Brian Hargrove

A solo piece, composed and performed by Brian Hargrove. This one is quite special...

Backstory:

Picture a man strong of heart, but nearly broken. Vulnerable but unwavering as he summons as much strength as he can to fight and not crumble under his own weight or the weight of his circumstances. To reclaim his peace. To reclaim his personal power.

In that process of alignment - in learning and unlearning, there is true freedom in unapologetically following the heart. It is a path that perhaps provides a shortcut to happiness and fulfillment, but is far from easy. Nonetheless, one never truly loses in loving, living their purpose or being themselves. This is difficult to see at times. Though, that’s where inner fortitude, faith and persistence come in.

Drawing from personal experience, this piece is a depiction of such a journey. While playing a show in Palmdale, California with a wonderful group “Dean Mucetti and the Rhythm Real” in April 2022, I was suddenly asked to perform solo in the middle of the set, since we were flying through it rather quickly.

Being where I was mentally, physically and spiritually at the time, I was pensive and felt exposed. Though, there was no time to think. I took a deep breath to connect to my heart space. This is what poured out from me.

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Heart

Brian Hargrove is a Los Angeles based composer/pianist from Dallas, Texas. His commissioned and personal work spans a wide range of idioms and contexts - from jazz to pop; chamber/orchestral to art music fusing aesthetics of hip-hop and avant-garde. Collaborations include projects with Michael Jackson, D Smoke, Faith Marie, Vesper Theatre Company, the Detroit Symphony Orchestra Strings and more. 

As keyboardist, he is a member of Katalyst (a nine piece collective based in Inglewood, CA) and was a long-time member of Roy Hargrove's The RH Factor. He currently tours worldwide with Solange Knowles and also performed with Harvey Mason, Alice Smith, The Pan-Afrikan Peoples Arkestra and many others.