Kobe-born, Brooklyn-based trumpeter Takuya Kuroda is dedicated, and his eighth studio record, Everyday is proof of that. Since the release of his soulful seventh effort, 2022’s Midnight Crisp –– a record praised by PopMatters as a “future classic” –– 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 throw himself into his practice daily, nearly thirty years into his musical life. Everyday builds on and dives ever deeper into the hip hop and neo-soul elements of his previous work*.* It is a deliciously rhythmic enterprise and a triumph of genre-blending modern jazz. Kuroda’s playing is sure-footed and pure –– whether on the horn, synth, or Rhodes–– and he virtuosically dances among infectious rhythms of his own creation.

Kuroda’s twenty-one years in the United States have been fruitful. After studying composition at The New School, he threw himself into work, playing with DJ Premier’s Badder Band and Akoya Afrobeat and recording as a sideman and bandleader for records on the likes of Blue Note and Concord. But as Kuroda himself says, “the only way to make the music that I want to make is to work hard, every day.” And so we have Everyday, a title which reflects, as Kuroda puts it, “that simple message.”

There is a certain duality to the title that taps into something profound about this music. “Everyday” of course means both daily and commonplace. While Kuroda’s music is anything but average, there is something about the intrinsic and embedded nature of the day-to-day, the incidental rhythms of life, that is reflected and seductively expounded on here. Kuroda describes the process of recording Everyday like this: “Make tracks at home, bring them to the studio, add or replace sounds, invite musicians, repeat the process to polish the track –– as I hear it.” There is both a no-nonsense work ethic here and also a sort of embeddedness, an everydayness, that Kuroda achieves through this practice which perhaps cannot be accessed if one simply waits to get to the studio to begin work. Kuroda builds, tweaks, plays and polishes until what’s coming through the speakers matches what’s been playing in his head everyday. This is exactly what ensures Kuroda’s skillful synthesis of influences which Dean Van Nguyen noted while reviewing 2020’s Fly Moon Die Soon for Pitchfork*.* One is left with that sense that Kuroda has been tapping it all out everywhere he goes, drumming his fingers on the diner counter, shuffling his feet along the pathway in the park, manifesting the rhythms of his mind. “Groove,” Kuroda says, “is the foundation for all the tracks on Everyday.”

And atop that strong foundation, brought to life by the energy of David Frazier’s drumming, Kuroda’s shimmering lyricism dances all over Everyday. His trumpet playing pops and weaves and rings on the title track and his melodies are, as he puts it, “singable” –– profoundly so on

the album closer, “Curiosity,” on which Kuroda trades trumpet for flugelhorn. Before that, “Bad Bye” is a glittering and classic sounding neo soul effort, featuring a stunning performance from vocalist FiJa. It’s as though Kuroda plucked this track from a dream of Mama’s Gun –– but, unmistakably, it’s Kuroda’s dream and so the song is Kuroda’s, entirely. Likewise with “Iron Giraffe,” in which Kuroda makes space for tenor saxophonist Craig Hill to weave a contemporary reverie of Night Music.

Everyday is hyperaware of a panoply of old ideas and a pantheon of old gods but as Kuroda engages these tropes and personalities day in and day out, he turns it all around in a style that’s undeniably cool and personal. As Pitchfork put it, “Kuroda’s skill is not drawing influence from so many different forms, it’s radiating joy in doing so.” And as Kuroda puts it, “I’m still learning everyday and trying to express myself more clearly in the form of music that I love.” It’s this sterling dedication that makes Takuya Kuroda and Everyday anything but commonplace.

Grégoire Maret official site | Grégoire Maret on Twitter | Grégoire Maret on Facebook | Grégoire Maret on YouTube

Grégoire Maret moved to New York City to study at the New School University’s Jazz Department in New York City upon graduating from the prestigious Conservatoire Supérieur de Musique de Genève. Today he is one of the most sought after harmonica players in the world: often compared to legends Toots Thielemans and Stevie Wonder, he has been asked to play with an incredible number of famous musicians including Youssn’Dour, Me’ Shell Ndegeocello, Pete Seeger, David Sanborn, George Benson, Cassandra Wilson, to name a few.

In 2003 he was the subject of Swiss filmmaker Frédéric Baillif’s documentary Sideman, which won several awards. In 2005, Grégoire toured with the Pat Metheny Group, receiving a Grammy for Best Contemporary Jazz Album for their album The Way Up. He also won the Jazz Journalists Association ‘Player of the Year Award’. After his Grammy win, Maret embarked on a two-year tour with the worldclass bassist Marcus Miller and subsequently joined Herbie Hancock’s band.

Following his time with Herbie Hancock, he co-led the jazz trio Gaïa with pianist Federico Gonzales Peña and drummer Gene Lake. He also recorded an album, Scenarios, with Andy Milne in 2007. In 2010, Grégoire Maret played at The Concert for the Rainforest with Elton John and Sting.

On March 13, 2012 Maret released his first album as a leader. The eponymous album features such notable guests as vocalist Cassandra Wilson, bassist Marcus Miller, guitarist Raul Midón, Mark Kibble and Alvin Chea of Take 6, and the legendary harmonica player Toots Thielemans.

Personnel include Grégoire Maret: harmonica, vocals; Federico G Pena: piano, taicho harp, percussion, vocals; James Genus: electric bass, vocals, acoustic bass; Clarence Penn: drums, vocals; Bashiri Johnson and Mino Cinelu: percussion; Brandon Ross: soprano acoustic guitar, 6-and-12 string acoustic guitar; Jean-Christophe Maillard: acoustic guitar, taicho harp; Jeff “Tain” Watts: drums; Alfredo Mojica: percussion; Cassandra Wilson: vocals; Stephanie Decailet: violin; Johannes Rose: viola; Fabrice Loyal: cello; Marcus Miller: fretless bass; Janelle Gill, Adia Gill, Clyde Gill, Micai Gill: vocals; Toots Thielemans: harmonica; Robert Kubiszyn: acoustic bass; Krzysztof Herdzin: string arrangement; Gretchen Parlato: voice. Soumas Heritage School of Music Ensemble; Polish orchestra Sinfonia Viva.

Martina DaSilva official site | Martina DaSilva on Facebook | Martina DaSilva on Instagram | Martina DaSilva on YouTube

Jazz vocalist Martina DaSilva, a New York City native, captivates audiences with her signature blend of daring technical virtuosity and expressive emotional sensitivity. Drawing equally from the styles of early jazz, opera, and chamber music, her musicality transcends conventional genre labelling. As a Brazilian-American, Martina also has a passion for performing the works of Brazilian composers. DaSilva actively performs with her own group in addition to leading the jazz vocal harmony group, The Ladybugs. Martina has received high praise for her performances at the Bern International Jazz Festival, the Blue Note Jazz Festival, the NYC Hot Jazz Festival, Jazz At Lincoln Center’s Generations in Jazz Festival, and the NY Winter Jazzfest. The Ladybugs are a traditional jazz vocal group known for their intricate harmonies and experimental arrangements. The band is led by Martina DaSilva and joined by vocalist Kate Davis alongside trombonist Joe McDonough, guitarist Gabe Schnider and bassist Dylan Shamat. The band’s repertoire includes favorites from the 1920s, ‘30s and ‘40s, infused with old-school swing, country and blues. The Ladybugs have performed in recent happening jazz festivals, including the NY Hot Jazz Festival, NYC Winter Jazzfest and Lincoln Center’s Generations in Jazz Festival. In September 2015, the Ladybugs released their debut self-titled album.