Jazz festival pays tribute to Hawai'i legends

Advertiser staff

Clarinetist Ken Peplowski will perform at the jazz festival.

Hawai'i's rich jazz history, jazz musicians and long-gone jazz venues will be celebrated at the 11th Annual Hawaii International Jazz Festival, July 30 and 31, at the Hawai'i Theatre Center. The event jumps to the Maui Arts and Cultural Center on Aug. 6 and 7.

With a theme of Swingtime In Hawaii, festival organizer/co-founder/musician Abe Weinstein promises a 17-piece big band of noted Hawai'i jazz musicians, and outstanding local performers, including Melveen Leed, Jimmy Borges, Andrea Young, Gabe Baltazar, Keahi Conjugacion, Ginai and Betty Lou Taylor and the Honolulu Jazz Quartet. New York City clarinetist and former Benny Goodman Band member Ken Peplowski will also perform.

"The music and the entertainment (of the era) had a big impact on our culture here," Weinstein said. "Before TV especially, everybody was out dancing and listening to music all the time. There were so many clubs downtown and in Waikiki ... lots and lots of places for people to go.

"Everybody knew how to swing dance. Everybody knew their favorite entertainers. Everybody knew where to go to meet each other. ... A lot of people planned their days to include these get-togethers to hear the music and learn the new steps."

Also turning in guest performances at this year's jazz festival are award-winning composer/pianist Lalo Schifrin (probably best known for composing that cool "da da da da, duh da da da da" theme from "Mission Impossible") and former Chick Corea Elektric Band saxophonist Eric Marienthal.

Performances will be accentuated by everything from hula dancers in period cellophane skirts to swing dancers showing off acrobatics. Expect musicians to turn storyteller between songs with personal backstage stories of playing with the greats.

By day, fest organizers will offer free jazz education classes at the Hawai'i Theatre Center.

And put your glad rags on, jazz fans. This year's Hawaii International Jazz Festival will be filmed, from slick-backed hair to spit-shined shoe, by Pennybacker Creative LLC.

The one thing not clear about it all? Uh, where's the dance floor, Abe?

"I hear you. I've been thinking the same thing," said Weinstein, laughing. "I'm seriously thinking of raising the (orchestra) pit and putting a dance floor on it. At least a few couples will be able to jump up on there.

"But there'll probably be dancing in the aisles. What can you do? When it happens, you just let everybody have a good time."

Big sound caught on

Honolulu's great jazz years featured some 35 bands playing at venues downtown and later in Waikiki. This led to "battles of the bands" such as this one between the Jungleers and the Hell Cats.

During World War II and in the post-war years, Hawai'i attracted a number of top jazz musicians, including Artie Shaw.

Even prominent local musical families such as the Cazimeros picked up on the swing, adding jazz grooves to their music.

Jazz flourished during the war years of the 1940s. Military swing bands made a habit of importing talented and popular offshore musicians to perform. Band leaders Artie Shaw, Ray Anthony, Claude Thornhill and Sam Donahue were actually stationed in Honolulu during the era.

Local players, of course, couldn't help but take note from the masters coming through.

"The local musicians got to learn from the big names, and that upgraded the quality of the playing over here," said Weinstein.

Soon enough, big band music became, well, big.

"At one time during the war years, there must have been about 35 to 40 big bands moving around town," said Weinstein. "There was an unbelievable number of musicians working, unbelievable number of dancers working, and a lot of people going out."

Swinging through town with well-attended live shows that made them the equivalent of today's rock stars were legends such as Duke Ellington, Sarah Vaughn, Ella Fitzgerald and Abbey Lincoln.

Jazz spreads

The post-war years between 1947 and 1959, however, were when jazz really acquired bee's knees status with Honolulu fans. The scene's afterhours Ground Zero was still downtown Honolulu. Nu'uanu Avenue boasted clubs called the Blue Note and Brown Derby. Bethel Street had the Playroom.

Forever riotous Hotel Street had the Two Jacks, Tradewinds, Swing Club and Gibson's Bar. The Alexander Young Hotel — on the spot where Bishop Square now stands — lured big band fans to its Roof-Top Garden.

After finding himself stranded in Honolulu in the late 1940s when his band called it quits, notable swing-era trombonist Trummy Young hunkered down in the downtown jazz scene. In the audience at Gibson's on one evening was Louis Armstrong, who hired Young to go on the road with him in 1952.

Young played with him for 12 years before moving back to Hawai'i to retire in 1964.

With tourism emerging as a post-war economic force, new jazz clubs opened their doors in Waikiki. Kalakaua Avenue and Waikiki side streets emerged as the jazz scene's new hub of activity, stealing much of downtown Honolulu's whoopee.

Transplanted Mainland jazz players such as Ernie Washington, Rich Crandall and Ira Nepus began making names for themselves on the local scene. Local musicians of Hawaiian, Japanese and Filipino ancestry started playing the clubs as well.

In fact, it wasn't uncommon for local jazz musicians to play with the Royal Hawaiian Band by day and moonlight afterhours in the dance halls and clubs. Some of these notables included Gabe Baltazar Sr. and Jr., Benny Dacoscos, Archie Grant Sr., Bruce Hamada Sr. and son Bruce Jr., Robert Kamaunu Sr., Henry Allen and Sam Ahia, as well as Henry and his son Arthur Lyman.

