryn Roberts, we go right into this week's journey. From there, we delve into the timeless artistry of jazz legend Chuck Israels, a master whose collaborations have defined an era. Next, we spotlight the talented Marie Goudy, imagining her delight at a dream performance featuring the brilliant Chris Potter. The energy continues as we dive into fresh offerings from jazz veterans Bevan Manson, Alvin Queen, ...

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Bryn Roberts: Aloft

by Dan McClenaghan
September 23, 2024

Pianist Bryn Ro has steeped himself in sideman roles and collaborations with singer-songwriters. He has released five albums as a leader in quintet, quartet and duo formats, but 2024 finds him offering up his debut as a leader of a piano trio in Aloft, where he works his trio dream team of bassist Matt Penman and drummer Quincy Davis. The history of the piano trio is a part of the challenge. Keith Jarrett, Bill Evans, Red Garland. Those ...

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Bryn Roberts: Fables

by Glenn Astarita
September 22, 2013

Born in Canada, pianist Bryn Roberts has enjoyed a prolific career as a session artist since moving to New York City in 2001. Snuggled within a modern mainstream vibe, his persuasive compositions pay homage to melodic content, often complemented by saxophonist Seamus Blake's burly delivery and fluid lines. Nonetheless, many of these works contain quite a bit of bounce and pop, as Roberts is a shrewd technician who knows when to balance power and restraint, alongside a light touch amid ...

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Bryn Roberts: Ludlow

by AAJ Staff
July 20, 2005

Ludlow is a showcase for the considerable gifts of the young Canadian pianist and composer Bryn Roberts. It's a sparkling, varied CD that gets better with each listen. The music is characterized by strong compositional frameworks and flowing improvisation.

Pianist Roberts composed all the material on Ludlow except the standard “Dancing In The Dark." His compositions have lengthier expositions than the standards played by earlier generations of jazz musicians. The title tune, for example, is an attractive line, ...

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Bryn Roberts: Present Tense

by James Nichols
August 1, 2001

“Spring is Here." A bittersweet notion says Bryn Roberts on his album Present Tense. The Rodgers and Hart chestnut receives a rather moody makeover that competes with the Bill Evans version in its gloom quotient.

The group from Canada often resembles Keith Jarrett or any number of his label mates on ECM. The music skirts the line between achingly beautiful and morosely introspective. This music, while not always terribly exciting (track four “Forty" initially sounds a little like the trolley ...