Roberta Piket

Roberta Piket (born 1965) is an American jazz pianist, organist, composer, and arranger.

Life and career Piket was born in Queens, New York, in 1965. Her first album for a U.S. label was in 1999: Live at the Blue Note, for Half Note. The 2003 release I'm Back in Therapy and It's All Your Fault was Piket's first with her Alternating Current ensemble. This band was formed after she acquired an electric piano to use in venues that did not have an acoustic piano and then discovered that it did not suit her trio but made her think of new types of music to play. She had done the same thing for her earlier album, Sides, Colors, which also included several tracks she arranged for wind instruments, horn instruments, and strings. She was named Rising Star – Organ by DownBeat critics in 2018.

Playing style The DownBeat reviewer of Emanation (Solo: Volume 2) commented on the absence of a "steady pulse, stride or walking bass" in her solo piano playing; "Instead, she establishes momentum through a rhythmic motif [...and] keeps things moving through more intricate alterations between her hands".

Discography An asterisk (*) indicates that the year is that of release.

As leader/co-leader

As sidewoman Year recordedLeaderTitleLabel2014*Mintz QuartetThirteenth Note