Trumpeter Miki Hirose’s Scratch from 2013 sizzles with energy, fueled by impeccable trumpet lines fronting a jazz quintet on this outing. Extra propulsion is garnered from the addition of congas on three of the seven tracks, with funky, Latin, and modern New York jazz vibrations coming together for a satisfying balance of cerebral and physical stimulation. Boiling turbulence, confident swagger, and well-thought out ideas burst acrobatically from the tracks, scratching the itch for flashy yet discerning music.

Scratch by Miki Hirose

• Miki Hirose - trumpet & flugelhorn
• Xavier Perez - tenor sax
• Toru Dodo - piano, Fender Rhodes
• Aiden O’Donnell - bass
• Jerome Jennings - drums
• Mauricio Herrera - congas (#1, 3, 4)

Released in 2013 on Jazz Lab Records as JLR-1301.

Japanese names: 広瀬未来 Hirose Miki 百々徹 Dodo Toru

Audio and Video

• Promotional video for this album:

• Excerpt from track #1: “スクラッチ (Scratch)”

Jazz of Japan #128 • Feb 1, 2021 • Brian McCrory