Faculty Jim Robitaille

Performances and/or recordings with: Dave Liebman, Bob Moses, Karl Berger, John Lockwood, Santi Debriano, Jim Odgren, Mike Pope, Henry Hey, Greg Abate, Brad Hatfield, Allan Maillet, Lello Molinari, Phil Grenadier, Matt Richard, Alon Yavnai, Dino Govoni, Chris Poudrier, Dan Greenspan, Bronek Suchanek, Bob Nieske, Dave Zinno, Jeff Galindo, Rick Britto, Bruno Raberg, Sai Ghose, Jerry Wilfong, Nina Ott, Chris Lopes, John Allmark, Hilary Noble, Bruce Abbott, Laird Boles, Christopher Bonnier Pitts, Marcelle Gauvin, Fernando Huergo, Ron Bosse, John Harrison, Jim Porcella, Royal Hartigan, Andy McWain and Bobby Greene and Coleus as well as many other artists and groups.

Appearances at: the Baird Auditorium in the Smithsonian Institute's Museum of Natural History (Washington, DC). The Knitting Factory (New York, NY), Smoke (New York, NY), The 18th Annual University of Massachusetts Jazz Festival (Dartmouth, MA), Ryles Jazz Club (Cambridge, MA), The Center For The Arts (Natick, MA), Bob The Chefs (Boston, MA), the Zeiterion Theatre (New Bedford, MA), The Limetree Inn (St. John, U.S.V.I.), Arcade Jazz Series (Providence, R.I.), and the Hi Hat (Providence R.I.) Brandeis University, Western New England College, Holyoke Community College, Westfield State College, He has also received numerous performance grants from the Massachusetts Cultural Council for the Arts for group performances since 1989.

The Jim Robitaille Group's debut recording entitled To Music, has received international critical acclaim, winning three international composition awards with three of his compositions from the recording including the 9th Annual Thelonious Monk International Jazz Composition Award. Jim received his award from jazz great Herbie Hancock and performed with the Monk band at the Baird Auditorium in the Simithsonian Institute in Washington, DC. The CD was number five in the top ten list of 2004 by the Daily Ipirotikos Agon and the Apopsy in Greece and was the publishers' pick for All About Jazz and the Boston Herald. The recording has also received international airplay on 200 hundred radio stations including the Time Warner Music Choice Jazz Channel and was #1 chart-bound on the Jazz Week Jazz charts.

Recordings:

• Rick Frank The Labyrinth Decker Creek Records
• W/ Bruce Abbott Duets
• Marcus Monteiro 2006 release on Whaling City Sound
• Bobby Santos I Found My Way Back Home
• Trine w/ Rick Britto, Chris Poudrier 2006 release
• The Jim Robitaille Group, To Music on Whaling City Sound
• The Matt Richard/Jim Robitaille Duo, The Art Of The Duo on MJR
• The Matt Richard Quartet, Hawthorne Street Connection on MJR
• The Dancing Dogs, Fishing in the Desert
• The Dancing Dogs, Cynanthrophy
• The Dancing Dogs, Patience on Whaling City Sound

Awards:

• 9th Annual Thelonious Monk International Jazz Composers Competition sponsored by BMI
• 2001 Great American Song Contest Instrumental Category
• 2001 Great American Song Contest Outstanding Achievement in Songwriting Award
• 2002 USA Songwriting Competition finalist
• 2003 International Songwriting Competition Jazz Category Semi Finalist
• The 1996 Jazz Composers Alliance, Julius Hemphill Composition Awards Honorable Mention

Press

Jim Robitaille has a clear sound and advanced style all his own - Scott Yanow - All Music Guide

Boston-based guitarist Jim Robitaille led a band drawn from the Monk Institute students in an impressive performance of his award winning Arthur C - Lee Mergner - JazzTimes

Jim's work on this recording demonstrates once again why he is so respected by his peers. He always plays musically and straight from the heart. He Is a true musician. - Charlie Banacos

What Robitaille has done with To Music is release a remarkable album of modern post-bop. A front runner for debut of the year. - John Kelman - jazzviews.uk

Jim has studied guitar and improvisation with jazz guitarist Jon Damian in Boston, MA, and improvisation with pianist and master teacher Charlie Banacos.