Jazz Articles about Bryn Roberts

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 ...

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, ...

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 ...

Bryn Roberts: Present Tense

by Glenn Astarita
August 1, 2001

Young Montreal, Canada-based pianist, Bryn Roberts; a one time student of pianist extraordinaire Fred Hersch, exhibits complex compositional tendencies that perhaps skirt the fringes of both mainstream and modern jazz on his debut release, Present Tense.

At twenty-four years of age, Roberts has already performed with legendary trumpeter/big-band leader Maynard Ferguson and here, garners sturdy support from vibraphonist Stefan Bauer and saxophonist Seamus Blake. However, drummer Karl Jannuska and bassist Fraser Hollins provide the sinuous crosscurrents and pumping rhythms in ...