Hard Groove
Studio album by
Roy Hargrove
ReleasedMay 2003
StudioElectric Lady Studios
GenreJazz, funk, hip hop
LabelVerve[1]
ProducerRoy Hargrove
Roy Hargrove chronology
Directions in Music: Live at Massey Hall
(2002)		 Hard Groove
(2003)		 Strength
(2004)

Hard Groove is an album by the American musician Roy Hargrove, released in 2003.[2][3] It was credited to his group, the RH Factor.[4]

The album peaked at No. 185 on the Billboard 200.[5] "I'll Stay" was nominated for a Grammy Award, in the "Best R&B Performance By a Duo or Group with Vocals" category.[6]

Production

Produced by Hargrove, the album was recorded at Electric Lady Studios.[7][8] Hargrove used a 10-piece band on the album.[9] He considered it to be a tribute to his childhood love of hip hop; he also wanted to impart a gospel or spiritual element to the music.[10][11] Reggie Washington and Pino Palladino were among the musicians on the album.[12]

D'Angelo appears on the cover of Funkadelic's "I'll Stay".[13] Renee Neufville sang on "Juicy".[14] Q-Tip rapped on "Poetry"; Meshell Ndegeocello and Erykah Badu also appeared on the track.[15][16] Anthony Hamilton sang on "Kwah/Home".[17]

The album cover was designed by Rudy Gutierrez, who was inspired by the art for Abraxas.[18]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[19]
The Atlanta Journal-ConstitutionB[14]
The Gazette[16]
The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings[20]

The Boston Globe deemed Hard Groove a "genre-busting album [that] is a funky showcase of Hargrove's musical alacrity."[21] The New York Times labeled it "a late-night party album: it begins upbeat then settles into a stoned haze."[22] The Birmingham Post concluded that "there's a 1970's retro feel which conjures up Donald Byrd's hits, as well as some funk worthy of George Clinton, but it's also very up-to-date, especially in the sophistication of the studio sound."[23]

The Washington Post wrote: "Loose-limbed and groove-driven, it occasionally sounds overplayed and undercomposed as the musicians struggle to find the right balance of rhythmic momentum and jazz improvisation."[15] The New York Amsterdam News stated that Hargrove "plays on the edge of his imagination using jazz improvisations as the key to display another exciting element of his creativity."[24]

AllMusic called the album "an exploration of his multidimensional musical attributes and his belated recognition of years of 'open-eared moonlighting'."[19] The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings determined that "Pastor 'T'" "might be one of Hargrove's best performances on record."[20]

Track listing

No.TitleLength
1."Hardgroove" 
2."Common Free Style" 
3."I'll Stay" 
4."Interlude" 
5."Pastor 'T'" 
6."Poetry" 
7."The Joint" 
8."Forget Regret" 
9."Out of Town" 
10."Liquid Streets" 
11."Kwah/Home" 
12."How I Know" 
13."Juicy" 
14."The Stroke" 

References

  1. ↑ Norment, Lynn (Jun 2003). "Sounding Off". Ebony. 58 (8): 32.
  2. ↑ "Roy Hargrove Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic.
  3. ↑ Hendrickson, Tad (May 12, 2003). "Birth of the Groove". CMJ New Music Report. 75 (813): 11.
  4. ↑ "Send It On: Roy Hargrove's Immaculate Blend of Jazz, Hip-Hop, and R&B". Pitchfork. November 7, 2018.
  5. ↑ "Roy Hargrove". Billboard.
  6. ↑ "Roy Hargrove". Recording Academy. Retrieved 10 September 2022.
  7. ↑ Johnson, Martin (May 31, 2003). "Hard Groove". Billboard. 115 (22): 60.
  8. ↑ Infantry, Ashante (27 May 2003). "Harmonizing to Hargrove". Toronto Star. p. D5.
  9. ↑ Ouellette, Dan (Apr 2003). "The question is ... What do you expect from Roy Hargrove's new funk project?". DownBeat. 70 (4): 20.
  10. ↑ Guzman, Rafer (18 May 2003). "Riffer Madness?". Newsday. p. D22.
  11. ↑ Ollison, Rashod D. (15 May 2003). "Hargrove is jamming to a whole new groove". The Baltimore Sun. p. 24T.
  12. ↑ Waggoner, Eric (Oct 2003). "Hard groove". Jazziz. 20 (10): 74–75.
  13. ↑ "Roy Hargrove presents the RH Factor". Miami New Times.
  14. 1 2 Murray, Sonia (27 May 2003). "CONTEMPORARY JAZZ". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. p. D5.
  15. 1 2 Robson, Britt (28 May 2003). "Hargrove's 'RH Factor': Mixing In Some New Blood". The Washington Post. p. C5.
  16. 1 2 Dunlevy, T'Cha (19 June 2003). "Newly released compact discs". The Gazette. p. D5.
  17. ↑ Walters, John L. (18 July 2003). "On the edge". Guardian Friday Pages. The Guardian. p. 20.
  18. ↑ Rivers, Jeff (22 May 2003). "CD COVER ARTIST RUDY GUTIERREZ 'PAINTS' THE MUSIC". Calendar. Hartford Courant. p. 32.
  19. 1 2 "The RH Factor - Hard Groove Album Reviews, Songs & More | AllMusic" – via www.allmusic.com.
  20. 1 2 The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings (8th ed.). Penguin Books Ltd. 2006. p. 591.
  21. ↑ Graham, Renee (20 May 2003). "HARGROVE PROVES HE GROOVES ON MORE THAN JUST JAZZ". The Boston Globe. p. C1.
  22. ↑ Ratliff, Ben (20 May 2003). "Smooth? How About Some Chunky?". The New York Times. p. E3.
  23. ↑ Bacon, Peter (21 June 2003). "Jazz CDs". Features. Birmingham Post. p. 52.
  24. ↑ Scott, Ron (29 May 2003). "Jazz CDs for summer pleasure". New York Amsterdam News. p. 19.
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