Roy Hargrove is at Jazz Alley this week in Seattle. I caught his excellent show on December 2. He is touring with a quintet, and this current lineup is top notch – Justin Robinson (alto sax), Jonathan Batiste (piano), Ameen Saleem (bass), and Montez Coleman (drums). Most material was from his 2008 release, Earfood, though he also performed some new songs as well.
He was definitely having a good time, often dancing offstage as others performed solos. I was impressed that he didn’t hog the spotlight, and allowed the other musicians to shine. In particular, Montez Coleman was on fire, adding rhythmic flourishes and accents at every turn, smiling ear to ear all night. Also notable was pianist Jonathan Batiste, who added harmonic complexity in the background without overpowering the band. Justin Robinson was a perfect foil for Roy, playing straight and slightly reserved, while Roy was bouncing around the stage. Roy’s playing was wonderful. He brought out his flugelhorn for a few numbers, and his tone was beautiful. His solos were taught and inventive, and never showy. He chose to focus on the songs and not himself. All in all, it was a very enjoyable show, focusing on his acoustic jazz talent. It’s hard to believe he is equally adept at soul/funk/hip-hop with his RH Factor band, and also is comfortable in a big band setting, as featured on his latest release, Emergence.
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What is the Song of the Week all about?
For this series of short articles, I am going to feature well-known artists either 1) breaking out of the mold or 2) something from their back catalogue, or lesser-known artists that I like. Songs may be old or new, popular or obscure. My hope is that you will give these songs a listen, and perhaps use them as a launching pad to explore other similar songs and/or artists.
Song
Forget Regret by The RH Factor
Back story
The RH Factor is a side project of jazz trumpeter Roy Hargrove. A few years back he formed The RH Factor to explore the funk, electronic, hip-hop, and neo-soul side of jazz.
Why this song matters
This song is from their debut, Hard Groove. It features an irresistible groove, nice horn arrangement, and silky vocals from Stephanie McKay. A good starting point for this band.
Reviews
All Music
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