snobb "Hanamichi" is Japanese pianist Masabumi Kikuchi, who was living in New York for decades, last studio recording. Kikuchi has been known by his collaborations with Gary Peacock and Paul Motian, and his original piano playing techniques.

"Hanamichi..." (what is the bridge-way that allows the actor to exit the stage by crossing the auditorium through the audience in Japanese Kabuki theatre) was recorded on a vintage Steinway at Klavierhaus in New York City in December 2013, the pianist passed away in July of 2015 at the age of 75. The recording sessions, which were organized by former ECM producer Sun Chung and lasted two days, were done while Kikuchi was already sick. It's known that he slept two hours in the middle of one session. His music here is a bit more fragile and meditative than usual.

Surprisingly enough, the album's material isn't what one would usually expect from Kikuchi. Besides of his own quite free "Improvisation", and one of his most popular originals, "Little Abi"(a song of rare beauty, dedicated to his daughter), Kikuchi plays "Ramona", originally a Latin-ballad from the late 20s, unorthodox, 11+minutes long version of "Summertime" and two radically different versions of "My Favorite Things". Recorded sound is perfectly crisp, in ECM tradition, just slightly warmer.

In same way as his once collaborator Paul Motian, Kikuchi pays a lot of attention to how each single note sounds, the silence is an important component of his music. Slightly less energetic and a bit more philosophical, than Kikuchi's music from some last years, this album is a perfect soundtrack for a matured master exit, Zen-meditative and non-melancholic cool at the same time.

snobb Piano player Masabumi Kikuchi, who passed away in 2015, was an unsung hero of multicultural American-Japanese jazz. Born in Tokyo in 1939 and living in New York from 1974, he went a long way on both US and Japan scenes, playing with greats such as Gil Evans, Elvin Jones, Joe Henderson and Terumasa Hino among many others. Masabumi experienced early fame as a leader playing then popular fusion in early 70s, and partially playing an early synthesizers jazz. From 90s, he became a member of Paul Motian band for decades still releasing his own albums extensively.

"Feel You" is one of Kikuchi's more obscure releases, recorded in New York and released in Japan and Germany. Here Masabumi plays as old school acoustic trio with lesser known Americans bassist James Genus and drummer Victor Jones. Stylistically covering large range of genres, "Feel You" is first of all true TRIO's album. Each member has his own significant voice here, and there is enough space for every one of them.

Album opens and closes with "Pain Killer"(I & II respectively). Funky memorable tune with deep wooden bass sounds as if the bassist is a leader of the trio. "Zig Zag" comes as true 70s post bop song with a spark, here (as well as on some others compositions) one can hear Kikuchi's moaning, not in such annoying way as Jarrett does, fortunately.

"Free Stroll" is mid-tempo freer piece, as it's title says, and the longest song on this album. Partially constructed as a dialogue between soloing piano and double bass with a support of drummer, this song is surprisingly accessible, even attractive despite of its quite loose structure.

"Little Treat" is a little ballad quite similar to such well known from Paul Motian's trio recordings (surprisingly, it is James Genus' original, the only other than Kikuchi's originals on this album, which besides of them contains two standards as well). "It Never Entered My Mind" is one of the standards (written by Hart & Rodgers), sounding here slightly melancholic and very airy.

Masabumi Kikuchi was known by his own very individual piano playing manner, when playing he's been leaving a lot of silence between separate notes. Some called his manner "a Japanese influence", he often wasn't agreeable with this tag, but as a result his music is very often quite meditative, with a touch of melancholy, but with a strict control over emotional coloring. Being a child of two radically different megalopolises, Tokyo and New York, Masabumi very often sounds as a lonely artist in a big city. Like Woody Allen in his movies, Masabumi paints his New York, just not from the Near East or Eastern Europe (Allen's heritage), but from his big city Zen-Buddhist roots.

"Up Beat Blues" actually is a brilliant post-bop piece with sultry sound demonstrating excellent collaboration between all three band members. "20th St. Shuffle" is an acoustic fusion of sort, where Kikuchi plays minimalist staccato piano over the drummer's fanfares, imitating a moving train's sound all song long.

Even if the album looks quite eclectic in genres on paper, in real life it sounds organic, united in one musical post from a capable and inspired trio.

Since both original vinyl releases (Japanese and European) are collectable rarities, the only existing reissue on CD (coming from Japan,2015) is probably easier and cheaper to find. Not really the album for newcomers, "Feel You" is interesting and valuable release for everyone who already found out the original beauty of Kikuchi's better known works and wants more.

snobb Pianist Masabumi Kikuchi, who passed away just a few months ago, was one of most significant piano jazz master in Japan. Never so loud and radical as Masahiko Satoh or Yosuke Yamashita, Kikuchi spend big part of his life in New York playing with local artists. During 70s and 80s he was one of the fusion star on Japanese scene,later worked a lot on a movies soundtracks and during last decades returned to more mainstream jazz,playing post bop with Paul Motian and/or Gary Peacock or more chamber jazz with Japanese musicians.

It's interesting that on his most current albums Masabumi obviously showed increasing interest to freer jazz even if one can find a very few avant-garde Kikuchi's recordings coming from genre's "golden age" of late 60s or mid 70s.His ECM debut "Sunrise",released only three years ago (when Kikuchi was 73 years old),contains good example of Kikuchi's meditative free form improvisational jazz.

Recordings,presented on this new album,have been made a year before material,released on ECM's "Sunrise", but have been never released till now. Quartet of Masabumi on piano,American bassists of younger generation Ben Street and Thomas Morgan (who recorded on "Sunrise" as well)and Danish drummer Kresetn Osgood plays on eight fully improvised compositions,which not really sound like such.

