Reuben Rogers

Jazz bassist Reuben Rogers draws inspiration from his birthplace in the Virgin Islands, pulling from jazz, gospel, calypso, and reggae to form his own style. He studied jazz in high school alongside fellow Virgin Islanders Ron Blake and Dion Parson. Backed by various forms of funding from the St. Thomas arts council, he was able to continue studying over the summer in the U.S. at Interlochen Arts Camp in Michigan and Berklee College of Music in Boston; the latter school would go on to award him his bachelor's degree in music in 1997. Rogers' live performance career began at 17, when he went on tour with the Marcus Roberts Trio. He has worked and recorded with many musicians, most notably Charles Lloyd, with whom he has appeared on five studio albums. He released his debut album as a bandleader, The Things I Am, in 2006.