Roy Hargrove Quintet, ‘Earfood’
August 12, 2008
You’ve all heard of ‘eye candy,’ well this one is most assuredly not just ‘Earfood’ it’s candy for the ears!
Roy’s goal on this project was “to have a recording that is steeped in tradition and sophistication, while maintaining a sense of melodic simplicity.” He truly achieved that goal and then some. Roy Hargrove, one of the ‘young lions’ to arrive on the scene in the late eighties and early nineties, is continuing to do very nice things. With a style most closely aligned with Lee Morgan, Roy knows how to sound like a ‘badboy’. This compilation is masterful, taking post-bop to the next level. Roy has beautiful and warm ballad ability and demonstrates that here as well.
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The tracks are:
1. I’m Not So Sure |
Shake, Rattle and Roll
July 29, 2008
“Shake, rattle and roll”, yes there’s some good vibrations going on in Lala land once again. 5.4 on the Richter today! I lived in LA during the last big Northridge Quake, what a trip! LA always reminds me of a concert I had the privilege to attend while out there. It was dedicated to Dizzy Gillespie and held at the Hollywood Bowl, “To Diz with Love-Celebrating the Dizzy Gillespie Diamond Jubilee,” with Slide Hampton as Musical Director-and of course playing his bone. Freddie Hubbard played the lead trumpet part, along with a fairly young Roy Hargrove. Clark Terry, Harry “Sweets” Edison and Claudio Roditi were also playing in the trumpet section. At one point Dizzy came on stage all decked out in a bright yellow leisure suit and, of course, received an immediate standing ovation. Having been a fan of his since middle school, it was quite a treat. James Moody, David Sanchez and Paquito D’Rivera held down the saxophone section.
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