Roy Hargrove and James Carter

Born within months of each other, trumpeter Roy Hargrove and saxophonist James Carter are Universal Jazz labelmates, but musically they're miles apart. Hargrove's thoughtful lines have fit within a variety of contexts, from the Cuban grooves of 1997's Habana to sideman work with Erykah Badu and D'Angelo, among others. Carter has played in dozens of contexts, too, switching formats on virtually every album (including 2005's Gold Sounds, a set of interpretations of Pavement songs), but he has always seemed like a showboat, soloing at greater lengths than necessary and intent on proving himself anew with every phrase.