Takuya Kuroda Midnight Crisp

Consisting of six new tracks, this once again sees Takuya Kuroda displaying his unique hybrid sound, blending soulful jazz, funk, post-bop, fusion and hip hop. Having cemented his prolific career, Midnight Crisp is another demonstration of Takuya’s prowess for composition and performance navigating through the afore-mentioned genres with ease. Drawing from an approach that blends live elements and smooth sampling bits, the album unfolds with energy and very high levels of groove.

After following the footsteps of his trombonist brother playing in big bands, he relocated to New York to study jazz & contemporary music at The New School in Union Square. It was here that Takuya met vocalist José James, with whom he worked on the 'Blackmagic' and 'No Beginning No End' projects. Following graduation, Takuya established himself further in the NYC jazz scene, performing with the likes of Akoya Afrobeat and in recent years with DJ Premier's BADDER band. Premier said "The BADDER Band project was put together by my manager, and an agent I've known since the beginning of my Gang Starr career. He said, 'What if you put a band together that revolved around a trumpet player from Japan named Takuya Kuroda? He's got a hip-hop perspective and respect in the jazz field…"