Roy Hargrove Quintet With The Tenors of Our Time – (1994 – Label: Verve)

Verve has certainly pushed the boat out for Hargrove, newly captured from Novus. For his first release they have provided him with no less than five guest stars—all tenor players. They are Joe Henderson, Johnny Griffin, Stanley Turrentine, Branford Marsalis and Joshua Redman. What Hargrove’s incumbent tenor player, Ron Blake, thought of this is not known, but he plays remarkably well himself. The change certainly seems to have done Hargrove good. He sounds more relaxed and expansive here than on previous albums, with the slightly manic enthusiasm toned down a bit, although this was always more evident in person than on record. He is 23 now, roughly the same age as Lee Morgan when he was with The Messengers, no longer a prodigy with something to prove. It is now 38 years since Clifford Brown died and his influence among trumpeters has proved as durable as Charlie Christian’s among guitarists. Who could have imagined then the brilliant players yet unborn who would follow his brief, inspiring example?

Tracklist:
1. Soppin’ The Biscuit   
2. When We Were One   
3. Valse Hot   
4. Once Forgotten   
5. Shade Of Jade   
6. Greens At The Chicken Shack   
7. Never Let Me Go   
8. Serenity   
9. Across The Pond   
10. Wild Is Love   
11. Mental Phrasing   
12. April’s Fool

Personnel
Roy Hargrove (Tp, fh)
Ron Blake (Sop & Ten Sax)
Cyrus Chestnut (Piano)
Rodney Whitaker (Bass)
Gregory Hutchinson (Drums)

Additional personnel: (Ten Sax)
Stanley Turrentine,
Johnny Griffin,
Joshua Redman,
Joe Henderson,
Branford Marsalis    

Recorded at Clinton Recording Studios, New York, New York on January 16 & 17, 1994 and at Teatro Mancinelli, Orvieto, Italy on December 28, 1993. Includes liner notes by Bob Blumenthal. – Label: Verve

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