Trumpet player Roy Hargrove is dead – Rock & Pop

Whether in the fusion of jazz and Afro-Cuban music, as on the disc "Habana", winner of a Grammy, homage to bebop pioneer Charlie Parker, in the group based on the radio rhythms and hip-hop rhythms, RH Factor "Tenors of our time": Roy Hargrove has always been an independent and flexible trumpet player, who has defended the banner of jazz.

Born in Texas on October 16, 1969, he was discovered by Wynton Marsalis while studying in Dallas. The Grail Guard Jazz allowed the novice to enter his band several times, but with other stars, the young prodigy would soon hear, including Herbie Hanbad or Bobby Watson. Old master Sonny Rollins has dedicated his composition "Young Roy", the titan to the piano Oscar Peterson has seen in him the future of jazz incarnated.

His game corrupted with emotion and precision

Roy Hargrove, who included Miles Davis among his greatest models, never left jazz, even though his hip-hop outings did not suit everyone. "I grew up in the hip-hop era," he wrote tersely. But the record company insisted that the trumpet player mix with the retro jazz drawer. So he always tried to flee the camp of neo-traditionalists. For years, he worked with great discipline to master his craft. "Underground Jam Session Warrior" called Hargrove, a gaming enthusiast, as he seized every opportunity to play it. His playing, as well as his outstanding performances at the Freiburg Jazzhaus and a few months ago at the ZMF became obvious, surprised by unusual harmonic and melodic developments. It was energetic, captivated by precision and emotion. His solos – draped and dark at the bottom, radiant and elegant in the upper registers. The clever ballads were hot and delicate. With his quintet, he plays almost exclusively his own compositions, which one could call post-Bop radiating.

On Saturday night, Roy Hargrove, 49, suffered a heart attack as a result of complications from kidney disease.