Masami Kuroki
Electric Guitar
About
Masami Kuroki is a jazz guitarist based in Los Angeles. Born in Nagasaki, Japan, he studied under guitarist Yoshihisa Suzuki before earning a scholarship to Berklee College of Music, where he enrolled in 1998. After graduating, Kuroki spent time performing in New Orleans, Philadelphia, and Tokyo before settling in LA, where he leads the Masami Kuroki Quartet. He has performed and recorded with a wide range of artists including the Three Degrees, organist Melvin Sparks, saxophonist Tim Warfield, and trumpeter Jun Iida, with whom he recorded the 2024 album Evergreen on OA2 Records. Kuroki is known for his stylistic flexibility, moving comfortably between soul jazz, funk-influenced grooves, and contemporary straight-ahead settings.
Trivia
Kuroki began playing guitar at age twelve under the instruction of Yoshihisa Suzuki, a well-known guitarist in Japan, studying fundamental technique before discovering jazz. He originally enrolled at Berklee to study jazz guitar and spent years freelancing between Philadelphia and Tokyo before committing to Los Angeles as his home base. He leads a quartet that performs regularly at venues around LA, including Japanese-themed listening rooms.
Early Life
Masami Kuroki was born on January 12, 1980, in Nagasaki, Japan. He began playing guitar at the age of twelve and studied under Yoshihisa Suzuki, a prominent Japanese guitarist who provided him with a thorough grounding in technique and musicianship. Kuroki's early training emphasized classical and fundamental guitar skills before he developed an interest in jazz. At eighteen, he enrolled at Berklee College of Music in Boston, entering in 1998 as part of a growing cohort of international jazz students. At Berklee, he honed his improvisational skills and deepened his understanding of jazz harmony and performance. After completing his studies, Kuroki moved through several cities — New Orleans, Philadelphia, and Tokyo — freelancing steadily and building his professional network before eventually settling in Los Angeles.
Masami Kuroki Solos
2023
Electric Guitar solo - Gooey Butter Cake - 2023
4/4 swing in B♭ major at 192 BPM
Electric Guitar solo - Evergreen - 2023
4/4 straight in C major at 135 BPM
Electric Guitar solo - Bellarosa - 2023
4/4 swing in E♭ major at 180 BPM
2019
Electric Guitar solo - Martha's Prize - 2019
4/4 swing in E♭ major at 198 BPM
Electric Guitar solo - L's Bop - 2019
4/4 swing in E major at 290 BPM
Electric Guitar solo - St. Louis Blues - 2019
4/4 swing in F major at 175 BPM
Electric Guitar solo - Like Someone In Love - 2019
5/4 swing in E♭ major at 177 BPM
Electric Guitar solo - I'll Be Seeing You - 2019
4/4 swing in E♭ major at 145 BPM
Electric Guitar solo - Beatrice - 2019
7/8 straight in F major at 258 BPM