Hanamichi - The Final Studio Recording

"I first met Poo in Tokyo, 1969, and through the years we collaborated on so many projects. He was continually searching for his ‘voice’ that he couldn’t articulate with words. It wasn’t until a few years before he died that his ‘voice’ found him! His persistence, conviction and dedication to the muse remain a continual inspiration for me.”
Gary Peacock, May 2020

"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.

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.

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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