Hargrove

Roy Hargrove is a hard bop-oriented musician (and acclaimed "Young Lion") who became one of America's premier trumpeters during the late 1980s and beyond. A fine, straight-ahead player who spent his childhood years in Texas, Hargrove met trumpet virtuoso Wynton Marsalis in 1987, when the latter musician visited Hargrove's high school in Dallas. Impressed with the student's sound, Marsalis allowed Hargrove to sit in with his band and helped him secure additional work with major players, including Bobby Watson, Ricky Ford, Carl Allen, and the group Superblue.

The now mature jazz trumpeter/composer/bandleader Roy Hargrove, who has been utterly masterful since the beginning of his career, has been involved with various all-star bands, neo-fusion outfits, and made a very good living playing modern instrumental music. Now he is reaching a new and elevated level of pure jazz artistry with Earfood. A studio recording of his live touring repertoire with his working quintet, Hargrove presents several ballads, favorites from jazz veterans, and well rendered originals, all in the spirit of the famed trumpeters who preceded him. Alto saxophonist Justin Robinson and pianist Gerald Clayton are not only rising stars and standout soloists, but also players perfectly compatible to play this contemporary and mainstream modern jazz.

Trumpeter Roy Hargrove's debut as a leader found him occasionally recalling Freddie Hubbard but already sounding fairly original in the hard bop genre. On a quartet version of "Easy To Remember," Hargrove shows restraint and maturity in his lyrical ballad statement while featuring his strong bop chops on most of the other selections. Among the many other up-and-coming voices heard on this 1989 set are pianist Geoffrey Keezer (who contributes three originals and shows what he had picked up from McCoy Tyner), the fluid altoist Antonio Hart and drummer Ralph Peterson, Jr. Tenor-saxophonist Ralph Moore, pianist John Hicks and drummer Al Foster are also in the notable supporting cast.

Following in the well-trod footsteps of Louis Armstrong, Dizzy Gillespie, Clifford Brown, Chet Baker, and Wynton Marsalis, among others, Roy Hargrove has his day with strings, purveying moody, lovelorn ballads at glacial tempos. At first, one's hopes are raised that this could turn out to be one of the best attempts in this field. The leadoff track "You Go to My Head" is gorgeous; Hargrove plays soulfully and inwardly, and pianist Larry Willis's arrangement is emotionally satisfying without being cloying. However, the disc continues on and on in this fashion, one tune seeming to blend into another, one arrangement sounding like the next (besides Willis, who contributes five charts, Gil Goldstein does three others, and Cedar Walton chips in two).

Roy Hargrove's second recording as a leader features the 21-year-old trumpeter in late 1990 essentially playing bebop. Joined by altoist Antonio Hart, pianist Stephen Scott, bassist Christian McBride, and drummer Billy Higgins, Hargrove shows why he was so highly rated from the start of his career. On such numbers as "September in the Rain," "End of a Love Affair," "Crazeology," and four of his straight-ahead originals, Hargrove plays in a style not that different from Lee Morgan but with his own soulful sound, revitalizing the jazz tradition with his enthusiastic ideas. A fun set.

The wait is over: Roy Hargrove's “The Love Suite: In Mahogany” is OUT NOW with Blue Engine Records. Captured in 1993 during one of JALC's earliest seasons, this album is the only recording of Hargrove’s original composition— commissioned by Jazz at Lincoln Center. We are not only honoring Hargrove’s remarkable legacy through this release, but we are also celebrating what would have been his 54th birthday weekend.

Ne-o-clas-si-cism: A revival of classical aesthetics and forms, especially, characterized by a regard for the classical ideals of reason, form, and restraint, by order, symmetry, and simplicity of style. Neo-classicism and Roy Hargrove have become synonymous in jazz circles. His style and focus are now completely his own. Roy possesses a hard driving spirit to excel. Volumes have been written about the virtuosity of Oscar Peterson, his competitive spirit and drive. Together you have the makings of an exciting jam session that's well worth the price of admission. In this case the cost of the CD, that finds these two jazz poets working with a strong cast of players including Peterson's long time associate, Neils-Henning Ørsted Pedersen on bass. This quintet setting gives all the players ample room to stretch and have fun. This CD is highly recommended listening pleasure.