Hard Groove

Hard Groove is an album by the American musician Roy Hargrove, released in 2003.[2][3] It was credited to his group, the RH Factor.[4]

Hard Groove
Studio album by
ReleasedMay 2003
StudioElectric Lady Studios
GenreJazz, funk, hip hop
LabelVerve[1]
ProducerRoy Hargrove
Roy Hargrove chronology
Directions in Music: Live at Massey Hall
(2002)
Hard Groove
(2003)
Strength
(2004)

The album peaked at No. 185 on the Billboard 200.[5] "I'll Stay" was nominated for a Grammy Award, in the "Best R&B Performance By a Duo or Group with Vocals" category.[6]

Production

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]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[19]
The Atlanta Journal-ConstitutionB[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]

Track listing

No.TitleLength
1."Hardgroove" 
2."Common Free Style" 
3."I'll Stay" 
4."Interlude" 
5."Pastor 'T'" 
6."Poetry" 
7."The Joint" 
8."Forget Regret" 
9."Out of Town" 
10."Liquid Streets" 
11."Kwah/Home" 
12."How I Know" 
13."Juicy" 
14."The Stroke" 

References

  1. Norment, Lynn (Jun 2003). "Sounding Off". Ebony. 58 (8): 32.
  2. "Roy Hargrove Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic.
  3. Hendrickson, Tad (May 12, 2003). "Birth of the Groove". CMJ New Music Report. 75 (813): 11.
  4. "Send It On: Roy Hargrove's Immaculate Blend of Jazz, Hip-Hop, and R&B". Pitchfork. November 7, 2018.
  5. "Roy Hargrove". Billboard.
  6. "Roy Hargrove". Recording Academy. Retrieved 10 September 2022.
  7. Johnson, Martin (May 31, 2003). "Hard Groove". Billboard. 115 (22): 60.
  8. Infantry, Ashante (27 May 2003). "Harmonizing to Hargrove". Toronto Star. p. D5.
  9. Ouellette, Dan (Apr 2003). "The question is ... What do you expect from Roy Hargrove's new funk project?". DownBeat. 70 (4): 20.
  10. Guzman, Rafer (18 May 2003). "Riffer Madness?". Newsday. p. D22.
  11. Ollison, Rashod D. (15 May 2003). "Hargrove is jamming to a whole new groove". The Baltimore Sun. p. 24T.
  12. Waggoner, Eric (Oct 2003). "Hard groove". Jazziz. 20 (10): 74–75.
  13. "Roy Hargrove presents the RH Factor". Miami New Times.
  14. Murray, Sonia (27 May 2003). "CONTEMPORARY JAZZ". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. p. D5.
  15. Robson, Britt (28 May 2003). "Hargrove's 'RH Factor': Mixing In Some New Blood". The Washington Post. p. C5.
  16. Dunlevy, T'Cha (19 June 2003). "Newly released compact discs". The Gazette. p. D5.
  17. Walters, John L. (18 July 2003). "On the edge". Guardian Friday Pages. The Guardian. p. 20.
  18. Rivers, Jeff (22 May 2003). "CD COVER ARTIST RUDY GUTIERREZ 'PAINTS' THE MUSIC". Calendar. Hartford Courant. p. 32.
  19. "The RH Factor - Hard Groove Album Reviews, Songs & More | AllMusic" via www.allmusic.com.
  20. The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings (8th ed.). Penguin Books Ltd. 2006. p. 591.
  21. Graham, Renee (20 May 2003). "HARGROVE PROVES HE GROOVES ON MORE THAN JUST JAZZ". The Boston Globe. p. C1.
  22. Ratliff, Ben (20 May 2003). "Smooth? How About Some Chunky?". The New York Times. p. E3.
  23. Bacon, Peter (21 June 2003). "Jazz CDs". Features. Birmingham Post. p. 52.
  24. Scott, Ron (29 May 2003). "Jazz CDs for summer pleasure". New York Amsterdam News. p. 19.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.