With Earfood, trumpet player Roy Hargrove did not want to make it too difficult for his audience, but rather surprise them with simple melodies that move over nice lying chords. Of course, the music is not really simple, but due to Hargrove's closely-knit quintet, each of the compositions that float between subtle emotions and pure hard bop power, sounds spontaneous and uncomplicated. Those looking
… for the Hargrove as it sounded on Nothing Serious (2006) will be disappointed, because Earfood sounds a lot tamer with a band that for the most part holds back. Exceptions to that rule are The Stinger, slow but fierce, the funky Mr. Clean from Weldon Irvine Jr. and Hargrove's interpretation of Sam Cooke's soul hit Bring It On Home To Me. This makes Earfood a nice easy listening outing, but Hargrove's strength lies more in the harder work. (AD)more