Roy Hargrove, Grammy-Winning Jazz Musician, Dead at 49

Roy Hargrove, a Grammy-winning trumpeter and jazz musician that worked alongside artists like D’Angelo, Erykah Badu, Common and Sonny Rollins, died Friday at the age of 49.

Hargrove’s longtime manager confirmed the trumpeter’s death to NPR, adding that the cause of death was cardiac arrest; earlier in the week, Hargrove was admitted into a New York City hospital with kidney issues.

On Instagram, the Roots’ Questove paid tribute to the jazz musician. “The Great Roy Hargrove. He is literally the one man horn section I hear in my head when I think about music,” the drummer wrote. “To watch him harmonize with himself stacking nine horn lines on mamouth 10 mins songs RARELY rewinding to figure out what he did.”

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The Great Roy Hargrove. He is literally the one man horn section I hear in my head when I think about music. To watch him harmonize with himself stacking nine horn lines on mamouth 10 mins songs RARELY rewinding to figure out what he did. Or not even contemplating what the harmony was (this is up there with Jay Z never writes his rhymes territory) —-like you can hear an incomplete Dangelo song once—-like an 11 min song—-and then in 20 secs you know the EXACT SPOT ON line to bob in and weave out?!!!! I know I’ve spoken in every aspect of Soulquarian era recording techniques but even I can’t properly document how crucial and spot on Roy was with his craft man. We NEVER gave him instructions: just played the song and watched him go —-like “come back in 45 mins I’ll have something” matter of fact now that I think of it —-I was so amped to put handclaps on @Common’s #ColdBlooded @JamesPoyser and i didn’t even take proper time out to approve what he worked on, it was like I already knew. So when you hear us SCREAMING/laughing at the 1:51 mark (me/com/d/rahzel/james) that’s us MIND BLOWN at another #Game6 esque performance from Roy. And all that stuff towards the end? We just reacting in real time to greatness. Such a key component. And a beautiful cat man. Love to the immortal timeless genius that will forever be Roy Hargrove y’all. #RoyHargroveRip

A post shared by Questlove (@questlove) on Nov 3, 2018 at 7:44am PDT

Badu also tweeted in remembrance of the trumpeter who worked on her 2000 LP Mama’s Gun and 2003 album Weather Underground.

Hargrove also contributed to D’Angelo’s acclaimed 2000 album Voodoo and 2014 LP Black Messiah, Common’s Like Water for Chocolate, John Mayer’s Continuum and Angelique Kidjo’s Oyo.

“Very sad to learn of the passing of Roy Hargrove. What a masterful player and composer. Supernaturally talented, cool, and kind. We’ll remember him forever,” Mayer wrote on Instagram.

As a sideman, Hargrove played alongside jazz legends like Sonny Rollins – who featured Hargrove on an album when the trumpeter was in his early 20s – and Jackie McLean, Jimmy Cobb, Oscar Peterson and Wynton Marsalis, who discovered the Texas native while touring the state in 1987, NPR reports.

As bandleader, Hargrove won a pair of Grammys: Best Latin Jazz Album in 1998 for Habana and Best Jazz Instrumental Album in 2002 for Directions in Music: Live at Massey Hall, a collaboration with Herbie Hancock and Michael Brecker.

“Tonal, Melodic, from BeBop to Hip-hop. Soulful, BRILLIANT, Young Master,” Anita Baker tweeted of Hargrove Saturday.