Pictures From The Ben Harper Concert
17 Aug 2006 04:14 PM / Filed in: Music
We Want Roy (updated)
17 Aug 2006 03:53 PM / Filed in: Music
Roy Hargrove is a wonderful trumpeter who has recently released two albums (at the same time) with Verve Records: Nothing Serious with a quintet and Distractions with his excellent Funk/Jazz/Soul formation, The RH Factor.
I've started listening to Roy Hargrove when The RH Factor released their previous full-fedged record, Hard Groove. I was literally taken aback by the excellency of that record and the wonderful trumpet of Roy. Since then, I bought Strength, their EP released after Hard Groove and I was looking forward for a new album. In the meantime, I chewed on patiently on Moments To Moments, a more classical Jazz album from Roy and Habana, an album for which he won a Grammy in 1998 with his Afro-Cuban band Crisol.
When I learned that Distractions was to be released in June 2006, I quickly pre-ordered it and I was very excited when I wrapped the package because I knew deep inside that this album is going to be good. And it is. No, that's incorrect. It's excellent.
A few weeks later, while reading my Jazzman issue, I learned that The RH Factor are going to show up during The Paris Jazz Festival that takes place every year during the summer at Parc Floral, a wonderful park in the suburbs of Paris. It's an ideal place for picnicking while listening to great music. There are usually 4 concerts per week-end, 2 on each day. You only pay the entry to the park, which costs 4 EUR, and there you go for a great time.
So on July 1st, I went there to picnic with family and friends and see The RH Factor . The first concert, performed by NoJazz, started at 3:00PM and it was good. For the record, It wasn't the first time I came to Parc Floral this year. I've been there two weeks ago to see Vinicius Cantuaria, one my favorite Jazz artists and Julia Sarr with Patrice Larose, an excellent World duo. What struck me at first is that the human queue to get to the seats in front of the scene was immense. But it wasn't too much of a problem. I waited and went towards the scene almost at the end of the NoJazz concert. As expected, there was no empty seat but I could stand at the back with many other people and still have a quiet good view of the scene.
After a moment, which seemed very long because I was standing my back to the hot Sun that was burning my head and shoulders at 32c, Roy entered the scene with the other RH Factor members. And instantly, I forgot all about that heatball that was trying very hard to dehydrate me. It was one hell of a concert! Roy showed his alien skills at the trumpet and he often let room to the other band members to show their excellent abilities as well, especially the sax player who was incredible!
All in all, it was a very good afternoon. I took some pictures that you may want to check out as well as a very short QuickTime movie of the first minute or so of Kansas City Funk, the opening song played by The RH Factor.
For more information about Roy Hargrove and The RH Factor, please check out the Verve website and Wikipedia. For more information about Paris Jazz Festival, Check out this year's website (Bad design warning: They won't get an award for web design).
EDITED TO ADD (2006.08.17) : the song you hear in the QuickTime movie isn't Kansas City Funk but Rich Man's Welfare. Oops!
I've started listening to Roy Hargrove when The RH Factor released their previous full-fedged record, Hard Groove. I was literally taken aback by the excellency of that record and the wonderful trumpet of Roy. Since then, I bought Strength, their EP released after Hard Groove and I was looking forward for a new album. In the meantime, I chewed on patiently on Moments To Moments, a more classical Jazz album from Roy and Habana, an album for which he won a Grammy in 1998 with his Afro-Cuban band Crisol.
A few weeks later, while reading my Jazzman issue, I learned that The RH Factor are going to show up during The Paris Jazz Festival that takes place every year during the summer at Parc Floral, a wonderful park in the suburbs of Paris. It's an ideal place for picnicking while listening to great music. There are usually 4 concerts per week-end, 2 on each day. You only pay the entry to the park, which costs 4 EUR, and there you go for a great time.
So on July 1st, I went there to picnic with family and friends and see The RH Factor . The first concert, performed by NoJazz, started at 3:00PM and it was good. For the record, It wasn't the first time I came to Parc Floral this year. I've been there two weeks ago to see Vinicius Cantuaria, one my favorite Jazz artists and Julia Sarr with Patrice Larose, an excellent World duo. What struck me at first is that the human queue to get to the seats in front of the scene was immense. But it wasn't too much of a problem. I waited and went towards the scene almost at the end of the NoJazz concert. As expected, there was no empty seat but I could stand at the back with many other people and still have a quiet good view of the scene.
After a moment, which seemed very long because I was standing my back to the hot Sun that was burning my head and shoulders at 32c, Roy entered the scene with the other RH Factor members. And instantly, I forgot all about that heatball that was trying very hard to dehydrate me. It was one hell of a concert! Roy showed his alien skills at the trumpet and he often let room to the other band members to show their excellent abilities as well, especially the sax player who was incredible!
All in all, it was a very good afternoon. I took some pictures that you may want to check out as well as a very short QuickTime movie of the first minute or so of Kansas City Funk, the opening song played by The RH Factor.
For more information about Roy Hargrove and The RH Factor, please check out the Verve website and Wikipedia. For more information about Paris Jazz Festival, Check out this year's website (Bad design warning: They won't get an award for web design).
EDITED TO ADD (2006.08.17) : the song you hear in the QuickTime movie isn't Kansas City Funk but Rich Man's Welfare. Oops!
It's All About Trust
17 Aug 2006 03:15 PM / Filed in: I.T.
Excellent video about Trusted Computing. Check it out!