Hard Groove

Produced by Hargrove, the album was recorded at Electric Lady Studios.[7][8] Hargrove used a 10-piece band on the album.[9] He considered it to be a tribute to his childhood love of hip hop; he also wanted to impart a gospel or spiritual element to the music.[10][11] Reggie Washington and Pino Palladino were among the musicians on the album.[12]

D'Angelo appears on the cover of Funkadelic's "I'll Stay".[13] Renee Neufville sang on "Juicy".[14] Q-Tip rapped on "Poetry"; Meshell Ndegeocello and Erykah Badu also appeared on the track.[15][16] Anthony Hamilton sang on "Kwah/Home".[17]

The album cover was designed by Rudy Gutierrez, who was inspired by the art for Abraxas.[18]

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[19]
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution	B[14]
The Gazette	[16]
The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings	[20]

The Boston Globe deemed Hard Groove a "genre-busting album [that] is a funky showcase of Hargrove's musical alacrity."[21] The New York Times labeled it "a late-night party album: it begins upbeat then settles into a stoned haze."[22] The Birmingham Post concluded that "there's a 1970's retro feel which conjures up Donald Byrd's hits, as well as some funk worthy of George Clinton, but it's also very up-to-date, especially in the sophistication of the studio sound."[23]

The Washington Post wrote: "Loose-limbed and groove-driven, it occasionally sounds overplayed and undercomposed as the musicians struggle to find the right balance of rhythmic momentum and jazz improvisation."[15] The New York Amsterdam News stated that Hargrove "plays on the edge of his imagination using jazz improvisations as the key to display another exciting element of his creativity."[24]

AllMusic called the album "an exploration of his multidimensional musical attributes and his belated recognition of years of 'open-eared moonlighting'."[19] The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings determined that "Pastor 'T'" "might be one of Hargrove's best performances on record."[20]