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Troy Roberts

Embracing his love for a vast variety of stylistic genres, two-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 to the iconic Van Morrison to the quintessential Jeff "Tain" Watts, to the tireless Orrin Evans Captain Black Big Band, to the critically acclaimed Kurt Elling, to the breathtaking Veronica Swift, including numerous other jazz veterans, and newcomers considered tastemakers of their generation.

Roberts, an Australian-born, now long-time New York resident, is also a prolific leader with fifteen releases to his name. Currently celebrating his latest, NU-JIVE: LIVE at the Perth International Jazz Festival (Toy Robot Music), Roberts maintains a busy recording and performance schedule with some of the greatest artists of today.

Awards

  • Grammy Nominations for performances on Sammy Figueroa’s The Magician, Joey DeFrancesco’s Project Freedom.

 

  • Performances on Grammy Nominated albums by Orrin Evans & The Captain Black Big Band: Presence (which includes an original composition by Roberts) and The Intangible Between, The Terraza Big Band (One Day Wonder – title track is an original composition by Roberts) and Joey DeFrancesco (In The Key of The Universe – with Pharoah Sanders, Billy Hart, and heavily features Roberts on saxophones and acoustic bass).

 

  • Winner of the 2001 James Morrison Jazz Scholarship, Semifinalist in 2008 Thelonious Monk International Saxophone Competition, 2nd place winner in 2016 Wangaratta International Saxophone Competition.

 

  • Exclusive artist endorsement by Vandoren.


Tags

29
Album Review

Silvano Monasterios: The River

Read "The River" reviewed by Jack Bowers


To enhance his musical excursion along The River, composer, arranger and pianist Silvano Monasterios invited eight talented companions on board to share the ride. He did not make it easy for them. As envisioned by Monasterios, this river is by turns placid or turbulent, sparse or overflowing--but invariably tricky to navigate and tame. The entire work, he writes, is “a suite of what I consider Venezuelan music," and was inspired by the people in his native land ...

3
Album Review

Jackson Potter: small things

Read "small things" reviewed by Kyle Simpler


When musicians who are both skilled at their craft and passionate about what they play come together, it translates clearly into their music. Such is the case with Jackson Potter's sophomore release, Small Things. This is an engaging and well-crafted collection that highlights his compositional skills along with his fluency in contemporary jazz guitar. With a sound that captures the lyrical fluidity of Jim Hall and the swinging clarity of Herb Ellis, Potter strikes a compelling balance between tradition and ...

36
Album Review

Robby Ameen: Live at the Poster Museum

Read "Live at the Poster Museum" reviewed by Jack Bowers


Unlike some drummer-led albums, wherein it is hard to determine who is actually piloting the ship, there are no doubts about who is in charge on Live at the Poster Museum--and that would be none other than Robby Ameen whose sharp and forceful timekeeping enlivens the heart and soul of every number, lending them a sizable measure of their exuberance and swagger. That is especially meaningful considering that Ameen is traveling in fast company, overseeing a burnished ...

9
Album Review

Jackson Potter: small things

Read "small things" reviewed by Dan Bilawsky


Grandiose gestures are well and good, but it's actually the small things, both independent and aggregated, that often prove most impactful. Those micro events or occurrences can lead to serious matters or link together to create an incredibly meaningful web of wonders at the macro level. That's a fact that Jackson Potter most certainly recognizes. For this, his sophomore date, the Minnesota-reared, New York-based guitarist demonstrates remarkable maturity and attention to detail while weaving together a smartly balanced program with ...

9
Album Review

Robby Ameen: Live at the Poster Museum

Read "Live at the Poster Museum" reviewed by Paul Rauch


There are pluses and minuses to all recordings, the attributes stacking up like cordwood due to the virtuosity of the musicians, the compositional value of the tunes and the basic, primary aim of the leader. In this case, the leader, virtuoso drummer Robby Ameen, blurs the line between Afro-Caribbean rhythms and swinging post bop jazz. His music mentions in a way, that the divisions we may see between the different elements of the music that became modern jazz in New ...

