Takua Kuroda follows up 2020’s acclaimed Fly Moon Die Soon with another stew of his soulful jazz, funk, post-bop, fusion, and hip-hop music in Midnight Crisp. This is Kuroda’s seventh album within a twelve-year period. In addition to trumpet, Kuroda on select tracks plays synth bass, synths, and sings. Returning from the previous album are Corey King (vocals, trombone), Craig Hill (tenor saxophone) Rashaan Carter (bass), Takahiro Izumikawa (keys), Keita Ogawa (percussion), and Adam Jackson (drums). The new arrival is Ryo Ogihara (guitar), and although the personnel changes with configurations that range from quintet to octet. Midnight Crisp is listed as a mini album, its six tracks running for 32 minutes. Kuroda entirely self-produced the effort.
The opening titular track is infectiously uplifting with a three-horn front line engaged in a circular pattern ensemble playing to the hip-hop beats of Jackson and the rolling, teeming keyboards of Izumikawa and Carter’s greasy walking bass line. Kuroda steps out for a brief punchy solo as does Hill. An infectious hook caps each of these sequences. “Time Coil” is funkier, benefitting from Ogawa’s added percussion and Kuroda’s guitar-like synth jabs. The dense percussion and the ‘70s Miles-like Rhodes sets a solid groove over which Kuroda takes flight in his intense trumpet turn, yielding next to King who firmly seizes the bottom end. The tempo downshifts slightly for the mid-tempo “It’s Okay,” the one quintet piece. Following Kuroda’s syncopated statement this one brings out the juke joint style of Hill on tenor, passing the baton to Izumikawa on Rhodes, all three soloists underpinned by the keyboardist doubling on organ.
The mood of “Dead Can Dance” is something altogether different. Carter’s ominous bass ostinato emits a mysterious vibe over which the three horns play cascading streams of unpredictable melodies and startling harmonies. Adding to the haunting vibe is guitarist Ogihara in his lone appearance. Then, with another surprise, the band renders “Old Picture” as a gorgeous flowing ballad with superior solos with the three horns and sparkling Rhodes. While the previous album had a few vocals, the one track with vocals here as King returns in that role for the closer, “Choy Soda,” a jagged, at time meandering but a funky piece that has the three horns blowing freely as King sings exuberantly.
It’s rather remarkable how Kuroda continues to mesh the elements of funk, hip-hop, and retro ‘70s and ‘80s jazz fusion to produce a contemporary sound that is either jazz or electronic dance music, depending on one’s perspective. Jazz Is Dead comes to mind as does some of the UK scenes, but they only faintly resemble what Kuroda brings.
Of course, the album’s brevity leaves you wanting more. That’s the point
One Response
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