New York-based pianist/composer Roberta Piket possesses one of the most personal, original voices on today’s music scene. Grounded in both the modern jazz tradition and the works of the contemporary classical composers she admires, Roberta combines an infectious swing with an adventurous harmonic sense that honors the jazz tradition while pushing it forward. Her playing, characterized by both a strong sense of direction and a striving for new territory, is at times melodic and pensive, at other times angular and dissonant. Roberta’s musical point of view is sophisticated and mature, yet always accessible to the sensitive listener. Passionate and heartfelt, this is music that touches the audience without coddling it.
"Up and coming pianist Roberta Piket was notable among all the performances [at the 2000 IAJE Conference]" —Swing Journal (Japan)
Roberta’s newest CD, entitled Sides, Colors, features her not only in the role of pianist and composer, but as organist, arranger, composer and, on one special track, vocalist.
Go behind the scenes and hear a musical sneak preview in this brief video about Sides, Colors.
Photo by Daniel Sheehan
Stunning, lush string and wind arrangements on beautiful classics such as Bill Evans’ Laurie and Rodgers and Hammerstein’s If I Loved You are balanced by open-form works such as Billy Mintz’ original composition “Shmear”, and the little-known “My Friends and Neighbors”, a traditional spiritual melody reharmonized for strings which evolves into a remarkable free excursion reminiscent of Charles Ives. (The latter piece is dedicated to Sam Rivers, with whom Roberta was privileged to associate at the Atlantic Center for the Arts in 2006.)
