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Jazz trumpeter Takuya Kuroda is a forward-thinking musician with a bent toward mixing post-bop and adventurous soul-jazz. Born in Kobe, Japan, Kuroda followed his older trombonist brother into the local music scene, playing in big bands. After studying music in Japan, Kuroda relocated to Boston to attend the Berklee College of Music. While at Berklee, Kuroda befriended upcoming jazz vocalist José James, who invited Kuroda to record with him. Kuroda appeared on James' 2010 sophomore album, Blackmagic, and later on No Beginning No End -- for which he also wrote the horn arrangements. In 2013, Kuroda signed with Blue Note Records and recorded his third solo album, the José James-produced Rising Son. Released in 2014, Rising Son featured a strong soul-jazz and hip-hop influence exemplified by the presence of several Roy Ayers compositions including "Everybody Loves the Sunshine," which featured James on vocals. ~ Matt Collar