February: RHBB in Chicago, DC and more 👑🎺

February Highlights

February brings a full slate of Big Band performances, education, and reflection on Roy Hargrove’s enduring legacy. Alongside upcoming appearances, we continue to share momentum around Roy Hargrove: Live at KNKX — a recent legacy release capturing rare live sessions that reflect Roy’s unmistakable voice. This month also includes a meaningful reunion on stage, as we welcome Bobby Watson as special guest at the New Trier Jazz Festival. A member of Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers and one of Roy’s earliest mentors, Bobby was part of Roy’s formative years—including one of Roy’s first major gigs alongside him at the Mt. Fuji Jazz Festival in 1988.

Upcoming Dates

February 5th - Jazz Gallery Residency

The Roy Hargrove Big Band returns to the Jazz Gallery as part of our ongoing residency. These performances continue to serve as a home base for the band — a place to honor the tradition, revisit the book, and let the music unfold in an intimate setting.

Tickets 🎟️ https://jazzgallery.org/calendar/rhbb-feb-5-2026

February 7th - New Trier Jazz Festival

Our visit to the New Trier Jazz Festival centers on education, mentorship, and direct exchange with students. In addition to the Roy Hargrove Big Band performance, select band members will lead instrumental clinics with students, offering hands-on insight into ensemble playing, improvisation, and the living tradition of big band music.

The engagement also includes a masterclass with the full Big Band, continuing Roy’s lifelong commitment to mentorship. We’re honored to be joined on this occasion by special guest Bobby Watson, adding a powerful intergenerational voice to a day rooted in learning and legacy.

Tickets 🎟️ https://onthestage.tickets/show/new-trier-high-school/68b8914cbe1d7d7d0ff9b760

February 10th - RHBB Masterclass x South Bronx Charter School

Continuing our educational outreach in New York City, members of the Roy Hargrove Big Band will lead a daytime masterclass with students from the South Bronx Charter School for International Cultures and the Arts. Hosted at the Jazz Gallery, this session is not a public event but represents an important extension of our commitment to music education.

Now in its third consecutive year, this masterclass reflects an ongoing relationship rooted in access, mentorship, and direct engagement. Through performance, discussion, and shared inquiry, students are invited into the music - not only as listeners, but as active participants—reinforcing Roy’s belief in meeting young musicians where they are and investing in the next generation.

February 15th - Mid Atlantic Jazz Festival

The Roy Hargrove Big Band appears at the Mid-Atlantic Jazz Festival, just outside Washington, DC, as part of the festival’s celebration of the centennials of Miles Davis and John Coltrane, two towering figures whose music profoundly shaped Roy’s artistic lineage.

This context carries special resonance. In October 2001, Roy was a featured soloist on Directions in Music: Live at Massey Hall, led by Herbie Hancock, honoring the music of Miles Davis and John Coltrane, a project that went on to receive a Grammy Award. That moment stands as a powerful reflection of Roy’s place within this continuum: not only as a torchbearer, but also as a vital voice in the ongoing conversation between generations.

Tickets 🎟️ https://midatlanticjazzfestival.org/card-roy-hargrove-big-band/