HANAMICHI - The Final Studio Recording Vol. II
Masabumi Kikuchi

Hanamichi - The Final Studio Recording Vol. II is a continuation of the late Japanese pianist Masabumi Kikuchi's final studio sessions. This recording—following the critically acclaimed 2021 debut volume—offers seven additional tracks from the same December 2013 sessions at the now defunct Klavierhaus concert hall in New York.

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Recorded just two years before his passing in 2015, these sessions capture Kikuchi at his most contemplative and expressive, embodying what he called his ability to "lay back" and appreciate his own musicality through "hard-earned, critical distance." The album features his distinctive interpretations of beloved standards alongside expansive improvisations that showcase his unique capacity for abstraction infused with poetic beauty.

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The seven tracks on Vol.II span over 43 minutes of music, including Kikuchi's transformative takes on "Manhã de Carnaval," "Alone Together," "I Loves You Porgy," and "My Ship"—songs deeply connected to his formative years as a music student in Tokyo in the late 1950s. Interwoven throughout are three of his signature improvisations, which critic Ben Ratliff describes in his liner notes as "instant ballads from another planet," demonstrating Kikuchi's remarkable ability to create music that moves "not forward toward musical resolutions, but outward."

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Produced by Sun Chung, engineered by Rick Kwan, and mastered by Alex Bonney, the recording exemplifies Red Hook Records' commitment to state-of-the-art sound quality. Every nuance of Kikuchi's performance is captured with breathtaking detail—from his delicate pedaling technique to his command of overtones at the margins, creating what Ratliff calls "floating sound and harmony." 

 

"Prior to releasing the first volume of Hanamichi, I knew that we had captured something special. While putting together the sequence, there was already an ideal architecture, as well as so much substance to the first album, that I decided to release the music at two different time, so that listeners could fully absorb the experience. Ultimately we chose to put out this 2nd volume in 2025, which also turned into a chance to celebrate Masabumi Kikuchi's life in music, 10 years after his passing," explains Chung. 

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Kikuchi's approach to these familiar standards reveals his extraordinary artistic evolution. His performance of "Manhã de Carnaval" features a five-second gap of controlled silence before the eighth note of Luiz Bonfá's famous melody—"long enough for you to imagine another beginning," as Ratliff notes in his comprehensive liner notes. Meanwhile, his renditions of "I Loves You Porgy" and "My Ship" become rare examples of Kikuchi performances with careful arrangements, yet still embody his philosophy of music as "floating sound and harmony" rather than outcome-based exercise.

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Throughout his career, Kikuchi consistently defied conventional jazz logic and protocols while maintaining his opposition "without fronting or fighting." These final studio recordings represent the culmination of his artistic philosophy, presenting melodies with sublime clarity and elegance while maintaining a searching quality—as if discovering every note anew. His improvisations are expansive explorations that reveal Kikuchi's remarkable ability to find profound meaning within musical abstraction, all while demonstrating his masterful command of dynamics from the most delicate whispers to powerful declarations.

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"I don't have any technique," Kikuchi once told the New York Times, though as these recordings demonstrate, he had developed something far more valuable—his own musical language. His highly idiosyncratic approach, characterized by long silences and a keyboard touch that could be both delicate and combative, created what Ben Ratliff describes as "cloistered originality."

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Born in Tokyo in 1939, Kikuchi's musical journey took him from early bossa nova recordings with Sadao Watanabe through collaborations with Gil Evans, Elvin Jones, Joe Henderson, and Paul Motian. By his later years, he had retreated into a more private musical world, recording prolifically in his Chelsea loft—by his own count, more than 50 solo albums—while rarely releasing music commercially.

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This music offers listeners something transcendent—a connection to the profound depths of human creativity and artistic achievement. These performances embody Kikuchi's belief that his hands were "connected to his soul," creating music that inspires awe at what human artistry can accomplish. Hanamichi - The Final Studio Recording Vol.II represents the pinnacle of his musical journey, proving that he never stopped progressing as an artist. The album invites listeners into an intimate musical journey that promises moments of profound expression and deep connection to the boundless possibilities of creative music.

Recorded December 2013

Klavierhaus, New York

Engineer: Rick Kwan

Mastering: Alex Bonney

Cover Art: Tae Cimarosti

Design: Modern Activity

 

Produced by Sun Chung