Roy Hargrove facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Roy Hargrove
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Roy Anthony Hargrove |
| Born | October 16, 1969 Waco, Texas, U.S. |
| Died | November 2, 2018 (aged 49) New York City, U.S. |
| Genres | Jazz, Latin jazz, M-Base, soul |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, band leader, composer |
| Instruments | Trumpet, flugelhorn, vocals |
| Years active | 1987–2018 |
Roy Anthony Hargrove (born October 16, 1969 – died November 2, 2018) was an American jazz musician. He was famous for playing the trumpet and flugelhorn. Roy became well-known around the world after winning two Grammy Awards. These awards were for different kinds of jazz music in 1998 and 2002.
Roy Hargrove mostly played in a style called hard bop on his albums. But he also loved to mix different music styles. He worked with artists from hip hop, soul, R&B, and alternative rock. Roy once said that if a musician could play well, it didn't matter what kind of music it was. If it sounded good, that was what counted.
Contents
Roy's Early Life and Music Journey
Roy Hargrove was born in Waco, Texas. When he was 9, his family moved to Dallas, Texas. He started taking music lessons at school. First, he learned the cornet, then he switched to the trumpet. A famous musician named Wynton Marsalis discovered Roy. This happened when Marsalis visited Roy's high school in Dallas.
One of Roy's first big influences was a visit from saxophonist David "Fathead" Newman. Newman played with Ray Charles's band. Roy's junior high music teacher, Dean Hill, taught him how to create his own music and solos. Roy said that trumpeter Freddie Hubbard influenced his sound the most.
Roy studied at Boston's Berklee College of Music for a year. But he often played in jam sessions in New York City. He then moved to the New School in New York. His first studio recording was with saxophonist Bobby Watson. Soon after, Roy recorded with a band called Superblue.
First Albums and Rising Star
In 1990, Roy Hargrove released his first solo album. It was called Diamond in the Rough. This album and his next three albums were very popular. They made him one of the most wanted jazz players in the early 1990s.
Roy also led a group called The Jazz Networks. This group had American and Japanese musicians. They released five albums between 1992 and 1996. Other famous jazz artists played with them too.
From 1991 to 1993, Roy was named "Rising Star–Trumpet" by DownBeat magazine. During this time, Roy was part of a group called the "Young Lions." These were new jazz musicians who played classic jazz styles. In 1991, Roy and other "Young Lions" formed an all-star band called The Jazz Futures. They released one popular album before going their separate ways.
In 1993, the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra asked Roy to write a new jazz piece. He performed his piece, The Love Suite: In Mahogany, at Lincoln Center.
Grammy Awards and New Sounds
In 1994, Roy Hargrove joined Verve. He recorded With the Tenors of Our Time with many famous musicians. In 1995, he released Family. That same year, he tried a new style with his album Parker's Mood. This album is considered one of the "1001 Best Albums" in jazz history.
In 1995, Roy started the Roy Hargrove Big Band. They played at the Panasonic Jazz Festival in New York. This band played Roy's own songs and his favorite songs by other artists.
Roy won his first Grammy Award for Best Latin Jazz Album in 1998. This was for his album Habana with Crisol, an Afro-Cuban band he started. He won his second Grammy in 2002 for Best Jazz Instrumental Album. This was for Directions in Music: Live at Massey Hall with Herbie Hancock and Michael Brecker. Roy was nominated for four other Grammy Awards during his career.
In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Roy was part of the Soulquarians. This was a group of artists who mixed jazz, hip hop, and soul music.
In 2000, Roy added jazz and funk horns to D'Angelo's Grammy-winning album Voodoo. He also played the music of Louis Armstrong in a musical show. In 2002, he worked with D'Angelo and Macy Gray on a tribute album for Fela Kuti. He also played with singer Erykah Badu on her album Worldwide Underground.
From 2003 to 2006, Roy led a group called The RH Factor. They mixed jazz, soul, hip hop, and funk. Their second album, "Strength," was nominated for a Grammy Award.
