Roy Hargrove, named “the most impactful trumpeter of his generation” by The New York Times, left behind a remarkable legacy when he passed in 2018. Now, Blue Engine Records, Jazz at Lincoln Center’s (JALC) in-house record label, celebrates Hargrove’s legacy with the release of an unearthed gem from the JALC archives: Roy Hargrove’s The Love Suite: In Mahogany – Live from Jazz at Lincoln Center, a live performance of a JALC-commissioned suite that Hargrove never played in full again.
The live album will be available on all major streaming platforms on October 13, 2023, just in advance of what would have been the trumpeter’s 54th birthday (October 16).
Commissioned by Jazz at Lincoln Center to compose and perform The Love Suite: In Mahogany, a then-23-year-old Hargrove demonstrated a remarkably mature approach to his craft. For the first time, this historic concert—captured at Alice Tully Hall in 1993 during one of Jazz at Lincoln Center’s earliest seasons—is available via digital streaming platforms. The Love Suite: In Mahogany, produced by Willie Jones III, alumnus of Hargrove’s sextet and RH Factor, showcases showcases the trumpet virtuosity and soulful songwriting for which Hargrove continues to be celebrated.
According to Pitchfork, Hargrove was “not simply one of the most dazzling jazz talents of his generation,” but also “a visionary who worked to fully integrate jazz, hip-hop, and R&B.” On Nov. 2, 2018, Hargrove passed away, leaving behind a legacy that transcended jazz, serving and influencing Black music across generations. “Unlike his genre-bending forbearer, the brooding Prince of Darkness Miles Davis, Hargrove possessed a lightness of spirit that permeated every note he played,” says Pitchfork. “The late trumpeter’s innovative work with D’Angelo, Erykah Badu, Common, and the RH Factor helped shape the modern musical landscape as we know it.”
Celebrating the release of The Love Suite: In Mahogany, Dizzy’s Club presents a week of performances celebrating Hargrove, a true champion of the music.
On October 11-13, Jones & Cannon makes its performance debut. Co-led by drummer-composer Willie Jones III and bassist-composer Gerald Cannon, the inventive and hard swinging septet features alumni and current members of Roy Hargrove’s pivotal big band, who interpret fresh arrangements, new material, and beloved favorites. Experience what Hargrove has handed down as part of his enduring legacy: beautiful melodies, syncopated grooves, swinging improvisation, and a lustrous virtuosity. The three-night event features Camèrahn Alforque, Justin Robinson, Frank Lacy, and Marc Cary.
On October 14-16, Roy Hargrove Big Band demonstrates how the legendary trumpeter generously passed on his legacy to each new generation of artists. This week, the Roy Hargrove Big Band celebrates what would have been his 54th birthday — and the magnitude of his contribution — by sharing his expression with new listeners and longtime fans. Always energetic, always swinging, the outfit’s repertoire includes Hargrove originals, standards, and new music from current band members.
Jazz at Lincoln Center launches the fall term of Swing University—JALC’s continuing education program—with The Music of Roy Hargrove, led by Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra saxophonist Sherman Irby presenting a side of Roy Hargrove you’ve never heard. For three nights, join the saxophonist and composer as he delves into the trumpet master’s sublime musical works. Sharing insights from his own experiences working with Roy, Irby will share an intimate portrait of a colossal figure. These jazz appreciation courses will take place at Jazz at Lincoln Center on Oct. 30, Nov. 6, and Nov. 13.
The Love Suite: In Mahogany
TRACKLISTING:
1. The Love Suite: In Mahogany – Young Daydreams (Beauteous Visions)
2. The Love Suite: In Mahogany – Obviously Destined
3. The Love Suite: In Mahogany – Stability
4. The Love Suite: In Mahogany – The Trial
5. The Love Suite: In Mahogany – Into the Outcome
PERSONNEL:
Roy Hargrove (trumpet)
Jesse Davis (alto saxophone)
Ron Blake (tenor saxophone)
Andre Hayward (trombone)
Marc Cary (piano)
Rodney Whitaker (bass)
Gregory Hutchinson (drums)
About Blue Engine Records
Blue Engine Records, Jazz at Lincoln Center’s platform that makes its vast archive of recorded concerts available to jazz audiences everywhere, launched on June 30, 2015. Blue Engine Records releases new studio and live recordings as well as archival recordings from Jazz at Lincoln Center’s performance history that date back to 1987 and are part of the R. Theodore Ammon Archives and Music Library. Since the institution’s founding in 1987, each year’s programming is conceived and developed by Managing and Artistic Director Wynton Marsalis with a vision toward building a comprehensive library of iconic and wide-ranging compositions that, taken together, make up a canon of music. These archives include accurate, complete charts for the compositions – both old and new – performed each season. Coupled with consistently well-executed and recorded music performed by Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, this archive has grown to include thousands of songs from hundreds of concert dates. The launch of Blue Engine aligns with Jazz at Lincoln Center’s efforts to cultivate existing jazz fans worldwide and turn new audiences on to jazz. For more information on Blue Engine Records, visit blueenginerecords.org.
A very special thanks to Jody and John Arnhold for their extraordinary support of Jazz at Lincoln Center and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra.
Leadership support for Jazz at Lincoln Center is made possible through
America’s Cultural Treasures,
a sponsored project of Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors.
Leadership support is also provided by Howard Gilman Foundation, Inc.; the Estate of Robert Menschel; and Mellody Hobson and George Lucas.
Leadership support for the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra is provided by
Michele and Mark Mandel, the Perry and Donna Golkin Family Foundation, and the Zou Family Fund.
Leadership support for Jazz at Lincoln Center’s concert season is provided by
Lynne and Richard Pasculano.
Major support is provided by Abrams Foundation; Manitou Fund; The Ambrose Monell Foundation; The Fan Fox and Leslie R. Samuels Foundation; Seedlings Foundation; and The Emiko Terasaki Foundation
Generous support is provided by the Charina Endowment Fund and
Gregory Annenberg Weingarten, GRoW @ Annenberg.
Generous support is also provided by the New York State Council on the Arts
with the support of the Office of the Governor
and the New York State Legislature.
The Movado Group Foundation is
The Official Timekeeper of Jazz at Lincoln Center
Jazz at Lincoln Center proudly acknowledges its major corporate partners:
The Movado Group Foundation, Bloomberg Philanthropies
and The Coca-Cola Company.
Press Inquiries:
Madelyn Gardner
Assistant Director, Public Relations and External Communications
Jazz at Lincoln Center
mgardner@jazz.org