Everyday

Description

Everyday, the eighth studio album from Kobe-born, Brooklyn-based trumpeter Takuya Kuroda, is a stunning demonstration of his dedication and talent. Since the release of his seventh album, 2022's Midnight Crisp, a record PopMatters called a “future classic,” Takuya Kuroda has not missed a beat. In his desire to achieve the “perfect blend of production and organic performance,” the 45-year-old musician has continued to dedicate himself to his craft daily, nearly thirty years after his musical life began. Everyday builds on the hip-hop and neo-soul elements of his previous works and deepens them. It is a triumph of genre-blending modern jazz. Kuroda’s playing is confident and pure—whether on horn, synth, or Rhodes—and he dances with virtuosity over infectious, self-created beats. Kuroda’s twenty-one years in the US have been fruitful. After studying composition at the New School, he began performing with DJ Premier's Badder Band, Jose James, and Akoya Afrobeat, and has recorded as a sideman and bandleader for labels including Blue Note and Concord. But as Kuroda himself states, “the only way to make the music I want to make is to work hard, everyday.” Thus we have Everyday, a title that, as Kuroda states, “reflects that simple message.” There is a duality to this title that points to something profound in this music. “Everyday” means, of course, both daily and commonplace. While Kuroda’s music is anything but commonplace, there is still a certain duality in this title.