Robi Botos is a Hungarian-Canadian

jazz pianist Jazz piano is a collective term for the techniques pianists use when playing jazz. The piano has been an integral part of the jazz idiom since its inception, in both solo and ensemble settings. Its role is multifaceted due largely to the instru ...

. He has recorded several albums as a leader and was the winner of the TD Grand Jazz Award at the 2012

Montreal International Jazz Festival The Festival International de Jazz de Montréal ( en, Montreal International Jazz Festival) is an annual jazz festival held in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The Montreal Jazz Fest holds the 2004 Guinness World Record as the world's largest jazz fest ...

. In 2016, Botos won the

JUNO Award The Juno Awards, more popularly known as the JUNOS, are awards presented annually to Canadian musical artists and bands to acknowledge their artistic and technical achievements in all aspects of music. New members of the Canadian Music Hall of ...

for Best Jazz Album of the Year (Solo) for his recording of ''Movin' Forward''.

Biography

Botos was born in

Nyíregyháza Nyíregyháza (, sk, Níreďháza) is a city with county rights in northeastern Hungary and the county capital of Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg. With a population of 118,001, it is the seventh-largest city in Hungary and the second largest in t ...

to a

Roma Roma or ROMA may refer to: Places Australia * Roma, Queensland, a town ** Roma Airport ** Roma Courthouse ** Electoral district of Roma, defunct ** Town of Roma, defunct town, now part of the Maranoa Regional Council *Roma Street, Brisbane, a ...

family, and grew up in

Budapest Budapest (, ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Hungary. It is the ninth-largest city in the European Union by population within city limits and the second-largest city on the Danube river; the city has an estimated population ...

. His first instrument was drums, and at age seven he began playing piano. In 1998 Botos immigrated to Canada and he has been a prominent member of the

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

jazz scene since. Botos has played with the performers including

Michael Brecker Michael Leonard Brecker (March 29, 1949 – January 13, 2007) was an American jazz saxophonist and composer. He was awarded 15 Grammy Awards as both performer and composer. He was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from Berklee College of M ...

Pat LaBarbera Pat (Pascel Emmanuel) LaBarbera (born April 7, 1944) is an American-born Canadian jazz tenor, alto and soprano saxophonist, clarinetist, and flautist born in Mt. Morris, New York, most notable for his work as a soloist in Buddy Rich bands fr ...

, and Dave Young among others. In addition to winning the TD Award in 2012 he also won the

Montreux Jazz Festival The Montreux Jazz Festival (formerly Festival de Jazz Montreux and Festival International de Jazz Montreux) is a music festival in Switzerland, held annually in early July in Montreux on the Lake Geneva shoreline. It is the second-largest annual ...

piano competition in 2004. Botos has recorded several albums as a leader of various bands. Additionally, he composed the music to the 2011 documentary '' A People Uncounted''. Botos was also the last protegé of legendary Canadian jazz pianist

Oscar Peterson Oscar Emmanuel Peterson (August 15, 1925 – December 23, 2007) was a Canadian virtuoso jazz pianist and composer. Considered one of the greatest jazz pianists of all time, Peterson released more than 200 recordings, won seven Grammy Awards, ...

.Peter Hum
"Robi Botos CD reviewed"
''The Ottawa Citizen'', March 25, 2015 In 2015, Botos recorded the album ''Movin' Forward'' in

. Botos was accompanied by drummer

Jeff "Tain" Watts Jeff "Tain" Watts (born January 20, 1960) is a jazz drummer who has performed with Wynton Marsalis, Branford Marsalis, Betty Carter, Michael Brecker, Alice Coltrane, Ravi Coltrane, and others. Biography Watts got the nickname "Tain" from Kenny ...

and bassist Robert Hurst, both alumni of

Wynton Marsalis Wynton Learson Marsalis (born October 18, 1961) is an American trumpeter, composer, teacher, and artistic director of Jazz at Lincoln Center. He has promoted classical and jazz music, often to young audiences. Marsalis has won nine Grammy Awar ...

' band.

Seamus Blake Seamus Blake (born December 8, 1970) is a British-born Canadian tenor saxophonist. Early life and education Blake was born in London, England and raised in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. His mother introduced him to jazz when he was a c ...

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

played sax and EWI. The album won a

Juno Award The Juno Awards, more popularly known as the JUNOS, are awards presented annually to Canadian musical artists and bands to acknowledge their artistic and technical achievements in all aspects of music. New members of the Canadian Music Hall of ...

for best Jazz Album of the Year (Solo) in 2016.

Discography

As leader/co-leader

* ''One Take, Volume 2'' (Alma, 2005) * ''Christmas Eve'' (Music Design, 2009) * ''One Take, Volume 4'' (Alma, 2010) * ''Mercy'' with Bill McBirnie (Extreme Flute, 2010) – recorded in 2009 * ''Place to Place'' (A440 Entertainment, 2011) * ''Friday Night Jazz'' (Allegro, 2013) * ''Movin' Forward'' (A440 Entertainment, 2015) * ''Old Soul'' (A440 Entertainment, 2018) * ''Barlow, Botos & Alexander Play Monk'' with Brian Barlow, Scott Alexander (Rhythm Tracks, 2018)

As sideman

* Kristy Cardinali, ''My Romance'' (Alma, 2009)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Botos, Robi Living people Hungarian jazz pianists Canadian jazz pianists Romani musicians Hungarian Romani people Canadian Romani people Hungarian emigrants to Canada 1978 births People from Nyíregyháza Juno Award for Jazz Album of the Year – Solo winners 21st-century Canadian pianists