SHOW BIZ
I. Mihana disc scores kudos, Mainland airplay

By Wayne Harada
Advertiser Entertainment Writer

ON THE RECORD: I. Mihana (who also is known as Mihana Souza when she sings with her family group, Puamana), has gone bicoastal with her Na Hoku Hanohano Award-winning solo debut CD, "Rust on the Moon." The disc snagged the Best Jazz Album award locally, but Mihana is starting to rock the charts from coast to coast. Her CD is No. 26 on the Radio & Records Americana chart, with "Hula (Rockin' Mama)," "Rust" and "Love" singled out for airplay. The Americana rankings focus on roots-oriented country, folk and rock tunes — while Mihana won for jazz here, she maintains a folksy flavor with occasional rock chips — so she's in the company of Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash and Lucinda Williams. Furthermore, she's launching a Northern California and Nevada tour this summer. Could she become Hawai'i's Norah Jones? You go, girl. ...

Shawn Ishimoto (earlier known as BB Shawn) has been deeply involved in what his mother Nancy Ishimoto describes as his "retirement" CD, a 54-tune, threeidisc project on which the blind musician plays all instruments and sings (and his mother makes her co-engineering debut). Shawn is not resigning from the business, but completing the solo aspect of his burgeoning career.

When this one's pau, possibly by summer, he expects to proceed with work on a duo CD with Ray Sowders. ...

PERSONALITY PARADE: Actress Diana Carter Anderson is back home with husband Gary Anderson (remember them from their ASATAD theater days?) after doing "I Do! I Do!" together in Northern California, with localite Rich McKinney (composer in residence at First United Methodist Church) serving as musical director for the show. Diana and McKinney are collaborating on a one-woman show, "Girl Singer — A Tribute to Rosemary Clooney," which they hope to launch here. "I'm really excited about this show and the concept," she says. "Rich is doing some amazing arrangements, and I'm learning all I can about the lady and stringing the songs together with autobiographical patter." Maybe she should consult with Matt Catingub, pops conductor for the Honolulu Symphony and her longtime pal. Clooney did her last concert here with Catingub at the baton. ...

A Maui reader and "Third Watch" fan e-mails that she got a chuckle, and a tingle of delight, when she watched the recent finale of the NBC show, in which local boy Anthony Ruivivar stars as Carlos Nieto, a paramedic. In one scene, he was riding in the ambulance with Kim Raver (who plays Kim Zambano) and he commented about getting "chicken skin," which, of course, is the local equivalent of Mainlanders' goose bumps. "I thought it was so cool that they included a little local lingo ... almost like a secret code," said the fan. ...

HERE 'N' THERE: George Vandeman, an owner of Sergio's, is back from Italy, where he researched new recipes for his Hilton Hawaiian Village restaurant. Local folks got a virtual tour of Tuscany at Sergio's a few nights back, when Robert Mondavi wine whiz Allan Suzuki paired various vintages with menu items prepared by chef Matt Johnson. Also on hand: Mariposa's Doug Lum, Southern Wine & Spirits' Warren Shon, Y. Hata's Larry Vogel and son Carsten, and wine buffs Dee Helber, Nancy Johnson, Virginia Bell, Dean Conching and Beverly Au. ...

Pianist Sean Kennard got a standing ovation when he performed at the Andre Watts concert with the Honolulu Symphony Orchestra at Blaisdell Concert Hall. His teacher, Ellen Masaki, was understandably proud. ...

And that's Show Biz. ...

Wayne Harada's Show Biz is published Tuesdays and Thursdays; reach him at wharada@honoluluadvertiser.com, 525-8067 or fax 525-8055.