In 2020, Takuya Kuroda released Fly Moon Die Soon, an intoxicating mix of old-school hard bop jazz and sleek funk. One could hear the influence of everything from Thundercat to Herbie Hancock to Lee Morgan. Now, two years later, comes the follow-up: Midnight Crisp, while carrying a shorter run time and a slightly more laid-back tone, sees Kuroda revisiting the same themes that made Fly Moon Die Soon such an entertaining listen.
Midnight Crisp is Kuroda’s seventh studio album and his second on the UK-based First Word label. Born in Kobe, Japan, and currently based in New York City, Kuroda’s real skill – besides his trumpet playing, of course – is his ability to combine the classic hard-bop jazz sounds of Lee Morgan and Art Blakey with the fusion-leaning feel of Herbie Hancock and 1970s-era Miles Davis, and even adding in a contemporary hip-hop vibe. At first glance, these descriptions sound like a bit of a hot mess, but Kuroda’s laser focus and the innate skill of the assembled musicians make for – as the title implies – a tasty, late-night musical meal.
The opening title track combines a hypnotic trip-hop beat with a knotty, melodic horn figure (courtesy of Kuroda’s trumpet, Corey King’s trombone, and Craig Hill on tenor saxophone) and a mysterious, insistent piano riff. The band weaves its way around the song’s complex musical paths with grace and ease, even allowing the horn players to stretch out with some brief soloing.
It’s quite a thrill to hear this all-too-brief album – technically billed as an EP, at just a hair over 30 minutes in length – embrace a wide variety of jazz-leaning styles, from the laid-back funk underpinnings of “It’s Okay”, to the more ethereal balladry of the exquisite “Old Picture”, which sounds fresh and vital while still maintaining a healthy dose of nostalgia (aided in part by tender soloing and Takahiro Izumika’s keys).
“Time Coil” allows Kuroda and the band to show off some frenetic fusion chops with a breakneck tempo and the addition of synths to give the song a contemporary feel without feeling the least bit fussy or overblown. Again, solos give the song a classic edge while the beats are forward-thinking. “Dead End Dance” employs a similar two-pronged approach, as the horns have a bit of free-jazz messiness, and Rashaan Carter’s moody bass ostinato keeps everything grounded.
One of the most unusual sonic departures on Midnight Crisp comes from the closing track, “Choy Soda”, which infuses a healthy dose of contemporary R&B and funk, thanks to trumpeter King taking on vocal duties. But complex, high-velocity beats combine with dizzying, Blue Note-inspired soloing, Kuroda’s bass synth, and Izumika’s keyboard blasts for an intoxicating stew of genres. Fusion, indeed.
Purists may take issue with some of the more contemporary touches on this album, which is a shame since the meshing of so many different jazz and funk subgenres make for a truly enjoyable listen. Midnight Crisp shows that Takuya Kuroda is a master of knowing what parts to work with, and how to assemble them properly. It’s a future classic that looks to the past with another eye planted straight ahead.