Thinking of Leon Redbone

Thinking of Leon Redbone, who passed away this week.

Leon Redbone on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno in 1990. Tom Roberts on piano.

---

Tom Roberts has gone from high school music teacher to touring piano man

Saturday, July 21, 2001

By Ed Masley, Post-Gazette Pop Music Critic

Tom Roberts' journey to playing piano on the latest Leon Redbone album, "Anytime," began on the stage of Graffiti.

Roberts wasn't on stage.

Redbone was.

Roberts, at the time a Schenley High School music teacher, was in the audience. As he recalls, "I said, 'I've always wanted to play with this guy. I need to get out of this town.' So I gave him a tape on stage."