imaginative original jazz Jun Iida – EVERGREEN: New releases from Origin Arts Records are always welcomed here, and the debut album from trumpet/flugelhorn player Jun Iida is among the most imaginative and original jazz albums we’ve listened to (yet) in 2023. Here’s a LIVE performance (from a couple years back, with different players) that will reveal why I dug this album so much…
You’ll find several other performances to enjoy when you SUBSCRIBE to Jun’s YouTube channel (I signed up immediately).
In addition to Jun’s fantastic horn playing, you’ll also get to hear Masami Kuroki (guitar), Jonathan Richards (bass), drummer Xavier Lecouturier and acclaimed New York vocalist Aubrey Johnson; as you listen to the opener, “Gooey Butter Cake“, an original by Jun, you’ll quickly realize why we consider him an “up and comer”… this tune plays over and over again through my headphones – a true winner!
It was the lively title track, “Evergreen” (another original from Jun), though, that caught my ear and made it my personal favorite of the ten tantalizing tunes offered up. Jun and his players get a MOST HIGHLY RECOMMENDED rating, with an “EQ” (energy quotient) score of 4.99 for this wonderful debut album, which officially releases on January 19th, 2024. Keep your eyes and ears on Jun’s Spotify channel for more information as it becomes available.
