ISLAND SOUNDS
CD reviews: George Kahumoku JR. & BoB BRozman, Nesian N.I.N.E, Teresa Bright, Jeff Peterson
By Wayne Harada
Special to The Advertiser
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GEORGE KAHUMOKU JR. & BOB BROZMAN
'Kani Wai'
Slack-key Daniel Ho Creations
George Kahumoku Jr. is a vocalist and master of 12-string slack-key guitar. Bob Brozman is a wizard of acoustic lap steel guitar. Together, they are a formidable old-school duo with savvy and artistry.
Overview: Slack plus steel equals chicken-skin chills and thrills. Toss in Kahumoku's vocals, on such standards as "Waikapu," "He Punahele No 'Oe," and the ethereal and nostalgic "Akaka Falls," and you're brewing old flavors and styles, happily shared for modern listeners.
4 stars
NESIAN N.I.N.E
'Press Play'
Reggae, world
No label
Nesian N.I.N.E. (Natives Inna New Era) is a left-field reggae hit, already a chartbuster — an attitude and sound shaped by veteran Fiji and his Nesians.
Overview: The collaboration brings a new source of power and joy to reggae and rasta rooters — funk and fury with the Jamaican juice. "Rise Up" is the flag atop Nesian's pole, a legacy-maker. But the Island influence is evident on this journey of sweet rhythms and harmonies tweaked for hybrid tastes. "Show Me" might be roots reggae, but it has Motown magic, too, and The Commodores' "Sail On" here doubles as an homage to souldom. N.I.N.E. is F.I.N.E. (Funky Inna New Environment).
4 stars
TERESA BRIGHT
'A Bright Christmas'
Hawaiian Christmas Teresa Bright Prod.
Teresa Bright recycles two albums this holiday season to create a third — call this a recession buster. The exception excerpts from her earlier "A Bright Hawaiian Christmas" and "A Christmas Season's Delight" yield a "new" package.
Overview: Bright's latest CD blends Hawaiian with jazz, so she offers Island attitude with a canopy of soul and blues with this reconstituted treasure box. "I'll Be Home for Christmas," "Island Christmas" (with Del Beazley), "Po Laie (Silent Night)" and "Carol of the Bells" (with Manu Boyd) provide seasonal waves of warmth and joy.
4 stars
JEFF PETERSON
'Maui on My Mind'
Slack key Peterson Prod.
Jeff Peterson, whose Grammy-winning kí ho'alu style previously graced award-winning local compilations, has a major solo contender to appease fans and voters.
Overview: Peterson is a homegrown virtuoso of Hawaiian slack-key. He pays homage to his Maui roots with a clutch of originals whose titles evoke tales — "Hawaiian Skies," "Nä Käpuna O Haleakalä," "The Winds of Waikapu" — from his influential past. His style is clean, simple and accessible, crossing cultures with rapturous renderings of Glenn Miller's "In the Mood" and Neil Young's "Harvest." Peterson will always be on your mind after a quick listen.
5 stars
