Hikari Ichihara: Sara Smile

Jul 15, 2024

Sara Smile is the second album from trumpeter Hikari Ichihara, released in 2006. This nine-track album is an alluring mix of jazz standards, pop covers, and a few of Ichihara’s original compositions.

Ichihara’s group on this album is formed by drummer Lewis Nash, bassist Peter Washington, and pianist Adam Birnbaum. While the music is mostly played by the trumpeter’s quartet, the group expands with trumpeter Dominick Farinacci or sax player Grant Stewart stepping in to play with Ichihara on certain songs. Ichihara also switches between trumpet and flugelhorn for further variety in her playing and sound.

Beloved orthodox swing and bop tunes make up about half of the album, with songs like #1 “Cleopatra’s Dream” and #4 “It Could Happen to You”. These jazz pieces are perfect showcases for Ichihara’s naturally stylish and standout jazz improvisation, whether fronting her quartet or going up against her virtuoso horn teammates in quintets.

Adding to the locked-in swing beats and walking bass lines on standard tunes (a deep jazz pulse that is especially felt on #3 “Blue Prelude” and #7 “Golden Earrings”), are Ichihara’s own compositions #5 “I’ve Got It”, a funky rock groove, and #8 “Intro” a cheerful samba written to start her live shows with an impact.

Pop and soft rock also get special attention from Ichihara’s band, complementing the album’s melodic depth with the band’s expert expressive touches. The musicians play tenderly on #2 Sting’s “Fragile”, #9 Bacharach’s “Close To You”, and the unforgettable title track #7 “Sara Smile” by Hall & Oates. These three songs, with skillful arrangements worthy of the original composers’ songcraft, fit incredibly naturally with Ichihara’s mellow, authentic sound. Just as with the jazz tracks, these are captivating moments filled with soulful playing.

Liner Notes

(Translated from Shinya Takagi’s original Japanese liner notes.)

Introducing 23-year-old up-and-coming trumpeter Hikari Ichihara’s second album Sara Smile.

Her debut album Ichiban no Shiawase (August 2005) is a collection of original songs that showcased 22-year-old Hikari’s sensibilities through the sounds of Shigeru Suzuki (guitar) of Happy End and Hiroshi Sato (piano) of Hucklebuck, who led the Japanese pop scene.

This second album is Hikari’s first recording made in New York and is a minor masterpiece where she competes head-on with the local cream of the crop. Even so, it’s hard to believe this is her first “real jazz” album. Her storytelling-like performance is confident and amazing. By any measure, she is not just a superficial talent.

Hikari Ichihara was born in Tokyo on December 12, 1982. Her father is drummer Yasushi Ichihara and her mother is a wedding planner. She advanced straight through Seikei Elementary School, Seikei Junior High School, and Seikei High School.

She began classical trumpet upon entering junior high school, enjoying the playing of Wynton Marsalis (only hearing Marsalis’s classical playing at the time) and Sergei Nakariakov. Both are geniuses with superb technique, high musicianship, and simple beautiful performers.

Then, in her third year of junior high school, she was greatly influenced by hearing the trumpet playing of Eric Miyashiro, and she resolved to play jazz. She enrolled in the jazz course at Senzoku Gakuen College of Music and studied jazz trumpet under Hara Tomonao for four years.

In August 2004, she participated in the Waseda University High Society Orchestra and entered the 35th Yamano Big Band Jazz Concert, where she was awarded the Outstanding Soloist Award and made a great impact. She graduated from university in March 2005 and went straight into a professional music career.

Her favorite trumpeters are Till Brönner, Rick Braun, Chris Botti, and Dominic Farinacci, who participated on this album. She doesn’t seem to have an end-all, be-all idol, however.

This album was recorded in New York on June 24-25, 2006, and has gathered the best members. First of all, the rhythm section is made up of a group of battle-hardened veterans.

Bassist Peter Washington was born on August 28, 1964, and is 41 years old. In 1986, he was selected at the young age of 21 to play with Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers. Drummer Lewis Nash was born on December 30, 1958, and is 47 years old. In 1985 he moved from Arizona to New York, where he worked under the renowned vocalist Betty Carter and raised his profile. Together, these two have played on over 3000 recordings.

The other three members are young and talented musicians who are attracting attention. Pianist Adam Birnbaum was born in 1979 and is 26 years old. He released his debut album Ballade Pour Adeline in February of this year. Trumpeter Dominick Farinacci was born in 1983 and is 23 years old. In 1999, he caught the eye of Wynton Marsalis at a clinic in his hometown of Ohio, which led to him performing with the Wynton Marsalis Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra the following year. At the age of 19 in 2003, he released his debut album Manhattan Dreams, quickly turning heads for a style based on traditional playing techniques.

