WBGO Blog

  • Great Live Moments - Roy Hargrove

    April 1, 2008. Posted by Joshua Jackson.

    Add new comment | Filed under: ballad, Great Jazz Moments, Iridium, jazz, Jazz Alive, Listening Post, Live Music, Never Let Me Go, roy hargrove, wbgo blog

    In 1996, trumpeter Roy Hargrove could hardly be called The Waco Kid. By this time, the Texas native was a fully-fledged gunslinger in the jazz tradition. Most musicians will tell you that playing a ballad is one of the hardest things to do...especially when you're playing to an audience. But when Roy Hargrove draws from the emotional wellspring, he's tapping a fairly deep reserve.
    Check out his take on the classic "Never Let Me Go," one of my all-time favorite ballads. Twas the week before Christmas, 1996, and Roy's quartet was stirring the house at the old Iridium location, near Lincoln Center. The quartet features pianist Allen Farnham, the late Dennis Irwin on bass, and drummer Karriem Riggins. And for those of you who like to sing the words, follow along:

    Never let me go
    Love me much too much
    If you let me go
    Life will lose its touch
    What would I be without you?
    There's no place for me without you

    Never let me go
    I'd be so lost if you went away
    There'd be a thousand hours in a day without you
    I know

    Because of one caress my world was overturned
    at the very start
    All my bridges burned by my flaming heart
    You'd never leave me would you?
    You couldn't hurt me could you?

    Never let me go
    Never let me go

    © 2008 WBGO

  • Great Live Moments - Coming Monday, March 31st

    March 28, 2008. Posted by Joshua Jackson.

    Add new comment | Filed under: broadcast recordings, consecutive weeks, dexter gordon, james moody, jazz appreciation, jim hall, Listening Post, Live Music, michel camilo, roy hargrove, showcase, vault, wbgo, weekday

    Make plans to visit the WBGO Blog on Monday. We'll be presenting Great Live Moments - selected material from WBGO's extensive archive of broadcast recordings. Our blog will showcase one song per weekday for five consecutive weeks. Dexter Gordon, James Moody, Jim Hall, Michel Camilo, and Roy Hargrove - and that's just the first week. WBGO celebrates a birthday in April, which coincidentally is Jazz Appreciation Month. We've been recording great jazz for 29 years, and we want to share some found moments from the jazz vault with you. So come back Monday.
    -Josh

    © 2008 WBGO