Roy Hargrove, the elegant, Grammy-winning jazz trumpet player, passed away last week. He was 49.
A protege of Wynton Marsalis, Hargrove continued and reinvigorated the bebop tradition while incorporating a variety of other styles, including hip-hop and R&B. You can hear this combination of elements in the music of his progressive band, The Rh Factor. In this 2017 interview, Hargrove stressed the importance of continuous rudimentary practice, listening to music, and becoming versed in the standards of the “great American songbook” for aspiring jazz artists.
Here is the soulful Caryisms from Hargrove’s 1992 album, The Vibe. He is joined on the album by Branford Marsalis and David “Fathead” Newman (saxophone), Antonio Hart (alto saxophone), Marc Cary (piano), Jack McDuff (organ), and Rodney Whitaker (bass).
