Jim Robitaille Group

The Jim Robitaille Group consists of full-time world-class performers and recording artists. Available from solo guitar and extended range guitar, to five piece group configurations. The musicians have performed and recorded with many of the jazz and pop greats of our time internationally. All group members are very consummate professionals and are conscientious and considerate of the requirements for your specific event. Repertoire draws on American Broadway standards, jazz standards, Brazilian bossa nova, samba, international classics, and popular music selections.

Guitarist and award winning composer, Jim Robitaille, has performed and or recorded and shared the bill with jazz greats Dave Liebman, Karl Berger, Bob Moses, Joe Beck, Gerry Gibbs, Santi Debriano, Julian Lage, Esperanza Spalding, Oscar Stagnaro, Kate McGarry, Eric Wyatt, the Dizzy Gillespie Alumni All-Stars, and has appeared on over 20 recordings and documentary films as a leader and sideman. His television and live performances include: The BET Jazz Channel, The Time Warner Music Choice Jazz Channel, PBS Television, The Baird Auditorium at the Smithsonian Institute's Museum of Natural History, Washington, D.C, The Bearsville Theatre, Woodstock, N.Y, the Berklee College of Music, Ryles Jazz Club International, Narrows Center for the Arts, The Wang Center, Boston, MA, The Knitting Factory and Smoke in New York, Quai Des Brumes, Montreal, QC, Canada, Gallerie Larouge, Quebec City, QC, Canada, Club Nectar, Zeiterion Theater, VT, Habitats for Humanity, and tours in the U.S and abroad at festivals and clubs.

Resorts and hotels include the Ritz Carlton Beach Resort, Naples, FL, The Limetree Inn, St John U.S.V.I., The Chatham Bars Inn and Resort, Chatham, MA, Ocean Edge, Brewster, MA, The Breakers, Ocean Cliff, and Rose Cliff Mansions, Newport, R.I, Blue Water Resort, Pro Sip, The Cape Codder Resort, Hyannis, MA, The Del Ray Beach Club, Fl, the Royal Palm Yacht Club, Boca Raton, Fl, Tarpon Lodge, Pine Island, FL, Sankaty Resort, Nantucket, Seacrest Resort, Falmouth, MA, Pro Ship, Montreal, Canada, the Wequassett Resort and Golf Club, Harwich, MA, The Whitefield Inn, New Hampshire. Doubletree Hotels, Westin Hotels, Marriot Hotel, Providence, R.I., The Boston Park Plaza Hotel, Boston Copley Plaza Hotel, Charles Hotel, World Trade Center, Ritz Carlton, Colonnade Hotel, and the State Room in Boston, MA

Musical theater productions include: Jim Kierstead's world premiere production of Bill Russell and Janet Hood's "Unexpected Joy", at the Julie Harris Wellfleet Harbor Actors Theater, Man of La Mancha, Zieiterion Theater, regional productions include: Grease, Jesus Christ Super Star, Pippin, Anything Goes, Godspell, Bye Bye Birdie, Mame, Tommy, The Threepenny Opera, and Working.

The Jim Robitaille Group's debut recording entitled "To Music" featuring saxophonist Dave Liebman, received international critical acclaim winning three international composition awards for three of his compositions from the recording. 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 received international airplay and was #1 chart-bound on the Jazz Week Jazz chart.

Awards include The 9th Annual Thelonious Monk International Jazz Composers Competition sponsored by BMI, The 2002 Great American Song Contest First Place Instrumental Category, and The 2002 Great American Song Contest Outstanding Achievement in Songwriting Award. Other accolades include The 2011 Assets For Artists Grant, The Julius Hemphill Jazz Composers Alliance Competition, The International Songwriting Contest, Budrus documentary film, and numerous performance grants from the Massachusetts Cultural Council For the Arts.

Jim has studied guitar and improvisation with jazz guitarist Jon Damian at the Berklee College of Music, Boston, MA, and improvisation with Charlie Banacos. Robitaille has performed concerts and taught workshops, classes, clinics, and master-classes in Quebec Canada, St John U.S.V.I, Westfield State College, Berklee College of Music, Brandeis University, Holyoke Community College, The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, Cape Cod Community College, Connecticut College, Western New England College, Bristol Community College, Falmouth Academy, and Tabor Academy, and is an applied jazz guitar lecturer, ensemble director, and founder and director of the Performance Jam Session Series on the Jazz Faculty at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth.

Quotes/Reviews/References:

"Boston-based guitarist Jim Robitaille led a band drawn from the Monk Institute
students in an impressive performance of his award winning "Arthur C," a
composition dedicated to Arthur C. Clarke.
- JazzTimes

"With catchy melodies,sophisticated arrangements, and a guitarist with the skills
to bring it all together, the Jim Robitaille Group's debut To Music has its own identity."
- Jazz Improv Magazine

"What Robitaille has done with To Music is release a remarkable album of
modern post-bop. Robitaille is obviously his own man. A front runner for debut of the year."
- jazzviews UK

"..Everything about this production is impressive: with Sally Mayes, Michelle Duffy, Charity Farrell, and Lacretta. Musical director Gillian Berkowitz leads Rod McCaulley, bass, Jim Robitaille, guitar, and Rikki Bates, drums."
- Broadway World

“As a visiting artist and role model Jim’s music contributed greatly to the success of our event. The students benefited from hearing and playing with him”.
- Dr. Stephanie S. Sullivan- Assistant vice president for Student Affairs Berklee College of Music

Stage plots and requirements are specific to the size of the group. Jim Robitaille performs from solo to seven pieces internationally. Depending on the logistics we can be totally self contained, needing access just to grounded electrical outlets and proper staging and cover from weather.
Other requirements may include an appropriate stage plot with a complete sound system, monitors and lighting.
All outdoor events must have suitable staging/flooring and cover from weather conditions