Marcus Roberts / Modern Jazz Generation
Jazz Road Creative Residencies Grant Recipient
Recipient Information
Location
Tallahassee, Florida
Year of Award
2021
Grant or Fellowship
Jazz Road Creative Residencies Grant
Grant Amount
$39,995
About the Project
To create, perform, and record new work , "Tomorrow's Promises" with the Modern Jazz Generation 10-pc ensemble, fusing his original music with narration and spoken word. This is a new exploration of multi-disciplinary work while experiencing new visual impairment technology.
Residency Location
Tallahassee, FL
About the Artist
Jazz pianist, Marcus Roberts, is often hailed as the genius of the modern piano. He is known for creating an entirely original approach to the jazz trio and, in 2014, he was featured on the CBS television show 60 Minutes on a segment entitled “The Virtuoso”. Roberts studied classical piano at Florida State University (FSU) after graduating from the Florida School for the Deaf and Blind. He grew up in Jacksonville, FL, inspired by his mother's gospel singing and the music of the local church.
Roberts has won numerous competitions and received many awards, including a Helen Keller Award for Personal Achievement. He has released more than 25 albums including his Grammy-nominated Portraits in Blue. He launched his own record label, J-Master Records, in 2009 and has since released 10 recordings on that label.
The Modern Jazz Generation (MJG) is Roberts’ newest ensemble and reflects his dedication to training and mentoring other musicians. The ensemble itself is based on the democratic principles that are embodied in jazz music. In 2019, Roberts envisioned a project with his MJG ensemble that serves as the inspiration for this current application. That residency program with the MJG, Democracy Through Jazz, took place at a BYU Forum in February of 2020. The program received rave reviews and a standing ovation from 6000 students and was likely instrumental in Roberts being awarded an honorary doctorate in “Civic Engagement through Music” in 2021. Roberts also holds an honorary Doctor of Music degree from the Juilliard School and he is an associate professor of music at FSU and a visiting professor at Bard College.
In addition to his renown as a performer, Roberts is also an accomplished composer. He has been commissioned by several prestigious groups, including three symphony orchestras--the Atlanta Symphony, Saito Kinen Festival Orchestra, and the American Symphony Orchestra (ASO). He has composed two piano concertos, arranged orchestral works by Duke Ellington and George Gershwin, and written a suite for jazz band and strings. His 2020 short film, United We Play, with the ASO strings, also serves as inspiration for this application.
Finally, Roberts also continues to find new ways to serve the blind and disabled communities. Most recently, he served as the Artistic Director for the centennial gala (The Art of Inclusion) for the American Foundation for the Blind and is a featured speaker/performer at the 2021 Disability:IN annual conference.