This Hot Box is a retrospective of music by the late Roy Hargrove, who died on November 2nd 2018 aged just 49.

Roy Hargrove was a hard bop-oriented musician (and acclaimed “Young Lion”) who became one of America’s premier trumpeters during the late ’80s and beyond. A fine, straight-ahead player who spent his childhood years in Texas, Hargrove met trumpet virtuoso Wynton Marsalis in 1987, when the latter musician visited Hargrove’s high school in Dallas.

Impressed with the student’s sound, Marsalis allowed Hargrove to sit in with his band and helped him secure additional work with major players, including Bobby Watson, Ricky Ford, Carl Allen, and the group Superblue. Hargrove attended Berklee for one year (1988-1989) before decamping to New York City, where his studio career took flight.

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In The Hot Box Episode 38 we delve into the file of pianists whose name begins with the letter N. After the deluge of candidates filed under M, N has a relative dearth: we only find 5 piano players in this edition of The Hot Box. We also have another Hot Spot, the fine new recording by reed playing master Eddie Daniels.

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In The Hot Box #037 we check out two of the new albums that have come our way in recent months, wrapping the whole thing in a legendary Guitar Night which features Andreas Varady, John Scofield, Louis Stewart, Tommy Halferty and Frank Vignola among others.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:09:21 — 158.6MB)

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In The Hot Box Episode 36 we continue to trawl the files piano players who have graced the jazz stage over the past century or so, and the letter M proved especially fruitful. Last time (Hot Box#34) we had Monk and Moran, now we come to Mehldau and McPartland.

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In The Hot Box Episode 35 we find new recordings from several Irish jazz musicians and quite a few from the wide world as well. There are also two exceptional “archive” recordings never before released from Grant Green and Errol Garner.

Representing Ireland you can hear tracks from Cormac Kenevey, Gemma Sugrue & Julian Colarossi Quartet as well as a re-release from Michael Buckley and a track from Tommy Halferty with HLT Organ Trio. Just over an hour of the Best in New Releases.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:05:55 — 90.4MB)

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The letter M is the most popular opener for surnames, and pianist aren’t excepted, so the M file is to spread over two shows, PLUS we complete the L file with popular Irish-based pianist and composer, Greg Lloyd. And – another double L, Lou Levy, one of the most revered vocal accompanists of all time.

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There’s a Latin feel to the Hot Box this time around, keeping company with the hot summer perhaps. And nearly all the music played is from brand new releases so we are literally, a HOT box. We also step into the re-creation of some of the oldest and most revered swing numbers, reimagined by an orchestra dedicated to that task, and pause to reflect on the music of a much loved New Orleans piano player of whom Steve Bernstein said, “No-one had a left hand like him, no-one on the planet. It was so strong and fast, and he had such control of every part of it”. Check out his version of Basin Street Blues in this Hot Box.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:07:25 — 154.4MB)

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In episode 32 of The Hot Box we find ourselves surrounded by piano players whose names mysteriously begin with the same letter…..L. It’s a rich collection however, from boogie to brilliance, from archived to current, so tune in now………

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:15:14 — 103.3MB)

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In the 31st episode of The Hot Box, Donald Helme plays all-new material from a range of sources including some of the best new releases from Ireland. Music from Dublin based quartet Åtsch, and the veteran Irish pianist working in Britain, John Donegan with his quintet.

And further afield, you’ll find some stunning new music from Venezuelan composer Edward Simon, from veteran pianist Kenny Barron and an extraordinary historic performance by the great Dizzy Gillespie recorded in 1978 but just issued.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:07:42 — 93.0MB)

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The Hot Box opens the file labelled K! Yes, the great endeavour of trawling the files of piano players has got as far as the letter K this time around, and a bumper file it is too. Not dominated by a single “Big Name”, (J for Jarrett!) but a great representative sample of some of the best pianists around today.

You’ll hear Dave Kikoski, the incredible Geoffrey Keezer, Frank Kimbrough among others from the current crop, and reaching back a bit Roger Kellaway and the late Wynton Kelly. And of course, the K file also contains the much missed pianist from Dublin, the late Noel Kelehan. So tune in and enjoy.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:17:59 — 178.4MB)

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