{{Infobox musical artist | name = Judy Roberts | image = | birth_name = Judy Loewy | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1942|10|3}} | birth_place = Chicago, IL, U.S. | genre = Jazz | occupation = Pianist, singer, composer, arranger | instrument = Piano | years_active = ~1958–present | label = {{hlist|1=Inner CIty|2=P-Vine|3=Pausa}} | website = {{URL|https://judyroberts.com/}} }}
'''Judy Roberts''' (born October 3, 1942) is a jazz pianist, singer, composer and arranger based in Chicago, IL. She released 15 albums during the period from 1979 to 2011.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Judy Roberts Songs, Albums, Reviews, Bio & Mor... |url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/judy-roberts-mn0000834939#discography |access-date=2024-09-30 |website=AllMusic |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Judy Roberts Discography |website=Discogs |url=https://www.discogs.com/artist/257906-Judy-Roberts}}</ref> The Chicago Tribune has called her "Chicago's Favorite Jazz Woman."
== Musical career ==
Roberts started her professional career at age 15<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Judy Roberts on Piano Jazz |website=NPR |date=21 March 2017 |url=https://www.npr.org/2017/03/21/520516703/judy-roberts-on-piano-jazz}}</ref> and has gone on to perform at hundreds of jazz clubs, numerous festivals, and in multiple residencies in Chicago, Phoenix and Singapore.
Her eponymous first album was published by Inner City in 1979. It was followed by ''The Other World (1980)'', also on Inner City, which stayed on the Billboard Jazz Album charts for 20 weeks in 1980-81, peaking at #34.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=World Radio History: Billboard Magazine, 1894 to 2021 |url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard-Magazine.htm}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=World Radio History: Billboard Magazine 12-20-1980 |url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/80s/1980/BB-1980-12-20.pdf}}</ref> Her cover of Senor Blues from that album reached #1 on the jazz charts and in radio airplay.
Roberts' third album, ''Nights in Brazil'' (P-Vine Records), charted for six weeks in 1982, peaking at #38. <ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=World Radio History: Billboard Magazine, 6-19-1982 |url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/80s/1982/BB-1982-06-19.pdf}}</ref> That same year, Roberts made her first of four appearances at the Chicago Jazz Festival, playing with Neal Seroka on guitar, Michael Fiorino on bass and David Derge on drums.<ref>{{Cite web |title=CJF 1979 - 1984 |url=https://www.jazzinchicago.org/cjf-1979-1984 |access-date=2024-09-30 |website=Jazz Institute of Chicago |language=en-US}}</ref>
Ray Brown and Jeff Hamilton joined Roberts on her fourth album, ''Trio'' <u>(</u>on Pausa Records, 1983). In this same time period, Laurel Masse recognized Roberts' support in launching her solo career after leaving the Manhattan Transfer.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ByUEAAAAMBAJ&q=%22laurel%20masse%22&pg=PT26 |title=Billboard |date=1985-01-05 |publisher=Nielsen Business Media, Inc. |language=en}}</ref>
Roberts returned to the Chicago Jazz Festival in 1990, performing on the closing day with Neal Seroka on guitar, Jim Cox on bass and Phil Gratteau on drums.<ref>{{Cite web |title=CJF 1990 - 1994 |url=https://www.jazzinchicago.org/cjf-1990-1994 |access-date=2024-09-30 |website=Jazz Institute of Chicago |language=en-US}}</ref> Roberts collaborated with jazz singer Jackie Allen, including on two albums (''Santa Baby'' and ''Autumn Leaves'') in the late 1990s.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Pulse |first=Door County |date=2016-07-26 |title=Peg Egan Presents the Jackie Allen Quartet |url=https://doorcountypulse.com/peg-egan-presents-jackie-allen-quartet/ |access-date=2025-08-22 |website=Door County Pulse |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Tesser |first=Neil |date=1999-06-03 |title=Jackie Allen & Judy Roberts |url=https://chicagoreader.com/arts-culture/jackie-allen-judy-roberts/ |access-date=2024-10-01 |website=Chicago Reader |language=en-US}}</ref> In 1999, Roberts performed as part of the Chicago Jazz Festival's closing act with the Marian McPartland Trio, along with Willie Pickens and Jodie Christian.