Roy Hargrove/The RH Factor - Distractions

Trumpeter Roy Hargrove issued two albums at the same time in 2006: this one with electric instruments and Nothing Serious, an all-acoustic post-bop-oriented date. Kudos are owed to Verve for standing behind him so supportively in this day and age of safe, bland, and unimaginative "traditional" records. Distractions, like Hard Groove in 2003, is a neo-soul-jazz date with a healthy dose of funk and fusion tossed into the mix. Hargrove's Hard Groove was the first time Hargrove left his bop orientation as a leader, and while that record had killer moments and loads of special guests -- including D'angelo, Common, Erykah Badu, Karl Denson, Steve Coleman, Q-tip, Me'shell Ndegéocello, and Cornell Dupree to name a few, this date is recorded with his own band, with a return appearance by D'angelo on "Bull***t" and the great saxophonist David "fathead" Newman playing on about half the set. Read More