Customer Reviews

Emergence

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I'm Roy's fan since many years ago, and this record keep the flame of true jazz.No doubt is one of the best records of the year and jazz big band Grammy winner.Pure beautiful.

Fantastic! The best big band album I've heard in years on every level: performance, recording, and an eclectic selection of tunes ranging from a haunting, almost dark rendition of "My Funny Valentine" to a couple of Cuban band pieces that almost got me in trouble driving north on the 405 at one in the morning! The band is so tight, I thought Basie's band had been reincarnated! I purchased this album for a couple of other big band fans I know and it knocked their socks off! Buy this album now and crank it up! Roy Hargrove made me proud to be an American again. Thanks bro! Would love to see these guys live!

Ivan Ladizinsky
Studio City, Ca.

This is one of the best big band records I heard. And the sound is really great, Roy is a trumpet virtuoso and he could mix streigtahead jazz and latin perfectly, Roberta Gambarini did it great. Please don't confuse this band with the Dizzy Gilespie Bid Band in which Roy and Roberta played but this band in my opinion sounds better, highly recomended.

[...]

HOWARD MEGDAL: There is more than enough to enjoy on Roy Hargrove's just-released Emergence, a "spontaneous collective" from Hargrove (his words) of 19-piece big band sound.

AKIE BERMISS: Well I have to disagree with Howard. While I admit to finding each of the individual tracks enjoyable on their own, I could find NO coherent thrust to this record. It left me struggling to remember which of the moments had, in fact been memorable, and which were just strangely out of place.

Only Roy Hargrove would dare to drop a big band album during a recession. This had to be a huge financial undertaking. This is a great album. One of his best releases in years. Can you say Grammy?

You will not be let down by this recording. Mr. Hargrove is simply one of the best musicians playing today. He is standing on broad shoulders from the past but not stuck in a musical museum.

this is a good example of the sound of the big band era. and is recommended for those who want to reminisce or the younger crowd to learn what it was all about and realize what they missed

I love big band sound but it is difficult to hear big band music these days.
A lot of great musicians from Randy Brecker to Dave Grusin tried to make some big band CD but failed to deliver the upbeat sound so typical of Ellington's, Count Basie's. This Roy Hargrove's production is no exception. You hear lots of orchestration, sometimes it is even chamber music like, very serious piece of work. As such as I respect and enjoy this music, however it lacks the emotions, the upbeat "chops" so typical of big band sound is absent. I am disappointed.

Roy Hargrove has now become one of my favorite contemporary jazz artists. I loved Earfood and now with this cd he maintains a full commitment to mainstream jazz. Just beautiful music. Ellington, Basie, Woodie Herman, Gerald Wilson, Quincy Jones, all wrapped up into one.

My husband is a music-lover who listens to music all day long. We love this cd -- heard a piece on the radio and had to have it. A Jazz Master with range and depth. Great music.