Pianist Roberta Piket possesses one of the most personal, original voices on today’s jazz 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. 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. Always passionate and heartfelt, this is music that touches the audience without coddling it.

Roberta’s upcoming CD release, entitled Sides, Colors, reveals previously hidden aspects of Roberta’s talent. It features her not only in the role of pianist and composer, but as organist, arranger, composer and, on one memorable track, vocalist.

Stunning, lush string and wind arrangements on beautiful classics such as Bill Evans’ Laurie and Rodgers and Hammerstein’s If I Loved You are countered by open-form works such as the Billy Mintz 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.)

“A modern romantic with a contemporary harmonic sense and a timeless genius for inventing fresh, crisp ideas.”-Owen McNally, Hartford Courant