First Word レコード& CD

Review: Wonky meets jazz in this impressive new jazz mini-LP from Japan. Takuya Kuroda is a highly respected trumpeter and arranger born in Kobe, Japan and based in New York City. 'Midnight Crisp' is Takuya's seventh studio album, entirely self-produced and following 2020's highly acclaimed 'Fly Moon Die Soon'. Learning jazz in a higher education environment, he's reapplied his skills to a new solo outing here, blending with his one true loves, afrobeat and hip-hop. The ensuing album is one of myriad midnight moods, tempered by many a virtuosic and mournful piano, digitally-edited drum brush, and trilling trumpet from the mouth of Kuroda himself.

Review: Takuya Kuroda's Rising Son album on First Word Records heralds a new chapter in jazz innovation. With masterful trumpet prowess and genre-defying compositions, Kuroda's album is a new school take on classic sounds that traverses many a vibrant landscape. Seamlessly blending traditional jazz with contemporary influences, Kuroda's musical vision resonates with soulful depth and infectious energy across all of these most exquisite pieces. Each one is a testament to Kuroda's dynamic artistry and his ability to push the boundaries of the genre with his meaningful and stirring melodies and rich textures. It is another great work from this pioneering jazz force that is poised to captivate audiences worldwide.

Review: Takuya Kuroda is a highly respected trumpeter and arranger from Kobe, Japan but now based in New York City. Midnight Crisp was his seventh studio album and now First World has had a selection of cuts from it remixed. 'Choy Soda' gets superb treatment in the form of Waajeed's Hi-Tech Jazz remix which jumbles the trumpet motifs with shuffling drums and future soul. On the flip, 'Dead End Dance' gets a signature Kaidi Tatham remix that brings the broken beats and sunny sounds to the fore with more languid jazz notes adding sultriness.