Top Of My Head – 2009

Roy Hargrove

A live studio performance with Hargrove’s quintet

During his prime years, trumpeter Roy Hargrove (1969-2018) led one of jazz’s top groups, a hard bop-oriented quintet that invigorated the style with their high musicianship and creativity.

For their live studio session from 2009, the quintet consisted of the leader, altoist Justin Robinson, pianist Tadataka Unno, bassist Ameen Saleem, and drummer Quincy Phillips.

They perform Hargrove’s likable original “Top Of My Head” which has a brief and unexpected vocal from the trumpeter and gives each musician an opportunity to make a concise statement.

-Scott Yanow