Roy Hargrove wants to carry the torch of jazz music into an unstable future. But after recording more than 20 albums and countless collaborations, he feels his work is far from being complete.
Hargrove is considered one of the key players of the modern hard-bop movement, picking up where jazz legends like John Coltrane and Miles Davis left off. But he’s also taken the genre into uncharted waters- releasing collaborations which mix Jazz into Latin, Soul and Hip-Hop. Notable collaborations include his Crisol project recorded with Cuban pianist Jesus “Chucho” Valdes. In 2003 he founded The RH Factor, a collective that partnered Hip Hop artists Q-Tip and Common with singers Erykah Badu, and D’Angelo. Hargrove has also sat in as a side man on countless projects from D’Angelo’s Voodoo to Shirley Horn to Jimmy Smith.
He says times are changing for the music industry… but what happens on stage is still the most important part of it. HPR’s Nick Yee chatted with Hargrove about his music, travel, and his personal style.
Roy Hargrove and his quintet play through Thursday at the Blue Note Hawai‘i. More information can be found at Bluenotehawaii.com
