Search - Anke Helfrich Trio, Roy Hargrove :: Better Times Ahead

"A tremendously swinging music ? contemporary jazz that brings pure joy." -JazzPages Anke Helfrich is a gifted piano player and an extraordinary composer. One of the brightest young stars on the European jazz scene, Helfrich studied in Holland before going to New York in 1996 on a Dutch scholarship, where she took lessons with Larry Goldings and Kenny Barron. Trumpeter Roy Hargrove has firmly established himself among the premier players in jazz and beyond. Ever-stretching into more challenging ways to flex his musical chops, Hargrove has left indelible imprints in a vast array of artful settings. Featuring piano legend Jesus "Chucho" Valdes and wonder drummer Horatio "El Negro" Hernandez, Hargrove?s Cuban-based band Crisol won the Latin Jazz Performance Grammy for the album Habana. In 2002, Hargrove, Herbie Hancock, and Michael Brecker won Best Instrumental Jazz Album for their three-way collaboration Directions in Music. This recording features compositions by Helfrich as well as two tunes by Thelonious Monk and one piece by Weill/Gershwin. Groovy funky tunes and intimate ballads ? the band can do it all!