Trumpeter Keisuke Nakamura leads a group of contemporary jazz musicians called HUMADOPE, a post-bop Jazz Messengers-styled quintet with a trumpet/sax front line and piano/bass/drums rhythm section. The name itself (a mix of human/mad/dope), conveys the seemingly dangerous edge displayed on blisteringly fast tunes taken up by the skilled soloists as they burn through the changes – yet also a warm sensitivity played on soulful ballads and cool, groovy numbers.
This album consists of well-written original compositions with a few covers thrown in (Freddie Hubbard, Herbie Hancock, Quincy Jones). Overall, an excellent debut with a variety of moods, tempos, and exciting solos.
Leader: Keisuke Nakamura · 中村恵介 · http://ameblo.jp/keisuke-nakamura
Members:
- Keisuke Nakamura – trumpet, flugelhorn
- Akihiro Nishiguchi – tenor sax, soprano sax
- Akane Matsumoto – piano
- Motoi Kanamori – bass
- Yasushi Fukumori – drums
- Mamoru Ishida – Rhodes (tr. 5, 6)
- Shun Ishiwaka – drums (tr. 1)
Released 2014 on M581 Records SDR1401.
The album is available for download online: https://itunes.apple.com/jp/album/humadope/id957784554?l=en
A live performance of track 4 from this album:
* Audio sample at top of page is from “Speed Harassment”, which opens the album.