Wayne Roberts was born in Los Angeles, CA. At the age of 7, he studied piano, guitar and voice. At 14, he took up the trombone and a year later, the electric bass. A year after that he decided on the bass as his principle instrument. At age 19, he took up the double bass and studied privately with Sue Ranney. 8 months later he was accepted to The New England Conservatory as a jazz major and a year later, as a classical major, studying with Lawrence Wolfe of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. He spent three years there earning a Bachelors Degree in Music. In 1980, he moved to NYC to complete his graduate studies at the Juilliard School where he studied with David Walter and later with Eugene Levinson, principal bassist for The New York Philharmonic. By day he studied classical music and by night, to the dismay of the Juilliard administration, he picked up jazz gigs around town.

Following completion of his studies in 1982, Wayne was soon active on the New York classical and jazz scene and working with such musicians as Howard Alden, Jack Wilkins, Joe Cohn, Kirk Lightsey, John Hart, Ken Peplowski, Hal Galper, Lew Tabackin, Walt Weiskopf, Bill Mays, Harry Allen, Chuck Wayne, Jaki Byard and Jo Jones. He led his own trio with John Colianni and Eliot Zigmund, and co-lead Grant/Roberts New-Bop with Darrell Grant that featured Ralph Moore, Monty Croft and Gene Jackson. In 1994, he spent much of his time touring in Europe. In between tours, he took up residence in Berlin, working as sideman and leader and working with Hungarian guitarist, Fenenc Snetberger.

In 1998, Wayne returned to New York City primarily to complete a project that has kept him occupied up to date: leading the John Kirby Project featuring the music of the John Kirby Sextet (1937-43). He has transcribed over fifty instrumental arrangements of this remarkable brand of jazz.

Wayne Roberts makes ample use of his classical training, with lyrical, bowed interpretations of Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn. A recording of Strayhorn's "Lotus Blossom", masterfully accompanied by pianist Ben Aronov, can be heard at audio samples.

Wayne Roberts can be heard regularly at the City Crab & Seafood Company's weekend jazz brunch, with some of the finest guitarists around, including Joe Cohn, Howard Alden, Vic Juris, John Hart, Sheryl Bailey and Freddie Bryant. Click here for schedule details.