THE NIGHT STUFF
Jazz makes weekly worth it

By Derek Paiva
Advertiser Entertainment Writer

DeShannon Higa, trumpet, and Steven Jones, bass, helped set the tone on a recent Jazz Wednesdays night at the Honolulu Club. Photos by Rebecca Breyer • The Honolulu Advertiser

Feeling the music are club patrons, from left, Amanda Sanderson of Salt Lake, Elise Brinkman of 'Ewa Beach and Anthony Danielson of 'Aiea. The lounge has become a hot spot for Honolulu's finest jazz musicians.

The night is still young for jazz listeners Nathan and April DeWeerd of Salt Lake. Jazz Wednesdays at the Honolulu Club are from 5-9 p.m.

JAZZ WEDNESDAYS Where: Honolulu Club, 932 Ward Ave., 543-3900 When: 5-9 p.m. Wednesdays; music begins at 6 p.m. Cover: $5 nonmembers; free for Honolulu Club members Age of crowd: 20s-60s What to wear: Casual evening wear is fine. When to arrive: Between 5:30 and 6 p.m. Lounge tables were filled by 7 p.m. Next up: Keahi Conjugacion & Friends (May 4); Noel Okimoto, Steve Jones, Darryl Pellegrini, Tim Tsukiyama, Robert Shinoda (May 11)

Passing through this month for live sets were top Honolulu jazz players Byron Yasui, Dean Taba, DeShannon Higa, Benny Chong, Scott Villiger and John Kolivas, among others. Set to play in May are Keahi Conjugacion, Noel Okimoto, Tim Tsukiyama, Steve Jones and more.

When we stopped by, vocalist Anita Hall was holding court with saxophonist David Choy and a handful of talented players.

Tables in the Honolulu Club's seventh-floor lounge were full. A bank of large windows offered sweet evening views of the Honolulu skyline.

The gathered — many of them thirty- to fiftysomethings looking happy to be out of the office even if still sporting downtown workwear — grooved in their seats, martinis in hand. And her voice smoky and rich with knowing shades of emotion, Hall was inhabiting "All the Way" as if she'd written it.

Then the small plastic plates and utensils arrived for our somewhat pricey pupu orders.

Call me a snob. But given the slightly upscale surroundings, something seemed very wrong about working $8.95 'ahi cakes with plastic.

I'd never advise anyone who enjoys live jazz to skip Jazz Wednesdays. The lineup of local musicians invited to play each week is well-chosen, their talent unquestionable.

But I'd warn about a menu of pupu, salads, sandwiches and entrees that seemed a bit overpriced for the presentation and portions we received. For example, an $8.95 order of spicy chicken wings that arrived with only seven miniwings and drumettes. And a red pesto chicken pizza ($11.95) that barely fed one.

Instead, save your appetite for later, order any one of a dozen or so very generously poured martinis from the bar ($6.75 to $7.75) and just settle down for the jazz.

Choy — an accomplished session and touring veteran — showed off stylish and freewheeling technique with a menu of original works, standards and tasty fusion jams. Hall, for her part, lent elegant originality to nearly every standard she chose — in particular, an emotion-packed reading of "Since I Fell For You" that had the crowd cheering long after her last note.

Hall was so good, I'll even forgive the club's spotty service and the fact that I had to chase my bill down to remain honest. All I want is a promise to improve, OK? The musicians and patrons deserve it.

Reach Derek Paiva at dpaiva@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8005.

NIGHTNOTES:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, GET FRESH!

What do you get one of the grooviest and most consistently guest-diverse weeklies in town for its first birthday? Actually, just show up en masse and dance till last call or someone plays Kool & The Gang. To borrow liberally from the poet James "J.T." Taylor, "Get Fresh" has always been "fresh ... exciting ... so inviting to me." And bringing the birthday party its noise tonight is San Francisco-based soulful house turntablist Andy Caldwell. Congratulate resident DJs Mark, G-Spot, Lava, Sovern T, Eskae and Nocturnal Sound Krew while you're there. From 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. at Indigo Eurasian Cuisine. Entry is $8 to $10; 21 and older.

DEN MOTHERS

Another edition of Rebel Girl Underground's "Cleopatra's Den" goes down tonight at thirtyninehotel. DJs Lady J, Rebel Girl, Missy and J-Star spin. Quadraphonix and X-Factor play live. Kimi Werner does live art. Katie Whitman's photography slides by. From 10 p.m. to 2 a.m.; $10.