Marcus Roberts Trio to perform for "Evening of Hope" benefit on Thursday, May 8 at The Sheldon

Pianist Marcus Roberts and his trio (pictured) will be the featured performers for the 10th annual "Evening of Hope" event benefiting the Hope Center for Neurological Disorders to be held at 8:00 p.m., Thursday, May 8 at the Sheldon Concert Hall.

Roberts, who first gained wide recognition in the 1980s as a member of trumpeter Wynton Marsalis' group, will be accompanied by his longtime bandmates, bassist Rodney Jordan and drummer Jason Marsalis, who's Wynton's youngest brother.

These days, Roberts is known particularly for interpreting the work of pre-WWII jazz, stride and ragtime pianists with a modern sensibility, as demonstrated here in St. Louis most recently during a November 2012 concert for the Sheldon's jazz series. You can read more about Roberts and see some performance clips in this video showcase preview that was posted here on StLJN before that gig.

The Hope Center for Neurological Disorders, described as "a collaborative alliance between Washington University in St. Louis and Hope Happens, a St. Louis-based non-profit public charity," is involved in researching cures for a range of nervous system diseases, both chronic and acute, with the common feature of neurodegeneration or death of nerve cells.

Patron tickets for the "Evening of Hope" benefit, which include cocktails, dinner, orchestra seating for the concert, and a dessert reception with the artist, begin at $250 and are available only directly from Hope Happens. For more information, call 314-725-3888.

Any remaining orchestra level seats will be $45, with balcony seating priced at $35, and will go on sale as single tickets at 10:00 a.m. this Saturday, February 8 via Metrotix.