‘I PLAYED WITH THE FUNK CATS, THE LATIN CATS, THE ST RAIGHT-AHEAD GUYS'
Serious distractions
It’s fitting that Roy Hargrove should head up our Glasgow Jazz Festival coverage, he’s a man with diverse, almost impatient tastes, as Kenny Mathieson discovers.
merican trumpeter Roy Hargrove makes his
return to the jazz festival with the acoustic
quintet featured on one of his two concurrent (‘1) releases. Nor/ring .S'w'iuus'. It's interesting to reflect that this is the trumpeter's first straight-ahead jazz disc in a decade. given that he was originally part of the so- called ‘Young Lions‘ neo-bop scene in the late 80s and early 90s.
The other current disc. I)f.\‘ll‘(l('li()ll.\‘. features his funk and soul influenced RH Factor. Although he was not really very happy with the end result. and wanted both released as a double Cl) rather than separately. the disc reflects a grotwe-oriented direction that he has pursued on and off since his teens.
‘It wasn't new for me — I'd been secretly doing this on my own since I was l3 or l4. with four-track recorders. drum machines. keyboards. and then I got computer modules and a sequencer program and started building archives. I basically just realised that it is important to check out all the different areas of the music. not just one.
‘You have to concentrate on one area when you get to it. but I dig it all. lt‘sjust a matter of different styles. like wearing a different kind of suit. I‘ve always felt like. you know. if it‘s good then it's cool. I played with the funk cats. the Latin cats. Caribbean music. the hardcore straight-ahead guys. I feel the same love for blues and progressive jazz and R&B and hip hop.‘
Hargrove hails from Texas. and was well schooled in
84 THE LIST 22 Jun—6 Jul 2006
the hop tradition in Dallas. where he was spotted and championed by Wynton Marsalis while still a student. He started out on cornet at the age of nine. and places a high value on lyricism in his playing.
’I have a vocal approach when I play. and I like to play a lot of melodies. I like the trumpet because it's an instrument that leads the band. you know. it stands right out there at the top. I always thought of it as being the royal instrument — cats like Louis Armstrong started a whole legacy. not just for trumpet players. but
for musicians on all instruments. You can hear a lot of
saxophone players in that era who had a tone just like Pops.‘
He recalls saxophonist David 'liathead‘ Newman. a guest artist on l)isrmt'lions. coming down to work with the school band on one occasion. It proved a seminal moment in his drift intojazz.
‘He was a friend of the band director. and came in and played baritone saxophone on Herbie Hancock‘s tune. '(‘harneleon’. l was l3. and it was. like. whoa. what‘s going on here! When you play an instrument like trumpet. though. somebody is going to introduce you to jazz. and you‘ll either love it or you won't. When I first heard jazz. my ears were awakened to a music that was timeless. and learning to improvise was the foundation for learning how to create mUsic from the air.’
The Old Fruitmarket, Glasgow, Fri 30 Jun.
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THE BEST ROCK. POP. JAZZ 8. FOLK
>i< Glasgow International Jazz Festival Ten days of players from around the globe converge on the city for an almighty honk test. The local contingent are well represented with a substantial fringe of smaller scale events resulting in over 100 shows. See previews, left. right and page 79. Various venues. Glasgow, Fri 23 Jun—Sun 2 Jul. (JaZZ)
Jamie T Staines move over, back up Brixton, the cultural capital of south London is now Wimbledon. Well, it will be if it stops messing about with tennis and keeps churning out people like Jamie T whose skewed musical charm owes as much to Dizzy Rascal as it does the Clash. See preview, page 66. Cabaret Voltaire, Edinburgh, Sat 24 Jun; Nice N Sleazy, Glasgow, Sun 25 Jun. (Rock 8 POD)
>i< No1 Son and Collette McKendrick A sturdy double bill of rising talents with chiming, Young-ian psych pop from Paul McLaughlin and co, and inspired, soulful, piano- driven pop from McKendrick (pictured). ABC, Glasgow, Sat 24 Jun. (Rock 8 Pop) Suzanne Vega She's got one of those voices that is so soft and unassuming, but live. she's completely bewitching. When she hooks you in yer caught for good. Perfect atmospheric venue too. Old Fruitmarket, Glasgow, Tue 4 Jul. (Rock 8. Pop)
>l< Makoto Ozone Trio Japanese pianist Makoto Ozone first came to attention working with the vibes maestro Gary Burton, and has gone on to establish himself as a leading light in contemporary jazz piano. He teams up here with one of New York's top rhythm teams, James Genus and Clarence Penn. The Jazz Centre at The Lot, Edinburgh, Wed 5 Jul. (Jag)