Roy Hargrove

When last heard from in early 2006, Roy Hargrove was being pulled in sufficiently opposite directions that he decided to release a pair of albums: Nothing Serious, a relatively straight-ahead jazz project with his acoustic quintet, and Distractions, a vocal-oriented CD with his electric band RH Factor, mixing jazz with an aggressive dose of funk, R&B, and hip hop. Although known for his bright, soulful intensity on trumpet and flugelhorn as well as his early bop work, Hargrove has long veered in different directions between projects, edging in an ever more pop-ward route. Initially associated with the new traditionalists because Wynton Marsalis was something of a mentor, recently Hargrove has done albums focused on tenor sax greats, string-doused ballads, and Cubop experiments as well as introducing his RH Factor drift. These dates will feature Hargrove's acoustic quintet: pianist Gerald Clayton, bassist Denton Boller, drummer Montez Coleman, and alto saxophonist Justin Robinson.
Mon., Nov. 26, 7 & 9:30 p.m., 2007