Biography

Robert studied piano with the great Russian teacher Tamara Osborn, herself a pupil of Artur Schnabel in Berlin between the wars. Always an improvisor, Robert's jazz studies developed in parallel with his classical studies. Since the eighties, he has worked as a pianist on the contemporary jazz scene in the UK. Composing has played an increasingly important part of his musical life.

Over the years Robert has performed with many of the UK’s top jazz musicians – saxophonists Andy Panayi, Tim Garland, Julian Arguelles, and Stan Sulzman, guitarist Don Paterson, bassists Alec Dankworth, Tim Wells and Mick Hutton, drummers Ken Hyder, Mark Fletcher and Marc Parnell, trombonists Richard Edwards and Dennis Rollins, trumpeters Martin Shaw and Shanti Jayasinha.

In 1987 Robert formed the popular fusion band The Breeze with Tim Garland, Richard Edwards, Shanti Jayasinha and Marc Parnell. This was followed by River Crossing, and after that his long-standing piano trio with Wells (bass) and Fletcher (drums), which expanded into a quintet with the addition of Andy Panayi and Martin Shaw.

Robert has recorded a number of albums, starting with ‘Joy’ from The Breeze. His recording company, Flame Records, has released several CD’s of his music – two from the trio – ‘Coincidence’ and ‘That’s Just It’, and two albums of solo piano – ‘Nowhere to Hide’ and ‘Less’. The Quintet's work is represented by a demo CD 'Comparing Notes', which features many of Robert's compositions.

Apart from composing over 100 works for many different jazz groups, Robert has written music for films and television, and has worked as a musical director, both in television and the theatre.

In recent years he has started a new project – ‘Orbit’ – a quartet comprising the violinist Lewis Wood, the guitarist Patrick Naylor, with the great Iqbal Pathan on tabla. The scope of Orbit’s music extends far beyond the familiar jazz idiom. At the same time Robert is increasingly in demand as a solo recitalist.

Robert's influences are wide-ranging: Bach, naturally, but also Olivier Messiaen, Robert Schumman, South African township music, Glenn Gould, Ornette Coleman, Cecil Taylor ...