<ref>{{Cite web |title=CJF 1995 - 1999 |url=https://www.jazzinchicago.org/cjf-1995-1999 |access-date=2024-10-11 |website=Jazz Institute of Chicago |language=en-US}}</ref> During this period, she was a frequent collaborator with drummer Rusty Jones.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2015-12-10 |title=Jazz drummer Rusty Jones dies at 73 |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/2015/12/10/jazz-drummer-rusty-jones-dies-at-73/ |access-date=2025-08-22 |website=Chicago Tribune |language=en-US}}</ref>
Roberts performed with her husband, saxophonist Greg Fishman, at the 2002 North Sea Jazz Festival.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Friday, July 12, 2002 {{!}} NN North Sea Jazz Festival |url=https://www.northseajazz.com/en/program/2002/friday-12-july/timetable/time/ |access-date=2024-09-30 |website=www.northseajazz.com |language=en}}</ref> In 2003, she reunited with McPartland as a featured guest on Piano Jazz, hosted by McPartland, performing a set of songs in front of a live audience.<ref name=":0" />
She made her fourth appearance at the Chicago Jazz Festival in 2014, performing with Fishman as well as the Paulinho Garcia Quintet.<ref>{{Cite web |title=CJF 2010 - 2014 |url=https://www.jazzinchicago.org/cjf-2010-2014 |access-date=2024-09-30 |website=Jazz Institute of Chicago |language=en-US}}</ref>
Roberts played multiple times at the renowned Jazz Showcase in Chicago, including as recently as 2025.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Roberts brings her gentle art home again to Jazz Showcase - Near Northwest |url=https://digitaledition.chicagotribune.com/tribune/article_popover.aspx?guid=413e509f-6dde-48e0-b5d8-dde2c5dde3a9 |access-date=2025-04-16 |website=digitaledition.chicagotribune.com}}</ref>
== Personal life ==
Roberts is the daughter of Robert Loewy (1916-2003), a jazz guitarist active in the Chicago jazz scene during the mid-20th century. Loewy performed with Roberts on her 1990 album ''My Heart Belongs to Daddy''.<ref>{{Citation |title=My Heart Belongs to Daddy - Judy Roberts {{!}} Album {{!}} AllMusic |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/my-heart-belongs-to-daddy-mw0000058970#credits |access-date=2025-01-10 |language=en}}</ref>
She is married to jazz saxophonist Greg Fishman.<ref name=":2" />
In 2019, Roberts was diagnosed with amyloidosis, a rare form of blood cancer.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Reich |first=Howard |date=2020-04-08 |title=Chicago jazz singer Judy Roberts battles rare cancer with the help of her husband |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/2020/04/08/chicago-jazz-singer-judy-roberts-battles-rare-cancer-with-the-help-of-her-husband/ |access-date=2024-09-30 |website=Chicago Tribune |language=en-US}}</ref>
== Discography ==
* ''Judy Roberts Band'' (Inner CIty, 1979) * ''The Other World'' (Inner City, 1980) * ''Nights in Brazil'' (P-Vine Records, 1981)) * ''Trio'' (Pausa Records, 1983) * ''You are There'' (Pausa Records, 1985) * ''My Heart Belongs to Daddy'' (Self-published'', 1990)'' * ''Circle of Friends'' (Self-published, 1995) * ''Santa Baby'' (with Jackie Allen, Self-published, 1998) * ''Autumn Leaves'' (with Jackie Allen, RA Records, 1999) * ''In the Moment'' (JR Records, 2002) * ''Route 66'' (JR Records, 2003) * ''Watercolors'' (JR Records, 2003) * ''Two for the Road'' (with Greg Fishman, JR Records, 2004) * ''I'll Just Take It As It Comes'' (with Danny Long, 2009) * ''So Lucky to be Loving You'' (with Wayne Messmer, CD Baby, 2011)
== References == {{reflist}}
Category:American women jazz pianists Category:People from Chicago Category:Inner City Records artists Category:P-Vine Records artists Category:Pausa Records artists {{DEFAULTSORT:Roberts, Judy}} Category:1942 births Category:Living people Category:Jazz-blues pianists Category:American jazz singers Category:American jazz pianists Category:Jewish jazz musicians Category:Jewish singers Category:Jewish women musicians Category:Jewish women singers Category:20th-century pianists Category:Jazz pianists Category:Jazz singers Category:21st-century pianists