Takuya Kuroda: Everyday

Kobe-born, Brooklyn-based trumpeter Takuya Kuroda continues to find his groove and expressive essence on Everyday. Through his inspired amalgamation of jazz, funk, hip-hop and neo-soul, this release exhibits an ability to think beyond the boring and basic, to see what lies ahead. These nine energized but balanced compositions are further heightened by various talented musicians including Corey King, pianist Takahiro Izumikawa, bassist Rashaan Carter, drummer David Frazier and others.

With almost 30 years of musical experience, Kuroda knows what he is about. A few tracks in, "Car 16 15 A" is a clear highlight, offering a faster-paced piece that keeps the melody going without recycling it too much to the listener's detriment. Once it gets going, it does not look back. There are moments of calm, but the initial energy and pace are always kept in the back pocket, returned to at key moments to propel the song forward. "Must Have Known" follows in its wake. The slowed-down tempo delivers a clear contrast that accentuates both tracks. With vocals by multi-instrumentalist King, a soulful R&B atmosphere takes over. Hints of Robert Glasper and even Erykah Badu fold into the more sensual mood and rhythms.

Though Kuroda has always had an affinity for funky grooves and beats, his style blossomed on Rising Son (Blue Note, 2014). Its title track would actually fit quite nicely on Everyday. Then later on in his career, with Midnight Crisp (First World, 2022), Kuroda added an edgier sound to his style, something more akin to The Comet Is Coming but a little less extraterrestrial or cosmic. On this album, he fits in with his contemporaries while still managing to stand out and be himself without apology. Though there are others working to blur the lines of jazz, Kuroda's specific blend, the way he incorporates a Rhodes or a flute or a guitar, just sets the man apart.

It is his sense of sound that further helps him balance each album, exploring in a different direction without losing the narrative thread of the whole. "Off to Space" is a bit more traditional, with post-bop sensibilities reminiscent of Steve Davis, Charles McPherson or Eddie Henderson. "Hung Up on My Baby" has an almost Afro-Cuban inflection to it, relying on percussion and keyboard to keep the beat steady and forward-moving. Most of the compositions are assiduously crafted and carefully organized. Everyday is punctuated with different accents, different textures which still work within the whole framework of the master musical narrative. Kuroda keeps the listener engaged and wanting more of his signature sound.

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