THIS gem of an album by Clyde Sproat grew out of a series of performances at the Honolulu Academy of Arts in 1993. Produced and annotated to the same superb standards as George Winston's Dancing Cat slack-key series, it provides a perfect portrait of the artist, his music and his heritage.
Sproat is a thoroughly engaging musician and storyteller. This collection captures him at his best.
Each song is annotated with the Hawaiian lyrics, a basic English translation, and an account of why Sproat chose to do it. Almost all relate in one way or another to the Sproat family or the Big Island district of North Kohala where he was born and raised. Sproat's in-concert comments about his songs add further insights to this perfect album.
Longtime residents will cherish this disc. Newcomers will find no better introduction to Sproat's old-style Big Isle music.
GRAYLING Fuller is the musical focal point on this testament of Christian faith presented in a retro-'70s R&B style. Fuller played base, sang lead vocals and did all the writing; he also produced the album.
The arrangements would have more impact if he had added a live horn section to the mix instead of relying on synthetic instrumentation. The absence of horns is made more notable by the fact that Fuller extends his testament to album length by including instrumental arrangements of three songs. However, keyboardist/arranger Tennyson Stevens provides ample melodic embellishment throughout. The instrumentals are thus far superior to the vapid "karaoke tracks" that are sometimes used as filler on local albums.
Merrie McGarrity and Star Williams add further depth and luster joining Rachel Gonzales as backing vocalists.
The strength and conviction of Fuller's performance makes this album an early favorite for finalist status in the "Best Religious Album" category at the 1997 Hoku Awards.