Flea | Honora | CD 1544

Flea returns to his first musical love on Honora, his debut full-length solo album for Nonesuch, reconnecting with jazz, improvisation and the trumpet. Composed and arranged by Flea, the album is named after a cherished family member and reflects a long-held desire to create instrumental music shaped by groove, melody and emotional openness.

Across six original pieces and a small set of carefully chosen interpretations, Honora unfolds with patience and warmth, balancing hypnotic rhythms with lyrical restraint. Flea plays trumpet and bass throughout, joined by a close-knit group of modern jazz collaborators including producer and saxophonist Josh Johnson, guitarist Jeff Parker, bassist Anna Butterss and drummer Deantoni Parks. Vocals appear sparingly, with contributions from Flea himself alongside Thom Yorke and Nick Cave.

Key moments include ‘Traffic Lights’, co-written with Yorke and Johnson, and ‘A Plea’, both capturing the album’s reflective tone and intuitive interplay. While Flea is best known for his decades-long career in rock, Honora traces a quieter, more vulnerable path — shaped by years of dedication to relearning his instrument and embracing the risk of starting again.

Intimate, unguarded and deeply felt, Honora stands as a testament to patience, humility and the enduring pull of first inspirations.

 

TRACKLIST 

1.   Golden Wingship

2.    A Plea

3.    Traffic Lights

4.    Frailed

5.    Morning Cry

6.    Maggot Brain

7.    Wichita Lineman

8.    Thinkin Bout You

9.    Willow Weep for Me

10. Free As I Want to Be