In 2018, the world lost the great jazz trumpeter Roy Hargrove from kidney disease. He was just 49 years old, but he'd already made a huge impact on jazz. Hargrove was hailed as one of the young lions of the jazz world in the early '90s, along with Christian McBride and Joshua Redmond, and some of his songs have become jazz standards.
The first time Hargrove came to the KNKX studios in 2009 he brought his groovin' band, which at the time included the late Montez Coleman on drums and the now world famous John Batiste on piano. He returned to our studios with a similar band in 2017.
During those visits, Hargrove shared that his musical style was first influenced by the music he heard growing up, and that he drew inspiration from performing with jazz greats, going to hear music at the clubs, and later, from a particular piano in Seattle.
Hargrove's story begins in Texas, where he was first exposed to the blues.
"But then when I heard Clifford Brown playing all those chord changes, you know, that was a whole different approach, and I began to really take jazz seriously at that point," Hargrove said.
In 1988, the trumpeter left Texas to study jazz at Berklee College of Music in Boston, but found there was a lot to learn in the city's jazz clubs too.
"The old cats would get a little abstract, though, like one guy be playing 'Stella by Starlight' and the other one would be playing 'On Green Dolphin Street,' and the other ones playing 'Take the 'A' Train,' all at the same time," Hargrove said. "I have to say, I got a lot of my education just being in clubs and hearing it live."
Soon, Hargrove made his way to New York City, a major jazz hub. Again, he found opportunities for artistic growth hanging out with the elders of jazz, like an encounter he had with a former saxophonist from the Miles Davis band, George Coleman, at Bradley's Jazz Club.
"I got a whooping in there one night. George Coleman would do it by example, like you know, he'd have you in there and he'd just rake you across the coals. It's very humbling, and it keeps you on your toes. Teach you how to be a man on a band stand," Hargrove said.
In 2017, he highlighted what an special place Seattle was to him. Each time he played at Seattle's Jazz Alley, his band stayed at the condos provided by the club. That's where Hargrove would write songs on one of his favorite pianos.
"You know, the piano in the in the penthouse where I usually stay, it's got some juju on it, because every time I come to Seattle, it seems like I get a new song," he said.
Unfortunately, Hargrove didn't make any albums after 2009, but soon more of his previously unreleased music will make it to listeners. Hargrove's family is presenting the four original tunes he performed in the KNKX studios on a brand new digital release entitled Roy Hargrove: Live at KNKX.
More details on the new EP can be found on Roy Hargrove's official website. The album release party for Roy Hargrove: Live at KNKX is Jan. 7 at 7:30 p.m. at the Triple Door in Seattle.
Songs heard in this episode:
- "Top of My Head"
- "Soulful"
- "The Seattle Vibe"
