NEWS

Originally scheduled for summer 2020, Robinson performs throughout Japan at the beginning of June 2023 with guitarist Eric Hofbauer in support of their release Two Hours Early, Ten Minutes Late: Duo Music of Ken Aldcroft (Accretions, 2020). They're joined by Robinson's longtime friend and collaborator Marcos Fernandes and local collaborators in each city.

Robinson takes a quintet version of his Janus Ensemble into the recording studio to record two albums -- Ancestral Numbers I and Ancestral Numbers II -- of his ongoing composition project of the same name, which draws from numerical relationships in his family's history to inspire compositional forms that are then brought to life with his collaborators. The two albums will feature Robinson with longtime friends and collaborators Michael Dessen (trombone), Joshua White (piano), Drew Gress (bass), and Ches Smith (percussion). The albums will be released in summer and fall 2024 on Playscape Recordings.

Awarded a grant from the Erving Cultural Council and the Mass Cultural Council, Robinson convenes a quartet to debut two new compositions dedicated to the villages of Farley and Ervingside in the town of Erving, Massachusetts, where he resides. Also featuring other jazz compositions inspired by places, the concert is part of Erving's Summer Concert Series at Riverfront Park. All ages and free!

Robinson gave an invited talk titled “From Farm Shares to Jazz Shares: Alternative Community-based Music Presenting in Western Massachusetts,” highlighting the innovative arts presenting and community building being done by the great folks of Pioneer Valley Jazz Shares. Robinson recently published a review about Jazz Shares in the journal Jazz and Culture (University of Illinois Press).

Performing on the Arts at Amherst Initiative's Arts Faculty Showcase at Buckley Recital Hall, Amherst College, Robinson premiered "Malachi," on of a series of compositions to be recorded by his Janus Ensemble in August 2023 for his Ancestral Numbers project. The performance featured a special configuration of his ensemble; he was joined by trumpeter Thomas Heberer, pianist Angelica Sanchez, bassist Avery Sharpe, and drummer Yoron Israel.