THE HANK ROBERTS TRIO
The Hank Roberts Trio features world-renowned improvisational cellist Hank Roberts, drummer Ashley Ickes, and pianist Chad Lieberman.
Their performances encompass a wide range of styles, with each piece serving as a foundation for rhythmic, harmonic, and diverse improvisational explorations.
At the core of their music is a commitment to communication, interplay, discovery, and collective creativity.
The Hank Roberts Trio is heading into the studio
this October 2024 to record a brand new album!
We’re thrilled to bring this music to life, and we’d love for you to be part of the journey.
If you’re passionate about supporting great music, please consider contributing to our GoFundMe campaign. Your support means the world to us!
About Us
With a career spanning over 50 years, Hank Roberts has performed at prestigious venues worldwide alongside celebrated artists such as Bill Frisell, Petra Haden, Rudy Royston, Aurora Nealand, Tim Berne, Gordon Grdina, Mark Dresser, Mark Feldman, as well as with the Hank Roberts Sextet and the Italian-based group "Pipe Dream." His extensive discography includes more than a dozen albums as a leader, and his album Green (featuring Jim Black and Marc Ducret) won the 2008 German Recording Critics’ Award in the Jazz category. Roberts was also named “Rising Star” in the Miscellaneous Instrument (cello) category in Downbeat Magazine’s 2022 Critics' Awards.
Drummer Ashley Ickes brings a highly developed sense of rhythmic complexity, stylistic diversity, and excitement to every group she performs with, including regional favorites like the funk band The Comb Down and the hip hop group Felix Free & the Rxcketeers. Since her arrival in 2016, she has been a vibrant central figure in the Ithaca music scene.
Pianist Chad Lieberman, influenced by traditional Cuban music and the University of Miami’s renowned Jazz program, studied music composition and electronic music at Ithaca College. He has performed both locally and internationally and is a founding member of the MAQ ensemble and the Strong Maybe experimental music trio.
What the writers are saying
“Roberts’s approach to the cello is a treasure to be cherished… ‘has long been a master at shaping the envelope of his sound to tell organic stories”
“One of the premier cellists on the jazz scene, Hank Roberts has contributed his increasingly original sound to the albums of a disparate group of artists that span genre categories. Roberts’ talent at illustrating the impressive breadth of voicings the cello can emote makes for a complex and terrifically enjoyable recording.”
“The cellist puts on show a magnificent monologue…’will easily hook listeners with the tasteful blend of jazz, classical and improvisation that permeates his album.”
“Roberts is spellbinding on ‘Open Gate’”
“A world class cellist who could easily excel in any music genre.. Roberts is in total command of his cello; able to produce multiple voicings… plucking, strumming, tapping and beautiful bowing… memorable and mysterious… A wondrous journey”
“Roberts dares to present magical musical field tests, which sound as delicate as a moribund musical box or intoxicating emotional like a pop song… ingenious.”
“‘It’s all one song’ goes the hip musician’s cliché, but Mr. Roberts walks that walk.”