Kikuchi, Masabumi
Red Hook, 2021, CD
Instrument: Piano
Issue: 27.2
Jazz Ruler Type: Ballads, Blues
Performance: 4
Sound: 4
Score: 83
O’s Notes: Masabumi Kikuchi is the late Japanese pianist and composer who was ever evolving in search of his defining signature. Hanamichi is a solo piano album of soft ballads that can serve as a warm backdrop for almost any occasion, particularly dining. These are classic, memorable tunes, but done in a way that their identity is a mystery for a moment, while Kikuchi bathes us in the splendor of his prowess on the keyboard, one that he was finally satisfied with.
Publicist: Braithwaite & Katz