Pop & Jazz Reviews : Hargrove’s Promise Unfulfilled--So Far

Roy Hargrove, the Texas-born trumpeter whose quintet opened Tuesday at Catalina, has his horn pointed in the right direction. That is to say, he aims at a career in uncompromising contemporary jazz.

At 22, Hargrove, who continues through Sunday, has developed enough technique and fluency to impress the casual listener. With numerous overseas tours to his credit, a major record company behind him and powerful friends like Wynton Marsalis, he is being promoted to a degree that may prove counterproductive.

His tendency to build to a climax after the first minute of a solo is a major problem. Moreover, though Hargrove has expressed admiration for Clifford Brown, his tone is light-years away from Brown’s unique lyricism. Similarly, the alto sax of Antonio Hart, who professes to have studied everyone from Benny Carter to Charlie Parker, achieves the timbre of neither. His level of creativity is commendable, however, as is that of the pianist, Marc Cary, whose ferociously cooking solo on a long blues was the highlight of the set.

Rodney Whitaker is a capable bassist whose work would be more impressive if he had the tonal brilliance of a Ray Brown. Completing the group is 21-year-old drummer Greg Hutchinson.

The quintet’s repertoire consists mainly of originals by Hargrove. One or two, notably “Spiritual Companion,” showed a measure of melodic interest. But here again one wonders whether Hargrove, like his youthful companions, may not be quite ready for the big-time promotion now surrounding him.