In My Own Words
In My Own Words
Hi, my name is Andre Delano Roberson and I was born in Chicago, Illinois and raised in E. St. Louis, Illinois. I was introduced to the saxophone at around age 7. My father would take me over my older cousin’s house every weekend as he (my cousin) would be in the basement playing sax to his girlfriend. I sat and watched very closely as she would become totally enthralled by his playing. I remember her looking over at me as if she was embarrassed by her reactions, and she would then quietly whisper in my cousin’s ear, “Can you please tell your little cousin to go back upstairs?” Well after several months of watching the power of the saxophone in action, I definitely knew what I wanted to do. So my parents bought my first saxophone and this journey began. I was raised at a time when music was still very prevalent in the school system, so every school and every grade had some kind of music program. I consider myself very lucky to have been raised in the same city as Legendary Trumpeter Miles Davis and also to have attended Lincoln Senior High School, his alma mater. All the kids in the city who played music already knew that Lincoln High School was the school of choice for musicians. The Lincoln High School Jazz band was noted number ..1 in the midwest and surrounding areas long before my class arrived, so there was definitely a reputation to uphold. My Sophomore and my Senior year, The Lincoln Senior High Jazz Band came in 1st place at Down Beat Magazine’s National Competition and the summer of my Senior year, we toured Europe. Throughout my tenure at Lincoln we were often visited by very famous jazz musicians like: Winton Marsalis, Bunky Green, Clark Terry and many others.
I was offered a full music scholarship to Jackson State University in Jackson Mississippi. They bent the rules for me a bit and allowed me to Major in Business while still receiving a Full Music Scholarship. During my time in Jackson, I was still very active with music. I spent my time performing with artist like, Johnny Taylor, Dorothy Moore and several local bands around town. I graduated Jackson State University at the top of my Business Class with a Bacholar’s Degree in Business Administration. I was offered several jobs in my field of study, but I chose to follow my heart and move to California to pursue my first love… Music.
Within 6 months of my arrival to Los Angeles, I had landed a gig with the Legendary Johnny Guitar Watson. The pace didn’t slow down from there. To date, I have performed/ recorded with Bobby Womack, Doc Powell, Jeff Lorber, Stevie Wonder, The Emotions, The Gap Band, Bobby Lyle, Peter White, Rickie Lee Jones, Usher and Soul R&B Singer Maxwell, to name a few. There was really no other choice but to pursue my own solo career after being exposed so much talent as a side musicians. This has been quite a journey and I no other phrase captures it like the phrase, “Full Circle,” which is the title of my debut CD. I am currently in the House Band of the new Television Talk Show, “The Megan Mullally Show,” and my First Chirstmas Record aptly entitled. “First Christmas” will be released this Winter.
Andre Delano