Marcus Roberts: tradition with vision - newly appointed musical director of the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, New York, New York

American Visions, April-May, 1994 by Douglas Turner

As the new musical director for the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, Roberts has a poweful forum for propagating both his philosophy as an artist and his appreciation of jazz, as evidenced on Jazz at Lincoln Center Presents: The Fire of the Fundamentals (Columbia, 1994). Jazz "represents the highest level of describing what it's like to live in America," he explains. "When you hear great jazz musicians play, you're hearing a sophisticated analysis of the full range of America."

In addition to working with young musicians in the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra--Joshua Redman, Nicolas Payton, Jamal Haynes, Chris Thomas--the 31-year-old Roberts conducts residencies and master classes on college campuses nationwide. "You always want to share your journey and your experience with people," he says, "because this is what makes it possible to ultimately have a true appreciation for what you represent."

"A lot of young people don't see the importance of Duke Ellington's music in terms of their everyday life, and that's the big struggle," he laments. "If there was a life goal that I have, it would be to eventually help bring about a change in America where people would again find jazz music a natural part of how they live every day."

Douglas Turner, an assistant professor of political science at Alabama A&M University, is the host of "Return to the Source," a jazz program on WJAB-FM in Huntsville, Ala. His last article for American Visions, "With a Voice Like Vanessa Rubin's," appeared in the October/November 1993 issue.