05/09/2025
2025 marks 10 years since Masabumi Kikuchi's passing. In celebration of his life in music, today we announce the pre-release of Hanamichi - The Final Studio Recording Vol. II, by the late Japanese pianist Masabumi Kikuchi. This album—following the critically acclaimed 2021 release—offers seven new tracks from the same December 2013 sessions. Recorded at the now defunct Klavierhaus concert hall in New York, on a magnificent, newly rebuilt vintage Steinway D, just two years before his passing in 2015, these sessions capture Kikuchi at the pinnacle of his craft. 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.
Release date: October 24th, 2025
Pre-Order the album here: https://linktr.ee/redhookrecords
