By Dave Donnelly
Thursday, January 16, 1997
Abe Weinstein, Sydette Sakauye
Abe Weinstein, Sydette Sakauye
MUSIC, we're taught at an early age, is the universal language, and jazz, we learn later on, really transcends all. Just ask Abe Weinstein. After putting on the Hawaii International Jazz Festival at the Sheraton Waikiki last year, the jazzman hit the high C's. Uh, make that "the high seas." On the Royal Odyssey he sailed from Alaska to Mexico to Georgia to New York. On the Cunard Dynasty he played his way through Costa Rica, Cozumel and Grand Cayman Island. Then he boarded the QE II from New York to Southampton - as in Lionel - and then transferred to the Vistafjord which visited Crete, Italy, Tunisia, Sardinia and France. Not at all exhausted by all this sailing, Weinstein then boarded the Island Princess which sailed from Israel to Rome; and then on the Pacific Princess to vacation in Barcelona; with a side trip to Switzerland and stops at Gibraltar, Casablanca and Israel. He returned shortly before Christmas, but wasn't destined to stay away from the sea for long. On Jan. 22 he boards the QE II in Hilo and will perform that night as the ship makes its way to Honolulu. I'm exhausted just thinking about it ... Jazzman does
‘sail away, sail away’PALS of singer Glen Medeiros were shocked to hear Frank DeLima on KQMQ yesterday mention that his co-star got married last weekend. One friend tried calling Medeiros to find out about it, but his cellular apparently was turned off. Unlike him, it would seem ... He refers to himself as "Cornetist Demeritus," but John Norris keeps people up on jazz happenings in Hawaii through his privately printed publication, "Blues, News & Views." It's filled with little droplets of information, such as ex-isle trombonist Don Sharp is now living in Delaware and still playing, sometimes with one of his two sons on drums. And Sydette Sakauye, though she emerges occasionally for a casual singing gig, is basically working a 9-5 job as promotion director of the Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center and supervising a staff of eight. And at "pau hana" time, we assume, she says "Okay, eight to the bar." ...
THE things kids come up with today. We heard the story of a grandmother trying to explain to her granddaughter that there were other things in life than watching videos on TV. She informed the child that in her day, they didn't have videos or VCRs. "Why?" asked the youngster. "Were you poor?" ... Another example comes to mind, when a mother is explaining to her son that a race was being run counterclockwise. He looked at her and asked sincerely, "What's counterclockwise?" Welcome to the digital world, mom ... Times a’ changin’
BURNS NICHT: The Caledonian Society is presenting a fiddle and concertina concert on Jan. 29 at the Academy of Arts Theater. It'll feature John Williams on concertina, winner of the senior all-Ireland championship in 1989 and whose father hails from Doolin, Ireland. Co-star on the bill is Elke Baker on fiddle, making her second isle appearance. Her music is Scottish in origin, in keeping with Burns Nicht ...
PROMOTER Kimo McVay's eyes lit up when he saw the article in the Jan. 13 issue of Newsweek on books, which is subtitled, "Put 'soul' on the cover, and the book will sell." He's hoping that extends over to CDs as well, since the group he's pushing, Soul'd Out, has just come out with a new release by that name ... Warren Miller's 47th annual ski feature, "Snowriders," will be screened in Hawaii Sunday at 3:30 and 7:30 p.m. at the Hawaii Theatre. A must for skiers and ski fans alike ...
I'VE always been maddened by stories like the one in yesterday's morning paper about a man who has donated "the second highest total" of blood in the local Blood Bank's history. The obvious question, unanswered in the next 12 paragraphs, is, "Who's No. 1?" I called the Blood Bank and learned there's one gent who has given more than Richard Allen, the donor in question, but he is adamant about his anonymity. So whoever you are, thanks on behalf of all blood recipients in Hawaii ... We’re No. 2
