Takuya Kuroda dropped his eighth studio record titled EVERYDAY almost a year ago to the date and he swung by Jazz Alley to celebrate. The Kobe-born and Brooklyn-based trumpeter is known for his fusion of jazz, hip-hop, and neo-soul, and his outing last night at Jazz Alley did not disappoint. Kuroda has described the creation of the new album as a cycle of constant refinement where he makes tracks at home, brings them to the studio to add or replace sounds, invites musicians, and repeats the process to polish the track exactly as he hears it.

Kuroda and his Quintet arrived at the Jazz Alley stage looking remarkably sharp last night, especially considering they had boarded a 4 a.m. flight out of New York that same day. The last time Jazz Alley heard the latest from Kuroda was two years ago. I missed that performance, but I did catch him a couple of years back at the Cork Jazz Festival in Ireland where he played a hypnotic set at the Triskel Christchurch venue.

For this outing, Kuroda and his bandmates stuck mostly to original compositions from his various albums over the last decade-plus years. They wasted no time getting into the groove as they tore into the gritty, funk-laden “R.S.B.D.” from his 2016 release ZIGZAGGER. That shifted perfectly into “Intro – The Only Way” from his newest pressing, EVERYDAY.

Kuroda was joined on stage by players with formidable chops. Craig Hill had total command of the tenor sax all night with his muscular tone and effortless riffs. Taka Izumikawa was a delight to watch (and listen to) on keys as his skills and range were on full display. Corey King handled double duty on trombone and vocals, delivering both with a smooth and soulful vibe. Jon Smith kept the band grounded on bass, while David Frazier was relentless on the drums as he blended a traditional kit with electronic beats and textures.

After a quick scan of the room to see if he might spot Ichiro, one of his favorite Seattle ballplayers from the past, Kuroda didn’t see the legend. However, he did acknowledge a fan in a Mariners cap in a crowd that was so packed only a few seats remained.

Sticking with the February 2025 release of EVERYDAY, the Quintet launched into the frantic number “Car 16 15 A.” David Frazier was incredibly tight on the drums during this one. Taka Izumikawa also soared through a solo on keys where he looked just as comfortable exploring the full range of his electric boards as he was laying down fat chords for the rest of the group to play off of. The band was clearly feeling the energy since the song references that chaotic state of running to catch a train, or in this specific instance, their plane to make it to the next gig.

The band then revisited ZIGZAGGER to play “Do They Know,” which was co-written by Corey King. While King’s trombone punctuated the set, his vocals took center stage on this particular piece. After checking back in with the audience to make sure everyone was having a good time (we definitely were), Kuroda dipped back into his catalog. This time it was the LP RISING SUN, which he released 12 years ago. With a wide range of influences on display, Kuroda broke out a bit of dubstep with “Mala,” a track inspired by the album Mala in Cuba produced by British artist Mala (Mark Lawrence). On this version, Kuroda made sure the entire quintet was featured.

Kuroda didn’t want to leave the stage before performing at least one classic cover, which was also included on that RISING SUN outing. With a nod to the late, great Roy Ayers, the Quintet laid down the iconic groove of “Everybody Loves the Sunshine” with King back on vocals. They capped off the evening with “Think Twice,” once again reaching back to the 2016 record ZIGZAGGER. It was a rowdy, horn-heavy vibe to send the crowd off happily into the drizzly Seattle night.

You have one more chance to catch Kuroda and his band at Jazz Alley tonight at 7:30. Get tix here.