Album
Earfood
Recorded June 1, 2008 · Not specified · Groovin' High · Produced by Not specified
Sustenance for the Listening Soul
Earfood nourishes with the kind of spiritual jazz sustenance that only comes from genuine collaboration.
Roy Hargrove's Earfood is exactly what the title promises: music you actually want to listen to. Released in 2008 on Groovin' High, this album shows you a trumpeter who's figured out what he's got to say and how to say it clearly. Hargrove's matured here as both a player and a bandleader—you can hear the difference between someone still figuring things out and someone who knows his voice inside and out.
What gets me about this record is how Hargrove uses his trumpet. It's got this warm, burnished quality that cuts through when it needs to, but he's also smart enough to know when to step back and let the band breathe. His roots in the blues come through naturally, not forced, and he talks the language of modern jazz harmony without it ever sounding like he's showing off. The band clearly spent real time together—they're listening to each other, responding, finishing each other's thoughts. The rhythm section sits deep in the pocket and gives Hargrove the kind of foundation where his melodies can really take flight.
What I appreciate most is that this isn't trying to be clever or complicated for its own sake. Earfood is accessible without dumbing anything down. You don't need a PhD in jazz theory to enjoy it, but if you're paying attention, there's plenty there to discover. At a time when jazz gets split into a hundred different boxes, Hargrove just plays good jazz—rooted in tradition but completely alive in the present. It's the kind of record that reminds you why the jazz ensemble format still matters when you've got musicians who actually know what they're doing.
Who's playing
Danton Bollerdouble bass
Gerald Claytonpiano
Montez Colemandrums
Roy Hargrovebrass
Justin Robinsonwoodwind
