| Judy Roberts | |
| Birth Name: | Judy Loewy |
| Birth Date: | 3 October 1942 |
| Birth Place: | Chicago, IL, U.S. |
| Genre: | Jazz |
| Occupation: | Pianist, singer, composer, arranger |
| Instrument: | Piano |
| Years Active: | ~1958–present |
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.[1] [2]
Roberts started her professional career at age 15[3] and has gone on to perform at hundreds of jazz clubs, numerous festivals, and in multiple residencies in Chicago, Phoenix and Singapore. The Chicago Tribune has called her "Chicago's Favorite Jazz Woman."[4]
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.[5] 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.[6] 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.[7]
Ray Brown and Jeff Hamilton joined Roberts on her fourth album, Trio (on Pausa Records). Laurel Masse recognized Roberts' support in launching her solo career after leaving the Manhattan Transfer.[8] Roberts later collaborated with jazz singer Jackie Allen, including on two albums (Santa Baby and Autumn Leaves) in the late 1990s.[9]
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.[10] 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.[11] She then performed at the 2014 festival with her husband, saxophonist Greg Fishman, as well as the Paulinho Garcia Quintet.[12]
Roberts performed with Fishman at the 2002 North Sea Jazz Festival.[13] In 2003, she was a featured guest on Piano Jazz, hosted by McPartland, performing a set of songs in front of a live audience.
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.
She is married to jazz saxophonist Greg Fishman.
In 2019, Roberts was diagnosed with amyloidosis, a rare form of blood cancer.[14]