Concert review
Festival opens with best of Hawai'i jazz
By Dave Bellino
Special to The Advertiser
Music is an art form that rides on the ephemeral wings of sound. It is here for a moment, then gone. Age does not matter.
Gregory Yamamoto • The Honolulu Advertiser
And the proof? Last night the eighth annual Hawaii International Jazz Festival, brimming with ageless talent, opened with the likes of Hula Joe and the Hut Jumpers, Jake Shimabukuro, Brother Noland, Rene Paulo and family, David Choy and Gabe Baltazar.
Jake Shimabukuro got a standing ovation and call for an encore in the first half of the jazz festival at the Blaisdell Concert Hall.
This was called a night of Hawaiian jazz, but in truth it was a night of great music played by the stars of jazz in Hawai'i. The audience was smiling and the applause was grand in a nearly packed Blaisdell Concert Hall.
Opening the festival was Zanuck Lindsey's Hula Joe and the Hut Jumpers, who sparked the night with flair, playing hybrid sounds that were sometimes swing and sometimes Texas boogie. The four-piece horn section punctuated the air with its big band sound. The 12-piece band featured the tight vocals of Zanuck, "Gin Rummy" Ginai and the newest member, Corey Funai. Every tune was tight, well rehearsed and hot, hot, hot.
Brother Noland had stories and analogies: "Jazz is like surfing. You see how you can make the most of each wave (each song)."
David Choy was on sax and his soulful and sometimes be-bop-sprinkled solos revealed highlights of the tunes. The experienced rhythm section of Steve Jones on bass and Noel Okimoto on drums with BB Shaun on guitar was a solid foundation. Brother Noland's rendition of Van Morrison's "Moondance" grooved in every beat.
| Hawaii International Jazz Festival | |
| • | Tribute to Stan Kenton, Part 1, 7 p.m. tonight, Blaisdell Concert Hall |
| • | Tribute to Stan Kenton, Part 2, 7 p.m. tomorrow, Blaisdell Concert Hall |
| • | Parade of Big Bands, 4 p.m. Sunday, McKinley High School auditorium |
| • | Tickets: $40, $35, $20. Four-day pass: $120. Call: 591-2211 (Blaisdell), 526-4400 (Ticket Plus). The Advertiser is a sponsor of the jazz festival. |
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Rene Paulo played tastefully behind the artistry of his family — Michael on sax, Rene Jr. on drums, Kathy on vocals. The Jones/Okimoto section, along with Henry Allen on guitar, was outstanding again. Kathy gave a sometimes sultry, sometimes bluesy rendition of Billie Holiday's "God Bless the Child." Michael's sax solo was emotion-filled. Jazz is alive, well and well played in Hawai'i.
One of the night's featured performers was Gabe Baltazar. If anyone was wondering, Gabe smokes! His longtime experience was a thrill to behold.
And the dual alto saxes of Gabe and his nephew, David Choy, were the icing on the night.
Henry Allen was featured on steel guitar on "'Round Midnight." His sliding melody and chord solos were a wonderful seasoning to an instrumentally straight-ahead night. Betty Loo Taylor, tapping both feet added keys the Jones/Okimoto/BB Shaun rhythm section. This was jazz at its best.
The only disappointment of the night was the sound mix. This is mentioned because sound today is as much a part of the show as the musicians. Bad sound, disappointed audience. Vocals that couldn't be heard above the band, saxes so loud that fingers needed to be in ears, thin-sounding guitars and shrill mikes are not acceptable.
This is a once-a-year festival. Don't miss it.
There are three more nights to the festival and some tickets may still be available. More information can be found at www.hawaiijazz.com.
Dave Bellino is a songwriter and arranger working on his first Hawaiian music CD.
