Judy Roberts -

Judy Roberts is an American jazz vocalist from Chicago who released three albums between 1979 and 1981 on Inner City Records.

Profile

Judy Roberts was born Judy Loewy on October 3, 1942, in Chicago. She began professional work at age fifteen as a pianist-vocalist. Roberts led a Chicago trio by 1970 with bassist Nick Tountas and drummer Rusty Jones at Punchinello’s East.

The Judy Roberts Band

The Judy Roberts Band released their self-titled debut album in 1979 on Inner City.

The album includes her renditions of songs by Leon Russell (“Fantasy”) and Charles Mingus (“Goodbye Porkpie Hat”). Her band featured guitarist Neal Seroka, bassist Sean Silverman, drummer and percussionist Phil Gratteau, and percussionist Tony Carpenter.

“Never Was Love” rushes forward on a spacey dance figure, with Roberts’ vocal riding tight against the keyboard track. “Thumbs” pops through clipped electric-keyboard phrases and a sharper rhythmic snap. “Fantasy” relaxes into a softer vocal setting, with the lead placed inside a warmer chart. “You Light Up My Life” tilts into Latin percussion, near-spoken vocal phrases, and skittered rhythmic detail. “Watercolors” closes the album in a suspended electric-keyboard haze.

A1. “Never Was Love” (3:52) – Long
A2. “Thumbs” (4:47) – Silverman
A3. “Fantasy” (5:05) – Russell
A4. “Goodbye Porkpie Hat” (3:36) – Mingus–Kirk

B1. “You Light Up My Life” (3:45) – Brooks
B2. “Dandelion” (4:00) – Roberts
B3. “Yes Indeed” (5:53) – Seroka
B4. “Watercolors” (4:32) – Beach–Roberts

Roberts produced and arranged The Judy Roberts Band at Shade Tree in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, with recording engineer Andy Watermann. Keith deBolt designed the cover with photographs by A. O’Keefe, Bill Frantz, and Tom Ferguson.

The Other World

Judy Roberts released her second album, The Other World, in 1980 on Inner City.

Roberts produced and arranged the album with Seroka, performed in a reconfigured combo with Carpenter, electric bassist Michael Fiorino, and drummer David Derge.

“The Other World” moves at the album’s brightest clip, then ends on high scat syllables and a late guitar break. “It’s Always 4 A.M.” slows into a soft vocal setting, with Roberts leaning into longer phrase endings.

“Rainbow in Your Eyes” runs the Leon Russell source through a fast samba treatment, then adds sing-talk phrases and busy keyboard figures. “Señor Blues” and “‘Round Midnight” give the album its straighter vocal-jazz side, while “The River Must Flow” and “Last Tango in Paris” sit with the smoother, more subdued part of the program.

A1. “The River Must Flow” (3:42) – Vannelli
A2. “The Other World” (4:57) – Long
A3. “Last Tango in Paris” (3:14) – Barbieri–Previn–Tomas
A4. “The Roadrunner” (3:25) – Seroka
A5. “It’s Always 4 A.M.” (4:00) – Anthony–Cahn

B1. “Señor Blues” (5:35) – Silver
B2. “No Turns” (4:20) – Seroka
B3. “Rainbow in Your Eyes” (4:14) – Russell
B4. “‘Round Midnight” (4:36) – Monk–Williams–Hanighen

Roberts recorded The Other World in February 1980 with engineer and co-producer Watermann. Suzanne Hill designed the cover with photography by Charles Osgood.

The Other World reached No. 34 on Billboard Jazz Albums.

Nights in Brazil

Judy Roberts released her third album, Nights in Brazil, in 1981 on Inner City.

Roberts arranged eight of the ten tracks, while Seroka arranged “Two and a Half” and “Country Samba.” Derge, Fiorino, Seroka, and Carpenter reappear with percussionist Geraldo De Oliveira, mandolinist Don Stiernberg, bassist Brian Torff, and drummer Rusty Jones.

“Olé” leaps through fast Brazilian rhythm, bright scatting, ringing keyboard lines, guitar, and percussion. “I Can’t Help It” drifts at a low-lit crawl, with the vocal line stretched across a slow lilt. “Common Ground” swings lightly without heavy pressure.

“Nights in Brazil” carries a suspended vocal mood through the title cut. “Save That Time” steps through boogie motion, “Two and a Half” tightens the album’s harder rhythmic side, and “Country Samba” returns the program to a brisk dance gait.

A1. “I Can’t Help It” (4:17) – Wonder–Greene
A2. “Common Ground” (3:34) – Lins–Guth–Holmes–Winter
A3. “Olé” (4:04) – Long
A4. “Nights in Brazil” (4:35) – Derge–Flanagan
A5. “Carnival in Rio” (3:28) – Rolando–Brent

B1. “Save That Time” (4:08) – Long
B2. “Two and a Half” (4:02) – Seroka
B3. “Country Samba” (3:39) – Seroka
B4. “Starlight Haunted Ballroom” (3:00) – Adamo–Feldman
B5. “Sophisticated Lady” (2:45) – Ellington–Mills–Parish

Roberts and Watermann produced Nights in Brazil. Roberts recorded the album at Studiomedia in Evanston, Yamaha Research & Development Studio in Glendale, and Acme Recording Studios in Chicago; Watermann engineered and mixed the sessions. Randy Veith designed the liner package.

You Are There

Judy Roberts released her fifth album, You Are There, in 1985 on Pausa.

The album includes versions of songs by Michael Franks (“Alone at Night”), Ohio Players (“Sweet Sticky Thing”), Horace Silver (“Finding Good Rules to Live By”), and the theme from Star Trek. Roberts recorded with Derge, guitarist Akio Sasajima, bassist Jim Cox, percussionist De Oliveira, tenor saxophonist Ron Dewar, and flugelhornist Art Davis.

A1. “Alone at Night” (4:31) – Franks
A2. “Rio de Janeiro” (3:43) – Raney–Feldman
A3. “Theme from Star Trek” (4:33) – Alexander Courage–Gene Roddenberry
A4. “Poinciana” (6:52) – Simon–Bernier

B1. “Sweet Sticky Thing” (5:08) – Ohio Players
B2. “Molly’s Samba” (5:50) – Sasajima
B3. “You Are There” (3:02) – Mandel–Frishberg
B4. “Finding Good Rules to Live By” (5:02) – Silver

Roberts produced You Are There in March 1985 at Studiomedia in Evanston, Illinois. Scott Steinman co-produced, recorded, engineered, and mixed the album.

Discography: