Flea - Honora [2LP]

Flea's Honora is the sound of a rock bassist following his first love, a warm, searching jazz record led by trumpet as much as bass. His 2026 solo debut arrives on an etched 2LP pressing.

Best known for decades of slap and thunder with Red Hot Chili Peppers, Flea grew up on jazz, and this is where that history finally comes forward. Named after his great-great-grandmother, whose hard road ran from poverty in Ireland to a new life in Australia, the album was produced by saxophonist Josh Johnson, recorded in early 2025 and released on Nonesuch.

The band is formidable, with guitarist Jeff Parker, bassist Anna Butterss and drummer Deantoni Parks, while Johnson adds sax and keys and Flea moves between bass, trumpet and spoken word. "A Plea" sets the tone with a long, patient groove, and "Traffic Lights" brings in Thom Yorke for a hushed, nocturnal turn. Nick Cave lends his weathered croon to Jimmy Webb's "Wichita Lineman", and an instrumental take on Frank Ocean's "Thinkin Bout You" shows how much tenderness sits under the bravado.

Six originals sit beside the covers, and the whole set moves at an unhurried, late-evening pace.

Unshowy and openhearted, it is a famous musician playing purely for the love of it.