Hank Roberts (born March 24, 1954, Terre Haute, Indiana)[1] is an American jazz cellist and vocalist. He plays the electric cello, and his style is a mixture of rock, jazz, avant-garde, folk, and classical influences. He emerged with the downtown New York City jazz scene of the 1980s and is associated with its post-modern tendencies.
Hank Roberts | |
|---|---|
 Hank Roberts at Jazzhaus Stadtgarten, Köln/Cologne (Germany), March 2008 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | March 24, 1954 Terre Haute, Indiana, U.S. |
| Origin | New York City |
| Genres | Jazz |
| Occupation | Musician |
| Instrument(s) | Cello, vocals |
| Years active | 1980s–present |
| Website | hankrobertsmusic |
Background
editIn the early 1980s, Roberts made a number of recordings for the defunct JMT label, was a featured member of the Bill Frisell Quartet,[2] and was an important voice in many groups of saxophonist Tim Berne.[2] Roberts also recorded three discs with the Arcado String Trio, an improvisational chamber group featuring Mark Feldman, violin, and Mark Dresser, double bass.[2]
In the early 1990s, Roberts left Frisell's group and stopped touring widely. He continued to release recordings, if sporadically, including with the progressive folk group Ti Ti Chickapea.[1] In 2008, he was again touring and performing regularly, releasing Green (with Jim Black and Marc Ducret) on Winter & Winter, Stefan F. Winters subsequent label to JMT. In December 2011, Winter & Winter released Roberts' Everything Is Alive,[3] as well as re-releasing his entire JMT catalogue.
Selected discography
editAs leader
edit- Black Pastels (JMT, 1987)
- Birds of Prey (JMT, 1990)
- Little Motor People (JMT, 1993)
- 22 Years from Now (Level Green, 1997)
- I'll Always Remember (Level Green, 1998)
- Cause and Reflect (Level Green, 1998)
- The Truth and Reconciliation Show (I Town, 2002)
- Green (Winter & Winter, 2008) with Marc Ducret and Jim Black
- Everything Is Alive (Winter & Winter, 2011) with Bill Frisell, Jerome Harris and Kenny Wollesen
- Congeries of Ethereal Phenomena (Newvelle, 2019)
- Science of Love (Sunnyside, 2021) with Hank Roberts Sextet [3]
With Arcado String Trio
- Arcado (JMT, 1989)
- Behind the Myth (JMT, 1990)
- For Three Strings and Orchestra (JMT, 1992)
With Miniature (Joey Baron, Tim Berne, Roberts)
- Miniature (JMT, 1989)
- I Can't Put My Finger on It (JMT, 1992)
With Buffalo Collision
- Duck (Screwgun, 2008)
With Tim Berne and Aurora Nealand
- Oceans And (Intakt, 2023)
As sideman
editWith Tim Berne
- Fulton Street Maul (CBS, 1986)
- Sanctified Dreams (Columbia, 1988)
- Tim Berne's Fractured Fairy Tales (JMT, 1989)
- Diminutive Mysteries (Mostly Hemphill) (JMT, 1993)
With Bill Frisell
- Lookout for Hope (ECM, 1987)
- Before We Were Born (Nonesuch, 1989)
- Where in the World (Nonesuch, 1991)
- Unspeakable (Nonesuch, 2004)
- Richter 858 (Songlines, 2005)
- History, Mystery (Nonesuch, 2008)
- Disfarmer (Nonesuch, 2009)
- Sign of Life: Music for 858 Quartet (Savoy, 2011)
- Big Sur (Okeh, 2013)
- Harmony (Blue Note records, 2019)
With Alex Cline
- The Lamp and the Star (ECM, 1987)
With Marilyn Crispell
- Santuerio (1993)
With Ti Ti Chickapea
- Change of Worlds (2000)
- Firestick (2002)
With Edmar Castañeda
- Cuarto de Colores (2006)
With Donald Rubinstein
- Martin (Motion Picture Soundtrack) (Varèse Sarabande, 1978)
- When She Kisses the Ship on His Arm (Bare Bones, 2009)
References
edit- ^ a b "Hank Roberts Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic. Retrieved October 7, 2021.
- ^ a b c Colin Larkin, ed. (1992). The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music (First ed.). Guinness Publishing. p. 2103. ISBN 0-85112-939-0.
- ^ a b "Hank Roberts Albums and Discography". AllMusic. Retrieved October 7, 2021.