Both Adam and Dominick, with the support of Wynton Marsalis, became graduates of the New York Juilliard School Jazz Studies Program that had just started in 2001.

Tenor saxophone player Grant Stewart was born in Canada on June 4, 1971, and is 35 years old. He moved to New York at the age of 19 to pursue jazz. As well as gaining popularity through his melodic playing style that could be called “singing tenor”, he’s also fired up by “Knockout! Eric Alexander”.

So then, on to listening to Hikari Ichihara playing New York jazz.

Track #1 [“Cleopatra’s Dream”] is Bud Powell’s most famous song. Up first is Grant’s tenor, dynamic playing reminiscent of Sonny Rollins. Next is Hikari’s wonderful trumpet bearing delicate nuances with subtle shadows, followed by a solo from Adam.

#2 [“Fragile”] is Sting’s iconic ballad. It’s a profound song expressing Sting’s anti-war and human rights wishes. Hikari thought that the flugelhorn would definitely match this song which she arranged with care and plays with emotion. Hikari’s solo begins, placed between short solos from Adam. She plays sensitively and makes full use of the mid-range of her instrument.

#3 [“Blue Prelude”] was a big hit song in 1933, sung by Bing Crosby. It sets a perfect late-night mood, just like Miles Davis’ version of “Round Midnight”. Hikari’s ‘pet and Dominick’s muted ‘pet face off. It’s a battle of beautiful bluesy melodies and a song that shows Hikari’s development.

#4 [“It Could Happen to You”] is a love song known from the music for the 1944 movie And the Angels Sing. It was included in Miles Davis’ Relaxin’, although Hikari did not know about that. Hikari’s flugelhorn solo is filled with exquisitely poetic playing and worth listening to.

#5 [“I’ve Got It”] is a stylish original by Hikari. She also has a talent for composing, and eight of the ten tracks on her debut record Ichiban no Swiawase were originals. (She composes songs on piano.) A bass solo from Peter Washington is also featured.

#6, “Sara Smile”, is a famous hit song from 1976 by Hall & Oates. Along with being the album title, it is also the album highlight. A fiery Hikari on flugelhorn mindfully goes head to head with Dominick on trumpet. The wonderful arrangement was written by Dominick. Let’s listen closely. The intro is by Hikari’s flugelhorn. The first statement of the theme starting at 23 seconds is Dominick’s ‘pet. The second statement (from 1:20) is Hikari, after which she starts her adlib solo. At 3:02, the two cross paths, and Dominick begins his solo at 3:10. Dominick continues on and plays the last theme statement (3:48). Hikari joins with an obbligato. The two continue to play simultaneously and chase one another as they head towards the ending. It’s a spectacular performance. Even with close listening, it can be difficult to tell who is Dominick and who is Hikari. This alone is surely more proof of Hikari’s tremendous growth.

#7 [“Golden Earrings”] is the theme song composed by the legendary Victor Young for the movie of the same name. This is the jazziest song on the album. Hikari takes care to play out the melody line with peak lyrical qualities. It’s a definitive tour-de-force together with and following the previous song. The beautiful single-tone line by Adam which follows is also excellent. The great solos from Hikari and Adam… this is jazz. Louis’s brushes and Peter’s bass also feel so good.

#8 [“Intro”] is an original samba by Hikari. She wrote this as the first song for a live performance about three years ago, and so it was named “Intro”. It’s a fun creation. Her father, Yasushi Ichihara, also recorded it as track #5 on his Love is Here to Stay / TRIO’ release from last July.

#9 [“Close to You”] is a Burt Bacharach song that Hikari knew of through The Carpenters. She sings out loudly and bright.

Going to New York seems to have been an opportune time for Hikari’s growth. This record is also a document of the big step forward taken by Hikari, bringing along a sense of vigor with it.

On the day before the recording (June 23rd), Hikari went to Roth’s to listen to Satoshi Inoue’s show. She also joined in and played about five songs, and the New York audience was delighted. Lewis Nash, with whom she played alongside that night, praised her and said “How old is she? She’s [already] great and amazingly talented.”

On the night of the first day of recording (June 24th), she went to listen to Wynton Marsalis. Backstage, forty minutes before showtime, Wynton asked her, “Play a little something”. She played boldly. Uttering just a few words, Wynton said “Your sound is good!” and smiled. It was in a small room for just a short time, but an extraordinary lesson began. Hikari also smiled. And she began to feel an intense desire to live in New York. She began to feel a strong desire to study in New York.

Hikari’s jazz journey has just begun. We look forward to what will come.

(2006/7/16 高木信哉 [Shinya Takagi])