feature photo: Hiroyuki Seo
If you were to ask me who is the best trumpet player on the jazz scene today, I would think of so many deserving of that distinction, it would impossible to come up of one who towers over the rest. But the hippest trumpet player? That’s easy: it’s Takuya Kuroda.
Oh sure, he sports big frizzy hair that’s pretty rad and gives him a distinctive look, but his horn playing exhibits more than its share of flair, too. Though a relative newcomer, the former José James collaborator has up to this point made six albums since 2011. His seventh one is upon us and Midnight Crisp is its name.
Kuroda once again leverages his mastery of sampling, loop and hip-hop beat assembling to form contemporary jazz with present-day sensibilities. Continuing on the studio-based sound manipulation concepts he introduced on that sixth album Fly Moon Die Soon, Midnight Crisp (October 21, 2022, First Word Records) has more of his uniquely funky, freaky jazz attack, bringing jazz to the 21 century – scratch that – the 2020s.
Kuroda does all this while retaining gobs of good old-fashioned, crack instrumentation. On “Midnight Crisp,” Adam Jackson’s drums provides the propulsive beat that goes alongside programmed rhythms but really takes over to bolster short but simmering solos from Kuroda and tenor saxophonist Craig Hill.
“Time Coil” likewise has the Kuroda/Corey King/Hill trumpet/trombone/sax front line whose charts jab like a prize fighter, set against a hard bass/drums syncopation from bassist Rashaan Carter and Jackson. Kuroda pulls no punches on his feature and afterwards King shows how to ride that groove.
The swinging horns on “It’s Okay” goes back to the ’30s, keyboardist Takahiro Izumikawa’s organ hearkens to the 60s while the Carter/Jackson rhythm is up to date and it all goes together right.
“Old Picture” slows down the pace and also uses a more conventional arrangement but it also gives Kuroda the right platform with which to show off his lyrical side.
“Choy Soda” has King’s smooth vocal over a chilled vibe but the second half busts open with key changes, a galloping rhythm and an incendiary exchange between Kuroda and Hill.
Takuya Kuroda once again creates music that makes new converts to jazz from the young and gives long-time jazzheads a fresh new perspective on an old genre. Get your copy of Midnight Crisp from Bandcamp.
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