Rick Roe is a renowned jazz pianist. He is one of the world's leadings authorities and performers of the music of Thelonious Sphere Monk. You Can Purchase all of Rick Roe's Music at Cdbaby.com by clicking here!!! "Sphere" , Rick's most recent recording pays tribute to Monk and some of his lesser known compositions. An earlier recording, "Monk's Modern Music" , has received international praise from jazz critics and jazz musicians including Wynton Marsalis. "The Changeover" , "The Late Late Show" , and "Bop Culture" feature Roe's original compositions and arrangements and are recorded under his own label, Unknown Records.
Professor Roe won first place in the Great American Jazz Piano Competition , and was a two time semifinalist in the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Piano Competition. Rick performed with jazz greats Wynton Marsalis, Clark Terry, Jon Faddis, Frank Morgan, Frank Foster, Buster Williams, Jon Hendricks, Marcus Belgrave, Kevin Mahogany, Emily Remler, Louis Smith, Christian McBride, Donald Walden, Wycliffe Gordon, Greg Hutchinson, Rodney Whitaker, Karriem Riggins, Derrick Gardner, Joe Magnarelli, Tim Reis, Mark Byerly, Bill Higgins Jr., Paul Keller, Wess Anderson, James Carter, Bobby Watson, Vincent Gardner, Rick Margitza, Harvey Mason, Sean Jones, Victor Goines, Gerald Wilson, Ron Blake, Andrew Speight, Randy Gelispie, Nneena Freelon, Marion Hayden, and more.Roe has been a featured performer in music festivals across the country: Detroit International Jazz Festival, Savannah Onstage Intl Arts festival, Hawaii Jazz Festival (w/ Frank Morgan), Lansing (MI), Birmingham (MI) and Flint (MI) Jazz Festivals. Roe toured Spain and Switzerland with the Paul Keller Orchestra.Currently Rick is an Assistant Professor of Jazz Studies and Piano at Michigan State University . As an educator/clinician he has taught at the University of Arizona, University of North Texas, University of Nevada at Las Vegas, University of Michigan, and The Detroit Intl Jazz Festival. He has taught summer jazz camps for young musicians in Detroit with The Professors of Jazz at Michigan State University.
