Marcus Roberts (born September 7, 1963 in Jacksonville, Florida) is an American jazz pianist who has achieved fame as a gifted player committed to celebrating classic standards and jazz traditions. Blind since his youth, Roberts began playing piano at an early age and then studied the instrument while attending Florida State University. In 1985, he got his big break when famed trumpeter Wynton Marsalis chose him as his new sideman. He became a close friend and disciple of Marsalis