Roberts distinquishes himself with these classic pieces!
06/18/1999
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Marcus Roberts is one of the finest jazz pianist playing today. It is obvious where he gets his inspiration by the way he plays these classic pieces by three legends of jazz. Close your eyes and let Roberts' command of his left hand carry you back to when jazz was a mainstay in America's music repertoire. If Roberts continues to play with such brilliance, people will be recording his classic in the future. This is a great work to introduce your friends to the simple joys of jazz piano or to listen along with other seasoned listeners for the brilliant complexities displayed by Roberts. If one Marcus Roberts CD is all you need, this should be it. By I bet you'll change your mind and decide it won't be your last!"
True Artistry.
yygsgsdrassil | Crossroads America | 01/31/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Mr. Roberts came here in Rivercity some years back and I was fortunate enough to see him. I knew he was of the senior Marselis camp, but I didn't know what to expect from him....as he began to play, I was awestruck. He did mostly primal jazz and ragtime standards like Jelly Roll Martin, Scott Joplin rags and Ellington but with a twist. The 'twist' is his improvisational skills which make you totally forget you were perhaps listening to "Mood Indigo" when he began. At the end of the concert, I was speechless. In recent times, I saw him perform with Denver's Philharmonic one of my favorite Gerswhin's pieces "Rhapsody In Blue" and I found myself looking for him to cue the conductor for the orchestration because as I said, his improvising seems totally, totally different from the musical theme established. You get lost in the artistry. I had no success in finding any giveaways. For all it's worth, like I've said in many of my past reviews, ya gotta hear this, it'll blow ya away. I really mean it for Marcus Roberts. (If you could see him in concert, it'll knock you out, too.)"
Best piano jazz performance ever
Federal Farmer | Montgomery, AL United States | 09/26/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I simply cannot get my arms around how wonderful and grand this music is, and I've been listening to it for 18 years. Every performance is better than that by the original performers--yes, I said it: Marcus Roberts is superior to Morton, Monk, and Ellington. And we get to listen to it! This is the best by anyone ever."