Home » Member Page
Diane Roblin
Composer, keyboardist, band leader, Diane plays high energy music from the heart!
About Me
Diane Roblin - LONG BIO
“A deeply emotional keyboardist who establishes her musical territory with muscular
performance and technical skill.” (The Whole Note)
Diane Roblin’s dynamic career in music has placed her among Canada’s venerable women
in jazz. Composer, pianist, electric keyboardist, improviser, and band leader, Diane
effortlessly harnesses technical agility to center music’s power of connection. She is based
in Toronto where she leads her Life Force sextet, a “virtuosic ensemble of Canadian
hotshots” (JazzFM 91.1) that features Bruce Cassidy, George Koller, Kevin Turcotte, Tim
Shia and Jeff LaRochelle. The group plays Diane’s diverse compositions that blend her
broad influences ranging from high-energy jazz-funk to impressionism. Diane released the
project’s sophomore album, LIFE FORCE, in 2019. Described as a “genuine, wild ride you
wish wouldn’t end” (midwestrecords.com) and “something unique to offer jazz fans,”
(JazzFM 91.1), LIFE FORCE was on allaboutjazz.com's top 10 album list in 2019.
In addition to leading her band, Diane regularly performs across Toronto at venues like
Hugh’s Room, Jazz Bistro, Lula Lounge, The Pilot Tavern, Alliance Francaise, Toronto
Harbourfront Centre, and Array Space. Internationally, she has performed at Goro Merida
in Mexico, Antibes in France, Smalls in NYC, Ronnie Scotts in London UK, Bimhuis in
Amsterdam, and more. Her festival credits include: Kensington Market Jazz Festival,
Toronto 416 Improvisers Festival, Somewhere There Festival, Tennessee Plum Festival,
and the 2015 TDJazz-sponsored celebration of women in jazz at Lula Lounge in Toronto.
Throughout the years, Diane has performed alongside Bob Brough, Andrew McAnsh,
Richard Underhill, Chris Wallace, Morgan Childs, Michael Stewart, Kieran Overs, Nick
Fraser, Brodie West, Rob Clutton, Michael Snow, Russ Boswell, Alexis Baro, Charles
Gayle, Ethan Ardelli, Alex Dean, Ben Riley and Glen Hall to name only a few.
Roblin’s career in music has undergone several meaningful evolutions. Training first as a
sociologist at Toronto’s York University, she began taking music electives at the School of
the Arts, Media, Performance & Design to study an eclectic range of traditions including
Indian Classical music (Trichy Shankaran), electronic music for (David Rosenboom) and
jazz improvisation. Flourishing in the York music community opened the door to a diverse
decade-long career of performing with notable acts from Rough Trade to Charles Gayle
and touring with many jazz, blues, R&B groups. She then metamorphosed into a
successful solo jazz pianist and film industry consultant, which she enjoyed for 15 years.
Diane next pursued her first passion as a frontline crisis counselor for teenage girls, in
addition to her career in music and film, until retiring to travel the world. In 2011, a
catastrophic life event reopened the door to music for Diane as a place of refuge, creative
energy, and connection.
Since her return to music in 2011, Roblin’s community-mindedness and veritable
explosion of creative activity has led to her full come-back as a leading voice in
contemporary jazz and improvised music globally. In 2014, she released her debut album,
aptly titled RECONNECT, which received global airplay and was one of JazzFM 91.1 Top 3
Albums of that year. She has participated in several prestigious artist development
programs, including the historic Ornette Coleman and Karl Berger Creative Music Studio in
NYC with renowned musicians including Jack DeJonnette and Lee Konitz, as well as the
Dutch Improv Academy with Hans Bennick and Mary Oliver in the Netherlands. Recently,
Diane added telematic virtual concerts to her roster of artistic expression, most notably
with NYC composer Sarah Weaver’s NowNet Arts Hub Ensemble, a collective of
international cutting-edge musicians and video artists. Diane also regularly performs live
in Toronto with the Toronto Improvisers Orchestra, Glen Hall’s Ossingtones and is a
member of the Association of Canadian Women Composers (ACWC). She leads a
monthly residency at Toronto’s beloved Tranzac club, where she invites exciting local
creative musicians to join her on stage for an evening of explorative and joyful improvised
music-making.
Diane plays high energy music from the heart.
www.dianeroblin.com
My Jazz Story
I love jazz because... I was first exposed to jazz... I met [musician name]... The best show I ever attended was... The first jazz record I bought was... My advice to new listeners... Or whatever else you have in mind.