Marcus Roberts, the jazz pianist committed to earlier idioms, has faced resistance in certain quarters for occasionally voicing sharp critiques of later developments, drawing the sort of backlash more commonly directed at Wynton Marsalis and others labeled reactionaries by segments of the jazz press. Still, he earns recognition for charting an independent course, showing scant connection to McCoy Tyner, Ahmad Jamal, or Bill Evans that characterizes many current players. Thelonious Monk surfaces as an influence in his phrasing, yet Jelly Roll Morton and Fats Waller stand as his chief models. Early recordings blended pronounced gospel and blues elements with bebop phrasing, after which he turned decisively toward stride and ragtime, a choice that invited close examination and second-guessing.
Roberts began playing piano in his youth and later studied at Florida State University. Several competition victories in the mid-'80s led to his joining Wynton Marsalis' ensemble as the first regular pianist following Kenny Kirkland. Within the group he emerged as its second leading soloist and the anchor of the rhythm section, his swing maintaining focus and keeping Marsalis' music from turning stiff or overly inward. His own RCA/Novus releases from the late '80s and '90s, above all the 1990 solo outing Alone with Three Giants, underscored his allegiance to classic repertoire. That exploration persisted into the new century with the 2001 Marcus Roberts Trio project Cole After Midnight, devoted to Nat King Cole and Cole Porter, and the 2009 trio session New Orleans Meets Harlem, Vol. 1, which addressed Duke Ellington, Scott Joplin, Monk, Morton, and Waller and marked his first leader date in eight years. The holiday-themed Celebrating Christmas appeared in 2011. While his interpretive command of historic material has drawn widespread praise, whether Roberts functions as a committed preservationist or an unrepentant nostalgia buff continues to provoke discussion.