Masabumi has been interested for quite a long time in new look on structure of songs, experimenting with tuneful fragments which in fact were too short for being true finished compositions,but sounded as part of (non-existing) longer pieces.Music,presented on this album, is probably best illustration of this his concept.

Each musical fragment (all them have no titles,just numbers)starts from the middle of some abstract tune and goes nowhere but at the same time never loosing initial tune or rhythm. Paul Motian-influenced Osgood drumming and double acoustic basses muscular groove builds excellent platform for slow to mid-tempo but no way lazy percussive piano. For outsider all this action sounds as he's listening to knotty improvisations of some composed tunes when music stays easy accessible and even almost catchy but he just doesn't can catch the tune,running away from him every next second.

As whole album, this music has magic ability to fix your attention from first sounds till the very end and leaves the listener with a feeling as if he heard full concert of different songs or one conceptual piece which has been developed before him under some quirky and secret formula. At the same time you understand that you can't recall even a single tune because of very simple reason - there were not true tunes presented.

The only serious warning for potential listeners of this album - it is full of Kikuchi vocalizes. If you are not happy about Keith Jarrett's moaning on some his recordings,then stay away from this Kikuchi work. Masabumi here sighs and moans hundred time louder and more often than you can hear on nosiest Jarrett recordings. For me personally,Kikuchi's vocalize is just a component of his music here and it only adds more special atmosphere,but I believe for some listeners it could destroy all music's beauty. Most probably Kikuchi's singing was one of the reasons why such a good material, recorded in 2008, hasn't been released till now.

Released on Danish ILK label, this album isn't so hard to find for on line purchase, but because of limited advertising and distribution possibilities there is a big chance it will stay almost unnoticed. Find it and you will enjoy one of the best ever Kikuchi's recorded music,at the same time experiencing unusual beauty of fully improvised jazz.

snobb After his studies in Berklee, Japanese pianist Masabumi Kikuchi returned back in Japan in 1969 with lot of experience and new musical ideas. Unlike some other Japanese former Berklee graduates of the time, he didn't import to his home country the spirit of free jazz. His passion was fusion.

In 1970 he formed his first whole-Japanese double-piano/double-drums sextet and released one of the very first fusion album in Japan - "Re-confirmation". Differently from dominated in Japan multi-national projects,where leading domestic jazz musicians played with world (mostly American) stars, Kikuchi Sextet was a rare example of whole-national band,developing still very new even for Western world genre of jazz fusion. As with many previous and later Kikuchi works, his-led band is deeply rooted in post-bop (especially rhythm section),with partial exception of freer sax player Kohsuke Mine.

Six Kikuchi originals are full of energy, not particularly aggressive, but tuneful and generally well balanced and executed. One can hardly find any specific "Japanese" taste here, the album sounds as if it was recorded by American jazzmen of the time. Rhythm section is obviously more traditional than the new sound and anchors the music to more mainstream jazz, while the use of a Fender piano(not Masabumi himself but Masahiro Kikuchi) brings the music towards more modern collectives of the time.

Year 1970 was most prolific in Masabumi's career (with almost ten albums released as leader/co-leader)and his successful career as one of leading Japanese fusion pianist started here. He will release more catchy and much more commercially successful albums later,but "Re-confirmation" is valuable as evidence of that rare inspired early fusion example which very soon will disappear from genre's recordings not only in Japan but everywhere in the world.

snobb Japanese pianist Masabumi Kikuchi is one among this country's best known abroad jazzmen. He studied in Berklee in late 60s and on return to Japan played with many American musicians,touring the country.

I've read in Masabumi's interview with Ethan Iverson (2013)he never liked his Berklee studies (except for Herb Pomeroy)and in his early years was influenced by advanced artists of the time as McCoy Tyner.He met Paul Bley when he played in Japan with Sonny Rollins,and Paul became his next hero.

Later, Masabumi started playing with bassist Gary Peacock (who palyed with Bley and lived in Japan for some years in late 60s-early 70s). Here 0n "Poesy",Peacock plays excellent deep physical bass on three compositions (I believe Peacock's time in Japan was his most inventive and advanced period), but generally this album is Kikuchi duo work with leading Japanese percussionist Masahiko Togashi.

Masahiko Togashi was one of very first Japanese free-jazz drummer in early 60s, but after accident in late 60s he wasn't able to play drums anymore. He switched to percussion and developed very complex and loose own techniques.Here on "Poesy" Masahiko demonstrates it in whole.

"Poesy" isn't characteristic album for Japanese early 70s jazz scene - it isn't loud,noisy,dissonant and quirky. No-one pushes music to the limit here. Kikuchi is obviously influenced by American jazz tradition, he plays tuneful and even warm piano,but without sentimentalism or catchy appeal of some his later works.He even doesn't scream a lot when playing on Jarrett's manner(he will develop this techniques later, but you still can hear him here as well what shows that he did it originally,with no relation to this Jarrett's manner; Jarrett will become star after few years).

"Poesy" is a great title for this music,just think about Western-Japanese cocktail,mixing European tradition with American freedom and Eastern Buddhist meditativeness.Music sounds well balanced as rarely,being beautiful,adventurous and stimulating at the same time.

Kikuchi will return back to States soon where he will stay for decades till now.He will release many albums developing his own style (some of them are really successful, others-not so much).Gary Peacock will become a real ECM star playing with Jarrett and Paul Motian among others (his Japanese period collaborations stay one of his most interesting works till now). Masahiko Togashi continued to enjoy Japan's cult percussionist status for decades ahead.

This album (with magnificent full title "Poesy:The Man Who Keeps Washing His Hands")was reissued on CD and became easier accessible evidence of great times in jazz.