2
Radio & Podcasts

Green Means Go!

Read "Green Means Go!" reviewed by David Bixler


The colors black, white, brown, beige, and blue have all had a prominent place in music, but in the eyes and ears of saxophonist Troy Roberts the color green piqued his interest due to its ambiguity. Not only can the color green convey greed and envy or rot and decay, it can also represent nature and tranquility. Troy embraces green as an impetus to move and has named his new release Green Lights which is the subject of the first ...

25
Album Review

Troy Roberts: Green Lights

Read "Green Lights" reviewed by Jack Bowers


There is an abundance of listenable music on Green Lights, the album from New York-based tenor saxophonist Troy Roberts--his sixteenth as leader in sixteen years. Clearly, he must be doing something right. That “something" includes playing graceful and eloquent tenor, mustering admirable sidemen for this quartet date, and focusing on largely agreeable music (Roberts wrote all of the album's ten generally likable songs). The sidemen in question are guitarist Paul Bollenback, bassist John Patitucci and drummer Jimmy ...

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Event

KCC Productions Presents Troy Roberts' "Nu-Jive"

KCC Productions Presents Troy Roberts' "Nu-Jive"

Source: Kimberly C Chmura

Hailing from the remote location of Perth, West Australia, saxophonist and composer Troy Roberts has won four consecutive Downbeat Jazz Soloist Awards, two consecutive West Australian Music Industry Awards, was the only Australian finalist in the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Saxophone Competition, received his first Grammy Nomination Medal, and has shared the stage with greats such as Sammy Figueroa, James Morrison, Stephen Scott, Slide Hampton, Bobby Sparks, Jeff Hamilton and John Clayton, to name a few. More recently, Troy represented ...

Performance / Tour

KCC Productions Presents Troy Roberts' Nu-Jive At Zinc Bar September 12, 2012, at 9PM

KCC Productions Presents Troy Roberts' Nu-Jive At Zinc Bar September 12, 2012, at 9PM

Source: Kimberly C Chmura

Hailing from the remote location of Perth, West Australia, saxophonist and composer Troy Roberts has won four consecutive Downbeat Jazz Soloist Awards, two consecutive West Australian Music Industry Awards, was the only Australian finalist in the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Saxophone Competition, received his first Grammy Nomination Medal, and has shared the stage with greats such as Sammy Figueroa, James Morrison, Stephen Scott, Slide Hampton, Bobby Sparks, Jeff Hamilton and John Clayton, to name a few.. More recently, Troy represented ...

Troy Roberts continues to be a master of styles and configurations with this eminently accessible, sonically and rhythmically engaging session, emitting steam and sumptuous harmonic colors along the way. -Glide Magazine

 ‘Nu-Jive: Nations United’ is another outstanding project by the ever-creative composer and saxophonist Troy Roberts. The bandmates’ long-time chemistry undoubtedly accounts for the stability and respect this ensemble creates together. The ten songs offer various configurations for optimum expression for each member as they ebb and flow through the written and improvised sections of the compositions. The result is a jazz session filled with 3D proportions of interacting and layering to create something unique and meaningful that encompasses the jazz of today and beyond. -Steven Miller, Sound In Review

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Photos

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Small Things

Shifting Paradigm Records
2025

buy

The River

Self Produced
2025

buy

Green Lights

Self Produced
2024

buy

Live at the Poster...

Origin Records
2024

buy

Calasanitus

Krossover Jazz
2023

buy

Nu-Jive: Live at the...

Toy Robot Music
2023

buy

Fast Eye

From: Live at the Poster Museum
By Troy Roberts

I Am An Immigrant

From: Calasanitus
By Troy Roberts

Momentum

From: Urbanessence
By Troy Roberts

Videos

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