Hank Roberts
Encyclopedia
Hank Roberts 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 Jazz scene of the 1980s and is strongly associated with its post-modern tendencies.
label, was a featured member of the Bill Frisell
Quartet, and was an important voice in many groups of saxophonist Tim Berne
. He also recorded three discs with the Arcado String Trio, an improvisational chamber group featuring Mark Feldman
, violin
, and Mark Dresser
, double bass
. In the early '90s he left Frisell's group and stopped touring widely. Roberts continued to release recordings, if sporadically, including with the progressive folk group, Ti Ti Chickapea. By 2008 Roberts' was again touring and performing regularly. In late 2008, Roberts and Berne formed the group, Buffalo Collision (with pianist Ethan Iverson, and drummer Dave King), and digitally released the recording, Duck, on Berne's Screwgun Records
.
1987 Black Pastels
1990 Birds of Prey
1992 Little Motor People
1997 22 Years from Now
1997 I'll Always Remember
2002 The Truth and Reconciliation Show
2008 Green
with the Arcado String Trio
1989 Arcado
1990 Behind the Myth
1991 For Three Strings and Orchestra
with Miniature
1989 Miniature
1992 I Can't Put My Finger on It
with Bill Frisell
1987 Lookout for Hope
1989 Before We Were Born
1991 Where in the World
2004 Unspeakable
2005 Richter 858
2008 History/Mystery
with Tim Berne
1986 Fulton St. Maul
1988 Sanctified Dreams
1989 Fractured Fairy Tales
1992 Cause and Reflect (duo)
1993 Diminutive Mysteries (mostly Hemphill)
with Marilyn Crispell
1993 Santuerio
with Alex Cline, Aina Kemanis, Jeff Gauthier, Wayne Peet, Eric Essen, and Nels Cline
1987 The Lamp and the Star
with Ti Ti Chickapea
2000 Change of Worlds
2002 Firestick
with Wiggy Dog Boy
2005 The Truth and Reconciliation Show
with the Edmar Casteneda
2006 Cuarto de Colores
with Buffalo Collision
2008 Duck
with Donald Rubinstein
1976 Martin(soundtrack)
2009 When She Kisses the Ship On His Arm
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
cellist and vocalist. He plays the electric cello
Electric cello
The electric cello is a type of cello that relies on electronic amplification to produce sound. An acoustic cello can be fitted with a bridge or body mounted contact pickup providing an electric signal, or a built-in pickup can be installed...
, and his style is a mixture of rock, jazz, avant garde, folk and classical influences. He emerged with the downtown New York Jazz scene of the 1980s and is strongly associated with its post-modern tendencies.
Background
In the early '80s he made a number of recordings for the defunct JMTJMT Records
JMT Records was a record label that specialised in contemporary jazz. It was run by Stefan Winter.JMT recorded artists included Steve Coleman, Cassandra Wilson, Greg Osby, and Django Bates. The entire JMT catalogue is being re-released by Winter & Winter, Stefan Winter's new label....
label, was a featured member of the Bill Frisell
Bill Frisell
William Richard "Bill" Frisell is an American guitarist and composer.One of the leading guitarists in jazz since the late 1980s, Frisell's eclectic music touches on progressive folk, classical music, country music, noise and more...
Quartet, and was an important voice in many groups of saxophonist Tim Berne
Tim Berne
Tim Berne is an American jazz saxophone player and composer.Described by critic Thom Jurek as commanding "considerable power as a composer and ... frighteningly deft ability as a soloist," Berne has composed and performed prolifically since the 1980s...
. He also recorded three discs with the Arcado String Trio, an improvisational chamber group featuring Mark Feldman
Mark Feldman
Mark Feldman is an American jazz violinist.Feldman worked in Chicago from 1973 to 1980, and in Nashville, Tennessee from 1980 to 1986. He worked in New York City and Western Europe from 1986. Feldman often works with John Zorn, Sylvie Courvoisier, John Abercrombie, The Masada String Trio, Dave...
, violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
, and Mark Dresser
Mark Dresser
Mark Dresser is an American double bass player and composer.-Biography:He has performed and recorded with many of the luminaries of "new" jazz composition and improvisation. For ten years he performed with the Anthony Braxton Quartet, as well as diverse groups led by Ray Anderson, Tim Berne,...
, double bass
Double bass
The double bass, also called the string bass, upright bass, standup bass or contrabass, is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra, with strings usually tuned to E1, A1, D2 and G2...
. In the early '90s he left Frisell's group and stopped touring widely. Roberts continued to release recordings, if sporadically, including with the progressive folk group, Ti Ti Chickapea. By 2008 Roberts' was again touring and performing regularly. In late 2008, Roberts and Berne formed the group, Buffalo Collision (with pianist Ethan Iverson, and drummer Dave King), and digitally released the recording, Duck, on Berne's Screwgun Records
Screwgun Records
Screwgun Records is a jazz record label founded by Tim Berne.Most releases have been by Berne, though a few have been by Berne's associates and bandmates....
.
Selected discography
as Leader1987 Black Pastels
1990 Birds of Prey
1992 Little Motor People
1997 22 Years from Now
1997 I'll Always Remember
2002 The Truth and Reconciliation Show
2008 Green
with the Arcado String Trio
1989 Arcado
1990 Behind the Myth
1991 For Three Strings and Orchestra
with Miniature
1989 Miniature
1992 I Can't Put My Finger on It
with Bill Frisell
1987 Lookout for Hope
1989 Before We Were Born
1991 Where in the World
2004 Unspeakable
2005 Richter 858
2008 History/Mystery
with Tim Berne
1986 Fulton St. Maul
1988 Sanctified Dreams
1989 Fractured Fairy Tales
1992 Cause and Reflect (duo)
1993 Diminutive Mysteries (mostly Hemphill)
with Marilyn Crispell
1993 Santuerio
with Alex Cline, Aina Kemanis, Jeff Gauthier, Wayne Peet, Eric Essen, and Nels Cline
1987 The Lamp and the Star
with Ti Ti Chickapea
2000 Change of Worlds
2002 Firestick
with Wiggy Dog Boy
2005 The Truth and Reconciliation Show
with the Edmar Casteneda
2006 Cuarto de Colores
with Buffalo Collision
2008 Duck
with Donald Rubinstein
1976 Martin(soundtrack)
2009 When She Kisses the Ship On His Arm