Andre Delano Roberson's musical journey began when he was eight years old. "My father would take me over to my older cousin's house every weekend, and I would see him playing sax to his girlfriend in the basement. She would absolutely melt," Andre says with a laugh. "And I said, 'Okay, that's definitely what I want to do.'"
Andre's parents nurtured his interest and went into debt to buy his first saxophone. They provided Andre with emotional support and encouragement while he received his formal training at East St. Louis' prestigious Lincoln High School, the alma mater of legendary jazz trumpeter Miles Davis.
"Our jazz program was intense," Andre says about the regimen that required students to practice one hour before school and five hours after school everyday. But the hard work paid off. "We won every competition, including Down Beat magazine's national competition. In my three years at Lincoln, we never lost. We were number one at everything."
Participating in the award winning jazz program at Lincoln High School enabled Andre to receive a full music scholarship to Jackson State University where he earned a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration.
By the time Andre turned eighteen, he had more credentials on his resume than most seasoned musicians and had performed with numerous well-known artists including Wynton Marsalis, Clark Terry and Bucky Green.
Andre moved to Los Angeles where he quickly landed work recording and touring with Stevie Wonder, Maxwell, Jeff Lorber, Chielli Minucci, Doc Powell, and Bobby Lyle. His touring schedule took him around the world - to Russia, Denmark, Finland, London, Japan, Sweden, and Holland. He also performed with Maxwell on The Late Show With David Letterman, The Tonight Show With Jay Leno, Show Time At The Apollo, Soul Train, as well as cable music channels BET, MTV, and VH1.
While on tour, Andre received critical acclaim from the Los Angeles Times, L.A. Weekly and Rolling Stone magazine. The Los Angeles Times raved that Andre, "Plays with a flair and inventiveness...He is clearly ready for his own solo career." So, after years of recording and touring with other acts, Andre felt it was time to work on a solo project.
"I feel like now I've proclaimed my independence," he says. "I'm really proud that I took advantage of this opportunity. And I trust that all things in the universe are in their proper place and are happening just as they are supposed to."
Andre's debut album, entitled "Full Circle," reflects a diverse mixture of jazz, blues and funk and features guest appearances by guitarists Al McKay (Earth, Wind & Fire), Bruce Conte (Tower of Power) and Dwight Sills, smooth jazz piano virtuoso Kevin Toney and R&B vocalist Terrell.
"Full Circle" consists of numerous smooth jazz stylings including, "Foot Steps," "When Jadon Smiles," a tribute to his son and "Night Riders," the album's first single, which is re-mixed by legendary keyboardist Jeff Lorber.
"As a child growing up in East St. Louis, my parents required me to be in the house and tucked in bed by the time the street lights came on. 'Night Riders' is dedicated to those guys who didn't have that kind of discipline at home. Due to gang violence and drugs, a lot of them were killed before even making it to high school. Circumstance allowed them to ride at night."
The album's title track "Full Circle" is especially meaningful to Andre because it expresses his struggle as an artist who just wants liberation. In "Full Circle," Andre sings, "All my life, on my own, set apart from a first born, how long must it be, for you to set me free... some people get it on the first go, I want to go full circle."
"Like the full circle itself, Andre Delano takes from his mix of sorrow and sings through a multiple joy. A rare sound of voice, word and saxophone. Go get this!," says R&B singer Maxwell.
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