Tom Roberts

Tom Roberts (born 1962) is an American pianist, composer, and arranger, a specialist in the stride piano style, and a expert on early jazz piano and jazz recordings. Tom is a master of all early jazz piano styles including ragtime, boogie woogie, swing, New Orleans jazz, and Harlen Stride piano. Early years Tom Roberts grew up in Swisshelm Park, a suburb of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and was the eldest of three brothers. His grandparents lived across the street and Roberts learned to play piano on his grandmother's player piano. He graduated from Duquesne University and taught high school music at Schenley High School for three years while continuing to pursue his goal of performing jazz. After giving Leon Redbone an audition tape, he caught the man's attention and Redbone offered Roberts a contract to go on tour with him. In Roberts's first performance on that tour, he played on stage at The Tonight Show Career New Orleans Following his first tour with Redbone, Roberts moved to New Orleans in 1989 where he subsequently performed in all the major jazz clubs in the French Quarter including Preservation Hall, as well as on many New Orleans riverboats. Most notably, he performed with The Silver Leaf Jazz Band, Jacques Gauthes' Creole Rice Jazz Band, Eddie Bayard's Steamboat Stompers on the steamboat "Natchez", Barry Wratten's Pelican Jazz Band, The Original Camellia Jazz Band, The Crescent City Rhythm Kings, and Tim Laughlin's Jazz Band. He was unable to tour with Redbone during this time since he would have risked losing his position working at the local venues in New Orleans. Roberts commented that he would regularly play piano for more than ten hours each day.