Roy Hargrove’s ‘The Love Suite: In Mahogany’ Unreleased Live Album + New Animated Video

Roy Hargrove‘s “The Love Suite: In Mahogany,” a never-before-heard, previously unreleased, one time live performance of original Hargrove commission is available now.

The late great, Roy Hargrove, was named “the most impactful trumpeter of his generation” by The New York Times, left behind a remarkable legacy when he passed in 2018.

Blue Engine Records, Jazz at Lincoln Center’s (JALC) in-house record label, celebrates his legacy with the recent release of an unearthed gem from the JALC archives: “Roy Hargrove’s The Love Suite: In Mahogany.” To complement the release, Blue Engine Records also released a new animated video showcasing Hargrove‘s 2016 interview at Blue Note Hawaii, Waikiki with Honolulu, Hawaii radio host Dave Lawrence, where he discusses the original performance.

Celebrated across various genres, Roy‘s influence in R&B and Hip Hop transcended music across generations. He performed and collaborated with artists such as Erykah Badu, D’Angelo, Common, Questlove, Mos Def and more – at the height of the Neo-Soul movement – and laid the groundwork for later generations who wanted to duplicate that signature Roy Hargrove sound.

Roy Anthony Hargrove was an incisive trumpeter who embodied the brightest promise of his jazz generation, both as a young steward of the bebop tradition and a savvy bridge to hip-hop and R&B. A briskly assertive soloist with a tone that could evoke either burnished steel or a soft, golden glow, Hargrove was a galvanizing presence in jazz over the last 30 years.

Dapper and slight of build, he exuded a sly, sparkling charisma onstage, whether he was holding court at a late-night jam session or performing in the grandest concert hall. His capacity for combustion and bravura was equaled by his commitment to lyricism, especially when finessing a ballad on flugelhorn.

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.”

This marks the late-trumpeter‘s second album release since his timely passing in 2018. 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. “The Love Suite: In Mahogany,” is produced by Willie Jones III, alumnus of Hargrove‘s sextet and RH Factor, showcases the trumpet virtuosity and soulful songwriting for which Hargrove continues to be celebrated.

Check Out The Animated Interview + “Stream The Love Suite: In Mahogany!”