Frenchy’s Reloads: RH Factor (Roy Hargrove) - Hard Groove
General Description
Artist/Band: RH Factor (Roy Hargrove) 
Album Title: Hard Groove
Year: 2003
I’m sooooo slow on the uptake..
How I Got Into This Music
I didn’t.. Ehm.. Gotta be honest, I didn’t get into this music after a coupla tries and for quite a while I didn’t think much of it. First time I looked this album up, was after I heard Roy Hargrove play on the Think Twice version on Erykah Badu’s Worldwide Underground album. I found this Hard Groove album, and it just wasn’t working for me.
Then I got a chance to see him perform live at the North Sea Jazz Festival this year and again, it didn’t click - I was kinda underwhelmed. Last month I thought about the album again and I gave the album another listen. Hmmm.. Huh?
Album info at Answers.com || Album review at artistsdirect.com
Tracks that got my attention:
Hardgroove
Title track. Haunting movie score music, with Pino Palladino doing the nasty on bass
Common Free Style ft Common
One of the more balanced and dedicated rappers in the business doing an ok freestyling performance
I’ll Stay ft D’Angelo
Bass line reminds me of Quincy Jones, heh.. The vocals? First coupla times I heard this track, I thought someone was ripping of D’Angelo, but I was wrong: it’s the Man Himself! That guy’s incredible, even though the track\’s not that strong
Pastor T
Funky, jazzy instrumental
Poetry ft Q-Tip, Erykah Badu and Meshell Ndegeocello
This is the song that convinced me that this album’s worth paying attention too.. The recipe: add one of my favorite rappers, mix my all-time favorite bass player in it and add just a splash of a great soul diva - the result? Wow.. Wow.. Wow..
Love Badu’s chant!
The Joint
Powerful instrumental, Roy Hargrove’s horn is doing its subtle work
Forget Regret ft Stephanie McKay
Brittle yet strong vocals by a great singer. And that horn section, yummy!
Liquid Streets
Very smooth and lovely atmosphere
Kwah/Home ft Anthony Hamilton
Weird setup: starts out as one type of song and switches to another one after sixty seconds. And after two minutes, another setup all over again. All are ok by the way..
How I Know ft Shelby Johnson
This song.. Ohwow.. It’s such a simple song, but I’ve been dreaming about this song since I started paying attention to it. Can you imagine falling with a woman just by hearing her sing? Possible. Without even knowing how she looks? In this TV era, not likely, but it sure as hell happened to me 
This track makes many a grumpy-grey rainy day make way for a smiling sunshine kinda day.
Conclusion
Still can’t understand how I neglected my duties: should’ve picked up on the quality of the album the first time I heard it. But hey, I screw up sometimes, heheh..
Roy Hargrove’s adventure into more mainstream sounds of funk, soul and Real R&B is a successful one. The more jazzy instrumental pieces allow new listeners to get a taste of that side of the musical spectrum.
The collaboration is what stands out on this album: great musicians making great music.
Rating: 
(better friggin’ late than never..)
October 18th, 2006 at 3:35 pm
Good taste!
October 18th, 2006 at 6:56 pm
*blush* heheh.. thanks!
July 22nd, 2007 at 3:30 pm
[...] Hargrove Last year he performed with his RH Factor band, this year it’s back to jazz, solid work by a great group of genius musicians - loved [...]
August 24th, 2008 at 1:15 pm
[...] I Got Into This Music Been listening to his Hard Groove album for quite a while now; saw him at the North Sea Jazz Festival last year and I really enjoy [...]