The turn of the1960s found stand-alone jazz clubs disappearing and Hawai'i's jazz players taking up residence at hotel lounges, bars and showrooms in Waikiki. The Shell Bar at the Hilton Hawaiian Village, the Banyan Court at the Moana Hotel and Trappers at the Hyatt Regency were the musical homes of top Hawai'i jazz performers including Jimmy Borges, Ethel Azama, Arthur Lyman, Rene Paulo and Gabe Baltazar, Jr. Other evening hot spots for jazz included Duke Kahanamoku's in the International Market Place, Betty Riley's Copabanca, Keone's and the Jazz Cellar on Lewers Street, Gabe's, Kojack's, Club 88, Sir John's and the Wagon Wheel.

Changing music trends and a shift in the club audience's tastes from live bands to DJed music had all but wiped out most of the jazz clubs and almost as many hotel jazz gigs by the late 1980s. But jazz-loving promoters and musicians of all ages continue to keep the live jazz playing in Honolulu clubs and lounges wherever and whenever possible.

11th Annual Hawaii International Jazz Festival

Pre-festival events:

• July 10: Melveen Leed and Hawaii International Jazz Festival All-Stars, Sunset on the Beach; Waikiki
• July 11: Keahi Conjugacion and Hawaii International Jazz Festival All-Stars, Sunset on the Beach; Waikiki
• July 17: Hawaii International Jazz Festival All-Stars, Brunch on the Beach
• July 21, 28: "Jazz In The Park" with Hawaii International Jazz Festival All-Stars, noon, Tamarind Park
• July 22: Live jazz night, 7 p.m., Ward Centre
• July 27: Hawaii International Jazz Festival All-Stars, noon, Hawai'i State Museum; One Capitol District Lawn

Festival Events:

Friday, July 30 at Hawai'i Theatre Center

• 10 a.m.-1 p.m.: Jazz education class with trombonist Ira Nepus. Free.
• 7 p.m.: "Swingtime in Hawaii," featuring 17-piece Territorial Big Band with Melveen Leed, Jimmy Borges, Keahi Conjugacion, Ginai, Andrea Young, Gabe Baltazar, Ira Nepus, Owana Salazar, Walt Keale, Slyde Hyde and Ollie Mitchell. Special guest artist: Clarinetist Ken Peplowski.

Saturday, July 31 at Hawai'i Theatre Center

• 10 a.m.-1 p.m.: Jazz education class with clarinetist Ken Peplowski and saxophonist David Choy. Free.
• 7 p.m.: "International Jazz," featuring Gypsy Pacific, David Choy, Doug MacDonald and the Honolulu Jazz Quartet. Special guest artist: Grammy winning pianist-composer Lalo Schifrin.

On Maui:

Friday, Aug. 6 at Maui Arts & Cultural Center

• 10 a.m.-11:30 a.m.: Morning concert with Henry Allen, David Choy, Sam Ahia, Marcus Johnson, Kelly Covington, Owana Salazar, Michael Buono, Doug MacDonald and Gene Angel. Free.
• 7 p.m.: "International Jazz," featuring Eric Marienthal, Gypsy Pacific, Keahi Conjugacion, Gabe Baltazar and Friends, Abe Lagrimas and the Honolulu Jazz Quartet.

Saturday, Aug. 7 at Maui Arts & Cultural Center

• 10 a.m.-1 p.m.: Master classes mentoring session. Free.
• 7 p.m.: "Swingtime in Hawaii," featuring 17-piece Territorial Big Band with Melveen Leed, Jimmy Borges, Keahi Conjugacion, Ginai, Andrea Young, Owana Salazar, Slyde Hyde, Ollie Mitchell and Gabe Baltazar.

O'ahu tickets are available at the Hawai'i Theatre Center Box Office, by phone at 528-0506, or online at www.hawaiitheatre.com, beginning Tuesday. A $2 Hawai'i Theatre restoration fee will be charged on all tickets.

Maui, tickets are available at the MACC Box Office, or by phone at (808) 242-7469, beginning June 12 to MACC donors, and June 26 to the public. A $2 facility fee will be charged on all tickets.

Ticket prices for both the O'ahu and Maui events are $20, $35 and $45.

For more information on the Hawaii International Jazz Festival call 941-9974, e-mail aewjazz1@aol.com, or visit www.hawaiijazz.com.

More performers:

Performers at this year's Hawaii International Jazz Festival:

• Benny Rietveld — Carlos Santana's bass player, one of the world's greatest.
• Doug MacDonald — Los Angeles recording artist has performed guitar with Ray Brown and many other L.A. greats. Formerly from Hawai'i, Doug is considered on both coasts to be one of the finest jazz guitarists around. Previously, a member of the Gabe Baltazar rhythm section at Cavalier Lounge.
• Owana Salazar — Her steel guitar expertise and hula jazz sounds will be featured.
• Slyde Hyde & Ollie Mitchell — Slyde & Ollie live on the Big Island. They are legendary members of a tight brass section that did a lot of the L.A. recordings for rock & roll and R & B artists during the 70s.
• Walt Keale — Nephew of Moe Keale. Keale will carry on the tradition and sound of his beloved famous Uncle Moe.The Hawaii Theatre is also sponsoring free jazz clinics for students and their parents on the mornings of July 30 and 31.