Public Eye (album)
| Public Eye | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | March 25, 1991 | |||
| Recorded | October 1990 | |||
| Studio | Clinton Recording Studios, NYC (recording and mixing) | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 67:03 | |||
| Label | Novus/RCA PD83113 | |||
| Producer | Larry Clothier | |||
| Roy Hargrove chronology | ||||
| ||||
Public Eye is the sophomore studio album by trumpeter Roy Hargrove, recorded in October 1990 and released on March 25, 1991, on the Novus/RCA label.[1][2] For this date, Hargrove is joined by saxophonist Antonio Hart, pianist Stephen Scott, bassist Christian McBride, and drummer Billy Higgins.
Reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic | [1] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [3] |
Scott Yanow, writing for AllMusic, stated: "Hargrove shows why he was so highly rated from the start of his career. On such numbers as 'September in the Rain,' 'End of a Love Affair,' 'Crazeology,' and four of his straight-ahead originals, Hargrove plays in a style not that different from Lee Morgan but with his own soulful sound, revitalizing the jazz tradition with his enthusiastic ideas."[1] The Rolling Stone Album Guide emphasized that the album "mix[es] such well-known tunes as 'September in the Rain,' 'What's New' and a storming, high-speed 'Crazeology' with high-powered originals like the title track and 'Lada'", continuing that "The byplay of Hargrove and Hart provides the kind of exchange usually associated with seasoned veterans."[3] Jack Fuller for the Chicago Tribune noted: "the young trumpeter Roy Hargrove does an undistinguished but perfectly adequate job with a set of standards and originals. The tone is as buttery as Clifford Brown's but the sense of uniqueness isn't there yet."[4] Similarly, a brief by Jazz in Marciac concluded that the album "reveals a soloist who, in some ways, recalls Clifford Brown".[5] Spin magazine added that "This second Novus release displays Roy's maturation as a bandleader and brilliantly showcases 22-year-old Antonio Hart."[6]
Track listing
All tracks are written by Roy Hargrove except where noted.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Public Eye" | 6:51 | |
| 2. | "Spiritual Companion" | 6:18 | |
| 3. | "September in the Rain" | 7:30 | |
| 4. | "Lada" | 4:44 | |
| 5. | "Once in Awhile" | 5:35 | |
| 6. | "Hartbreaker" | 5:06 | |
| 7. | "End of a Love Affair" | Edward C. Redding | 7:58 |
| 8. | "Night Watch" | Kenny Dorham | 6:11 |
| 9. | "You Don't Know What Love Is" | 6:22 | |
| 10. | "Little Bennie (Crazeology)" | Benny Harris | 5:13 |
| 11. | "What's New" | 5:15 | |
| Total length: | 67:03 | ||
Personnel
Musicians
- Roy Hargrove – trumpet
- Antonio Hart – alto saxophone
- Stephen Scott – piano
- Christian McBride – double bass
- Billy Higgins – drums
Production
- Larry Clothier – producer, mixing
- Ed Rak – recording engineer, mastering, mixing
- Derrick Garrett – assistant recording engineer
- Ted Jensen – mastering
- Gene Curtis – digital editing
- Steve Backer – series director
- Tom Piazza – liner notes
- Ria Lewerke – art direction
- Jacqueline Murphy – design
- Brian Davis – photography
References
- ^ a b c Yanow, Scott. "Public Eye – Roy Hargrove | Album | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved January 12, 2026.
- ^ Gliožeris, Slava. "ROY HARGROVE — Public Eye". www.jazzmusicarchives.com. Retrieved January 13, 2026.
- ^ a b H.B. (1999). Swenson, John (ed.). The Rolling Stone Jazz & Blues Album Guide (2nd ed.). Random House. p. 289. ISBN 0-679-76873-4. Retrieved January 13, 2026 – via Internet Archive.
- ^ Fuller, Jack (July 21, 1991). "Public Eye (Roy Hargrove, Novus)". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved January 13, 2026.
- ^ "Archives: Thursday, August 13, 1992 | Roy Hargrove Quintet". Jazz in Marciac. August 13, 1992. Retrieved January 13, 2026.
- ^ "SPIN: Jul 1991". Spin. 7 (4): 91. 1991. ISSN 0886-3032 – via Google Books.