At 33, Hargrove is one of the most accomplished jazz musicians of his generation. A trumpet player with an extraordinary technique, coupled with emotion and daring. Hargrove was barely out of his teens when he was already named one of the 'Young Lions', a torch-bearer of the straight-ahead jazz style. But while growing up in his native Texas, Hargrove was as captivated by Run-DMC's rap as he was by
… fellow jazz trumpeter Clifford Brown's hard bop. "To be a complete musician," he says, "it's important to be aware of all kinds of music styles, who knows what kind of music you can't make when you combine these styles." He gives an example of this on the CD The RH Factor: Hard Groove. With an extensive guidance group and guests such as R & B singers Erykah Badu and D'Angelo, rappers Common and Q-Tip, and bassist Meshell Ndegeocello, this is a genre-breaking album, where funky is the showcase of the music of a wildly enthusiast Roy Hargrove. The songs are successively infused with jazz, funk or hip-hop and are a reflection of Roy Hargrove's many musical views and the long list of musicians he has made this album with. (RM)more
