Week 11 - Rising Son - Takuya Kuroda - Afro-Funk Inspired Japanese Brass

Aptly titled, Rising Son is Kuroda’s second studio album and the one that truly demonstrated his musical prowess. Sonically a smooth blend of funk-inspired soul and jazz, this album is groovy to the core. Fairly sparse number of instruments; certainly a very bare album but it allows each instrument to shine. For me the shining aspect of this entire album is the groove; it's infectious and permeates through every track.

My personal favourite track off of this album is.

1. Everybody Loves the Sunshine - A Roy Ayers classic that is only heightened by Kuroda’s trumpet shining through from start to end. The steady pounding drums keep you locked in a Kuroda take you along on an auditory journey. A journey broken up by a minimal chorus before dropping off, making space for Kuroda once again. A memorable take on an already timeless track, this is one for the ages.