Musical Moments
Trumpter Roy Hargrove makes his Jazz Fest debut.
By Geraldine Wyckoff
WHO: Roy Hargrove
WHEN: 5:30 p.m. Friday, April 27
WHERE: BET on Jazz/ WWOZ Jazz Tent
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A Roy Hargrove set is a mix of straight-on jazz burners and gorgeous ballads with doses of funk and fun.
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It’s somewhat befuddling that Texas-born, New York-based trumpet sensation Roy Hargrove is making his first appearance at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival this year. After all, the Grammy-winning, internationally acclaimed trumpeter debuted as a recording artist in 1990 and has been knocking out audiences at live performances around the world. However, the trumpeter doesn’t find his delayed invitation surprising.
“They’ve got all those trumpet players down there, they don’t need me,” exclaims Hargrove with a chuckle.
The 30-year-old jazz musician laughs a lot, exhibiting an enthusiasm for conversation that mirrors the energy he displays when he picks up the horn. It was with this verve that he and his quintet slam-dunked its New Orleans debut last year at House of Blues. Diversity is the name of the game at Hargrove gigs, as he mixes straight-on jazz burners and gorgeous ballads with doses
of funk and fun. A fired-up atmosphere
prevails as the bandmembers engage in friendly competition.
“First of all, we like to have fun on the bandstand,” says Hargrove. “When it was me and Sherman (ex-quintet saxophonist Irby) up front, we were just trying to gauge how much we were going to get from the rhythm section. They (pianist Larry Willis, bassist Gerald Cannon and drummer Willie Jones III) get together and they make plans to get us. So we just try to figure out what means of escape that we would have on any given night.”
In the Jazz Tent, saxophonist and New Orleans native Jesse Davis replaces Irby to join Hargrove in combat on the front line. It’s a reunion of sorts for the two horn players, who met at a 1989 collegiate competition in California. They often worked together on the New York jazz scene, and Davis plays on Hargrove’s ’90s releases Family (Verve) and At the Movies (Novus).
“The first time I met Jesse, I couldn’t believe it,” says Hargrove. “The way he sounded, it was like I was listening to Bird. He just cries through his horn.”
Hargrove’s fifth Verve release, 2000’s Moment to Moment, finds the trumpeter far from the high-flying atmosphere of his live shows. On the disc, a full string orchestra backs Hargrove’s quintet on an album composed entirely of ballads. For the occasion, Hargrove often reaches for his flugelhorn, enriching the romantic standards with its deliciously big, round tone.
“I always had a thing about doing ballads,” says Hargrove, whose favorite albums include ballad albums by John Coltrane and Clifford Brown. “People always respond to me doing them.”
The new album also stands in stark contrast to the trumpeter’s previous Grammy-winning release, Habana (Verve), recorded with his group Crisol. Inspired by his visits to Cuba, Hargrove stepped away from his working band to explore Afro-Cuban rhythms and melodies. In Crisol, the trumpeter leads a super group that includes pianist Chucho Valdez, an all-star Cuban rhythm section, plus saxophonists David Sanchez and Gary Bartz.
When Hargrove made his first of five trips to Cuba in 1996, he was taken aback by the wealth of musicianship. “There were so many people with so much talent — the trumpet players were ridiculous,” remembers Hargrove. “I mean, the fourth or fifth trumpet player had a five-octave range. It seriously made me want to practice. I hung out with a lot of those cats and tried to pick their brains and try to figure out, ‘How did he do that?’”
Hargrove spent two years on the road with Crisol, taking the opportunity to really dig into the tricky Afro-Cuban rhythms. “Playing with all that percussion gave me a clear picture of how to play inside the rhythm and not play too many notes but the right notes in the right places,” says Hargrove. “Being around those drummers, they sort of beat it into you.”
Afro-Cuban explorations aren’t the only departure Hargrove made from the jazz mainstream — the trumpeter also has ventured into the hip-hop world. He recorded with Common on the rapper’s Like Water for Chocolate and is also heard on D’Angelo’s Voodoo. He even toured with D’Angelo (playing several shows in New Orleans), blowing in the horn section. While Hargrove looks forward to doing more such recordings, he’s less enthusiastic about touring with hip-hop groups, finding them to be a lot of work and not much playing.
“The one thing I enjoyed about it was the huge audiences of screaming girls,” says Hargrove, followed by his infectious laugh. “That’s the fun part.”
A different trip — to Africa — deeply affected Hargrove in 1988. He and pianist Willis were invited to take part in a free-form international symposium workshop in Senegal, which involved no actual concerts or club dates. “It was very touching for me just to be there,” says Hargrove, who participated in musical theater projects and jammed with local drummers. “On the island of Goree, I got a chance to go to the slave house and see the Door of No Return. I definitely came back [to the U.S.] different from when I left. That experience definitely put more of an emotional vibe to what I do,” he continues. “Things internalize and they come out through the music.”
Hargrove enjoys the luxury of leading a stable working band. He and the rhythm section have been together some three or four years, with each musician bringing their special gifts to bandstand. He and Willis, the oldest bandmember, share a musical relationship that dates back to Hargrove’s first recording session when the trumpeter was just 17 years old. While the album was never released, the two have worked off and on since then.
“When he joined my band, it was a blessing,” says Hargrove. “He brings so much to us. Every night that we play together is like an education for me.” Hargrove calls bassist Cannon “the band’s personality.” “Gerald, he’s not only a great musician but he’s a great cat to have around. He’s always keeping us laughing.” The trumpeter appreciates drummer Jones for his ability to play in any style demanded by the music. “He can play swing, he can definitely get down in the Latin vibe and he can play funk, too,” proclaims Hargrove. “He brings all the versatility.”
Wynton Marsalis, who encouraged Hargrove in his musical endeavors while leading a workshop at the trumpeter’s Texas high school, once described the persona of a trumpet player as “brash, impetuous, cocky, cool, in command.” “We grow up hearing that trumpeters blew down the walls of Jericho, that Gabriel’s trumpet announces the will of God,” wrote Marsalis. The irrepressible Hargrove fits that bill — and even agrees with the concept.
“Trumpet players are like peacocks,” says Hargrove, again laughing. “They’re very proud, sort of royal like wanting to be on top, wanting to be the leader.” .
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