Evergreen - Jun Iida

Evergreen is trumpeter Jun Iida's album released in 2024, featuring an expanded ensemble that includes Iida on trumpet and flugelhorn, guitarist Masami Kuroki, pianist Josh Nelson, bassist Jonathan Richards, and drummer Xavier Lecouturier, with vocalist Aubrey Johnson appearing on select tracks. The ten-track program mixes Iida's original compositions with arrangements of material from outside the jazz canon, including "Akatombo" (a Japanese folk melody), "Shiki no Uta" (a Japanese pop song), and Alex North's "Love Theme from Spartacus." Iida's originals — "Evergreen," "Bellarosa," "Forgotten Memories," "Gooey Butter Cake," and others — reflect a lyrical, melodically-focused approach to composition. His trumpet and flugelhorn playing favors warmth and clarity over virtuosic display, and Johnson's wordless vocals add an additional melodic layer on her featured tracks. The album represents a step up in scope from Iida's earlier trio recordings, with Nelson's piano and the full rhythm section providing a richer harmonic and rhythmic canvas. The mix of Japanese and American musical sources gives the album a distinctive character that reflects Iida's background as a Japanese-born musician working in the Los Angeles jazz scene.