Later Career and Legacy
In 2008, Roy released a quintet album called "Earfood." It was chosen as one of the top five albums of that year. In 2009, he released "Emergence" with the Roy Hargrove Big Band. He was nominated for a Grammy for his solo on the song "Ms. Garvey, Ms. Garvey" from that album. From 2009 until he passed away, Roy played with many other artists.
Roy won the trumpet category in the 2019 DownBeat Readers’ Poll. Music critics also praised his beautiful sound on the flugelhorn. They loved how he played slow, emotional songs. The Chicago Tribune said his flugelhorn playing was "poetry."
Roy Hargrove wrote many original songs during his 30-year career. One of his songs, "Strasbourg-St. Denis," is now considered a jazz standard.
In July 2021, after his death, an album called In Harmony was released. It was a live recording of Roy playing with pianist Mulgrew Miller. This album was named one of the best jazz albums of 2021.
In November 2021, Roy Hargrove was chosen for the DownBeat Magazine "Jazz Hall of Fame."
In June 2022, a documentary film called Hargrove was released. It was filmed during the last year of his life.
Personal Life and Passing
Roy Hargrove was a private person. He had health issues for many years. He passed away on November 2, 2018, at age 49, due to health complications. He had been getting special medical treatment for 14 years. He is survived by his wife, Aida Brandes-Hargrove, and his daughter, Kamala Hargrove. In 2020, his daughter started a company to keep his music and legacy alive.
Discography
As leader/co-leader
- 1989–90: Diamond in the Rough (Novus, 1990)
- 1991?: Public Eye (Novus, 1991)
- 1991: The Tokyo Sessions with Antonio Hart (Novus, 1922)
- 1992?: The Vibe (Novus, 1992)
- 1993?: Of Kindred Souls: The Roy Hargrove Quintet Live (Novus, 1993)
- 1993–94: Approaching Standards (BMG Music/Jazz Heritage, 1995)
- 1994: The Roy Hargrove Quintet, With the Tenors of Our Time (Verve, 1994)
- 1995: Family (Verve, 1995)
- 1995: Parker's Mood with Christian McBride, Stephen Scott (Verve, 1995)
- 1997: Roy Hargrove's Crisol, Habana (Verve, 1997) – Latin Jazz Grammy Winner
- 1999: Roy Hargrove with Strings, Moment to Moment (Verve, 2000)
- 2001: Directions in Music: Live at Massey Hall with Herbie Hancock, Michael Brecker (Verve, 2002) – live. Grammy Award for Best Jazz Instrumental Album, Individual or Group of 2003.
- 2003?: The RH Factor, Hard Groove (Verve, 2003)
- 2003–04?: The RH Factor, Strength EP (Verve, 2004)
- 2005?: Nothing Serious (Verve, 2006)
- 2006?: The RH Factor, Distractions (Verve, 2006)
- 2007: The Roy Hargrove Quintet, Earfood (EmArcy, 2008)
- 2008: The Roy Hargrove Big Band, Emergence (Universal/Emarcy, 2009)
Posthumous release
- In Harmony with Mulgrew Miller (Resonance, 2021) – recorded in 2006-07
As member
Superblue
- 1988: Superblue (Somethin' Else [JP]; Blue Note, 1988)
Manhattan Projects
- 1989: Dreamboat (Timeless, 1990)
- 1989: Piccadilly Square (Timeless, 1993)
Jazz Futures
- 1991: Live in Concert (Novus [US], 1993)
The Jazz Networks
- 1991: Straight to the Standards (Novus J/BMG Japan, 1992)
- 1992: Beauty and the Beast (Novus [US]; Novus J/BMG Japan, 1993)
- 1993: Blues 'n Ballads (Novus J/BMG Japan, 1994)
- 1993–94: The Other Day (Novus J/BMG Japan, 1996)
- 1994: In the Movies (Novus J/BMG Japan, 1995)
Images for kids
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Roy Hargrove performing in 2018.
See also
In Spanish: Roy Hargrove para niños
