ISLAND SOUNDS
Instrumentals evoke emotions, memories

By Wayne Harada
Advertiser Entertainment Writer

Three instrumental CDs — one with all-Japanese melodies performed by two orchestras, a second blending a Japanese instrument with a Hawaiian guitar-strumming style, and a third on Hawaiian steel guitar — offer hours of joyous listening that often transplant the listener to another time, another place.

"Favorite Japanese Instrumentals" by the Tokyo All-Star Orchestra and the All-Star Orchestra (HanaOla Records).

Genre: Instrumentals of Japanese melodies.

Distinguishing notes: This collection is a stroll back in time, to post-World War II Hawai'i, when Japanese melodies were commonly performed orchestrally, as here, by Japan and island bands. This 17-tune assembly, digitally remastered from Japanese and local resources, recalls a time of Nisei "revival songs," covers of hits from the Land of the Rising Sun, that prevailed in the Islands. The tunes were part of a cultural synthesis, typically tea-house fare that prevailed in the 1950s and '60s, reflecting the sizable Japanese population, but cherished by other ethnicities in cosmopolitan Hawai'i.

The outlook: If you got hooked on earlier Club Nisei CDs that focused on this genre of music, you'll find this a welcome treasure for your music library.

Our take: A nostalgic journey, rich with memories and tranquil reflections. Subarashii (wonderful, nice) listening.

"Miren Toge" from the album Favorite Japanese Instrumentals. Audio sample available in mp3 and RealAudio formats.

"Haiku" by Riley Lee and Jeff Peterson (Hula Records).

Genre: Hawaiian instrumentals.

Distinguishing notes: Yet another eloquent and inventive pairing of Riley Lee's Japanese shakuhachi (bamboo flute) and Jeff Peterson's ki ho'alu (Hawaiian slack-key guitar). Classics such as "Puamana," "Waikiki" and "Ku'u Pua I Paoakalani" are performed alongside Peterson originals such as "Hi'ilawe in the Rain," "Soaring" and "Haiku," with Lee collaborating on "Night Blooming Cereus."

The outlook: Only the third such union of shakuhachi and ki ho'alu (yes, by Lee and Peterson), this CD yields poetic images of a gentle Hawai'i rich with wonderment and emotion — without words.

Our take: Think Zen, toss in Hawaiian ... that's "Haiku."

"Puamana" by Riley Lee and Jeff Peterson. Audio sample available in mp3 and RealAudio formats.

"He Kanaka Maoli (Pure Hawaiian)" by Herbert K. Hanawahine (Hanawahine Records).

Genre: Hawaiian steel guitar instrumentals.

Distinguishing notes: Herbert Hanawahine is a self-taught man of steel whose prowess has been heard on numerous recordings by others in the past. He steps up to the solo plate, rendering tunes not commonly associated with the steel, including "Papa Lahilahi," "Old Plantation" and "Whispering Sea," with the support of vibes (Irene Cheney-Banks), 'ukulele (Willie Lau), guitar (Gary K. Haleamau) and bass (Haleamau and Wayne Francisco).

The outlook: There's something about steel that says "Hawai'i," evoking memories of a perfect Polynesian paradise.

Our take: A seasoned steel vet moves from backup to front and center — and it's about time.

"Papa Lahilahi" by Herbert K. Hanawahine. Audio sample available in mp3 and RealAudio formats.

Reach Wayne Harada at 525-8067, wharada@honoluluadvertiser.com or fax 525-8055.