Product number: JT1002
US release date: 3/2/2018
Title: Happy Fire – New Kind Of Jazz
Artist: Hiro Honshuku’s Racha Fora
POS: 9710928724284
Liner notes: Kazue Yokoi (music journalist)
Genre: Jazz
Sub genre: World / Brazilian
Label: JazzTokyo
New release from Racha Fora led by Hiro Honshuku. Stylish and thrilling arrangements of carefully selected standard jazz tunes. Racha Fora’s hybrid sound of jazz improvisation and native Brazilian grooves has moved to a new phase.
Hiro Honshuku’s Racha Fora
Happy Fire – New Kind Of Jazz
After 2 years, Hiro Honshuku, a flutist and a composer who lives in Boston, released Racha Fora’s 3rd album. Except Rika Ikeda, the featured violinist and the original member since the beginning of Racha Fora, new members has joined. Andre Vasconcelos on guitar and Sebastian “Cbass” Chiroboga on cajon.
Honshuku gave a very unique and refreshing arrangements to well known jazz standards such as “All The Things You Are”, “In A Sentimental Mood”, “Summertime”, “Someday My Prince Will Come”, “Blues In The Closet” and “A Foggy Day”.
(From the liner notes)
From 1987, Honshuku worked with composer and orchestra leader, George Russell, the creator of the Lydian Chromatic Concept, assisting and performing in Russell’s Living Time Orchestra.
In 2010, Honshuku formed Racha Fora with Rika Ikeda (violin), Mauricio Andrade (guitar), Rafael Russi (bass) and Fernando Saci (pandeiro), a Japanese-Brazilian mixed band. The following year, they recorded their debut CD, “Racha Fora”. Most of the material was written by Honshuku with a taste of Brazilian rhythms. Their 2nd album, “Racha S’Miles” was a tribute to Miles Davis and showcased Honshuku’s unique arranging skills. It featured guest artist Dave Liebman on sax, while Benhur Oliviera (pandeiro) replaced Saci.
On this 3rd album. Andre Vasconcelos replaced Andrade on guitar, pandeiro has been replaced with cajon now played by Harvey Wirht and Sebastian “C-bass” Chiliboga, and is focused on jazz standards.
- Nardis (Miles Davis)
- All The Things You Are (Jerome Kern)
- Happy Fire (Hiroaki Honshuku)
- In A Sentimental Mood (Duke Ellington)
- Estanios Aí (Einhorn/Ferreira/Werneck)
- Summertime (George Gershwin)
- Someday My Prince Will Come (Frank Churchill)
- Blues In The Closet (Oscar Pettiford)
- Nem Um Talvez (Hermeto Pascoal)
- A Foggy Day (George Gershwin)
Racha Fora
- Hiroaki Honshuku – flute / piccolo (track 1 )/ EWI (track 6 & 10)
- Rika Ikeda – violin (track 1, 3, 5, 7, 9)
- Andre Vasconcelos – guitar
- Harvey Wirht – cajon (track 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10)
- Sebastian “C-bass” Chiriboga – cajon (track 1, 3, 9)
- Special Appearance: Yuka Kido – Mint Can (track 3)