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Takuya Kuroda

With his brilliant tone and passionate delivery, it’s no wonder that Japanese trumpeter Takuya Kuroda is veteran and mainstay of the world’s most competitive arena for live performance, New York City. A 2006 graduate of The New School’s Jazz & Contemporary Music program, Takuya has performed alongside some of the very best musicians (Junior Mance, Jose James, Greg Tardy, Andy Ezrin, Jiro Yoshida, Akoya Afrobeat, Valery Ponomarev Big Band) at some of the most important venues for live music (Radio City Music Hall, The Blue Note, The Village Underground, Sweet Rhythm, 55 Bar, SOBs). As a recording artist, Takuya can be heard on Jose James’s Album “Blackmagic”, Jiro Yoshida’s albums “Cut Back” and “Made In New York”, as well as Sony Japan J- Pop artist JuJu’s albums “Wonderful Life” and “My Life”, for whom he also arranged the horn parts. Takuya performs/records his original works with Chicken Gravy, a jazz/soul/funk band that he co-leads, and his New York- based jazz quartet. (New Album ”Bitter & High” is coming up in August)

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8
Interview

Takuya Kuroda: Fly Moon Die Soon's Delicious Future-Funk Throwback

Read "Takuya Kuroda: Fly Moon Die Soon's Delicious Future-Funk Throwback" reviewed by Rob Garratt


Last time All About Jazz spoke to Takuya Kuroda, just days after the release of his smoky, neo-soul-styled breakthrough Rising Sun (Blue Note, 2014), the Japanese trumpeter was asked what he wanted to record next. “I see myself doing more of a straight-ahead thing," he said at time. “I might do an album with strings." Kuroda guffaws heavily when reminded of expressing this sentiment. After all, Rising Sun was instead followed by the thick funk/fusion workout of Zigzagger ...

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Album Review

Chris McCarthy: Still Time to Quit

Read "Still Time to Quit" reviewed by Friedrich Kunzmann


Only two minutes into “That's All You Get," the opening track to pianist Chris McCarthy's debut recording for Ropeadope Records, Still Time To Quit, and already it seems that everything that had to be said was said. Maybe that's why at this point the track coincidentally also reaches its end. A savage yet controlled display of friction and constant motion. At its core a rabidly jumping call-and-response structure, the opener displays the leader's scarily-dexterous chops on piano through speed as ...

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Album Review

Matthias Bublath: Eight Cylinder Bigband

Read "Eight Cylinder Bigband" reviewed by Edward Blanco


German pianist and Hammond B3 organist Matthias Bublath realizes a long-held passion of recording his own big-band and so, after eleven albums to date, Eight Cylinder Bigband finally comes to the fore in splashy audacious fashion, encompassing a musical spectrum which ranges from blues, gospel and soul/funk to Afro-Caribbean flavors documented on twelve swinging compositions. The music is designed around the Hammond organ, Bublath's preferred instrument, but leaves quite a lot of space to feature solos from various players.

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Album Review

Chris McCarthy: Still Time to Quit

Read "Still Time to Quit" reviewed by Paul Rauch


From 2017 to 2020, composer and pianist Chris McCarthy charted a path as a noted sideman for such notables as Jerry Bergonzi, Ben Allison and Jason Palmer. He was often seen performing with vibraphonist Sasha Berliner and in duet with vocalist Clotilde Rullaud. In short, he has gained a reputation for imaginative and supportive playing. McCarthy's path has been blazed from a renowned high school program in Seattle, to the cloistered realm of the New England Conservatory, finally ...

Album Review

Takuya Kuroda: Zigzagger

Read "Zigzagger" reviewed by Luca Muchetti


L'hanno chiamato il nuovo profeta dell'afrobeat, trovando nelle sue origini nipponiche motivo di stupore per un linguaggio e un feel completamente assorbiti e rielaborati in uno stile personale ma ben riconducibile a un filone ormai dalla lunga storia. Il trombettista Takuya Kuroda con Zigzagger, pubblicato dalla Concord Records, arriva al suo quinto disco confermando e ingigantendo il proprio nome fra i grandi del jazz mondiale e firmando dodici composizioni che si dipanano fra il funk e il jazz.

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Extended Analysis

Takuya Kuroda: Rising Son

Read "Takuya Kuroda: Rising Son" reviewed by Phil Barnes


Remember D'Angelo? Takuya Kuroda and his producer Jose James certainly do--this excellent collection has that loose, swampy, stoned feel from 'Voodoo' closer than anyone since, putting across that feel of thick, still air on a scorching hot, languid, afternoon perfectly. D'Angelo worked because he signposted a way to fuse the classic jazz influenced soul of say Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson, Al Green and even Prince to modern hip hop grooves without diminishing either genre. By putting that sound into a ...

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Interview

Takuya Kuroda: Rising Son

Read "Takuya Kuroda: Rising Son" reviewed by DanMichael Reyes


Awards aren't handed down to individuals that proclaim how tough it is to live in New York. Likewise, it's not news to write that the life of the modern day jazz musician is difficult. If we follow the past two sentences we might come to the conclusion that the life of a New York jazz musician is not a bunch of wine and roses. While prodigies that venture off on world tours before they are legally able to purchase alcoholic ...

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Contest

Enter the "Takuya Kuroda - Rising Son" Giveaway at All About Jazz!

Enter the "Takuya Kuroda - Rising Son" Giveaway at All About Jazz!

Source: All About Jazz

All About Jazz members are invited to enter the Blue Note Records “Takuya Kuroda - Rising Son“ giveaway contest starting today. We'll select FIVE winners at the conclusion of the contest on March 19th. Click here to enter the contest (Becoming a fan of Takuya Kuroda at AAJ automatically enters you in the contest.) Good luck! Your Friends at Blue Note Records About Rising Son Rising Son makes for the perfect title for the Blue Note debut from ...

Recording

Trumpeter Takuya Kuroda Set To Make Blue Note Debut With Feb. 18 Release Of “Rising Son” Produced By José James

Trumpeter Takuya Kuroda Set To Make Blue Note Debut With Feb. 18 Release Of “Rising Son” Produced By José James

Source: Michael Ricci

Ascendant trumpeter and composer Takuya Kuroda is set to make his Blue Note debut with the February 18 release of Rising Son, which was produced by Jose James. Kuroda, who is best known for his inspired presence in James’ band, steps forth here to helm that remarkable band which features keyboardist Kris Bowers, electric bassist Solomon Dorsey, drummer Nate Smith, and trombonist Corey King. James mostly stayed on the other side of the glass in the producer’s chair except for ...

Photos

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Fly Moon Die Soon

Self Produced
2020

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Nightintales

Madeinchina Productions / MPS
2017

buy

Zigzagger

Concord Music Group
2016

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Takuya Kuroda: Rising...

Blue Note Records
2014

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Videos

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