Romantic instrumentals
easy to takeAll For Love: J-Box (no label)
KEYBOARDS, synthetic instruments, and live reeds mesh surprisingly well on this self-produced album of original easy listening pop instrumentals by Paul Barber and Marshall Kaniho. Doc Ralston's reeds add soulful organic textures to the arrangements and play off nicely against the piano.
The romantic mood is interrupted by a single vocal number which may have deep meaning to someone but should be deleted. The faux string section that provides ambient noise should also go, but "All For Love" is worth a listen.
We Came To Groove: Hi-Town DJs (Restless)
THE year's best rap album thus far by a local mainstream rapper is this collaboration by Waianae rapper Teeze, Miami's Derrick Rahming, and Rahming's Afro-Rican crew. It features "Ding-A-Ling" and imaginative reworkings of pop chart classics. "Don't U Wanna Ride" builds on the Ohio Players' "Love Rollercoaster." Brian Hyland's 1960 hit about a yellow bikini is restyled as a red and black G-string bikini in "That Bikini." Two versions of "Stand By Me" are as catchy and romantic as anything in contemporary music. These songs should be getting major play on Hawaii's young music radio stations.
Island Of Love: Priscilla (The Mountain Apple Co.)
VOCALIST Priscilla Basque and producer/composer/ musician Gardner Cole are the couple behind this striking album. Delete the generic rasta wannabe rapping from the opening number and their work escapes the creative dead ends that permeate local pop.
The arrangements generally present Basque as an acolyte of Janet Jackson. None have the instant sledgehammer impact of Jackson's most memorable hits, but they become more interesting with repeat listening.
The lyrics capture pivotal romantic moments with perception and insight. They give at least a hint of who this local girl is. The couple slips Hawaiian lyrics in on some songs and adds Basque's romantic rapping on others; Bill Withers' 1971 hit, "Ain't No Sunshine," is reworked with imagination. Jon de Mello's surrealistic album art completes this impressive album.
See Record Reviews for some of John Berger's past reviews.
See Aloha Worldwide for locals living away.
John Berger, who has covered the local
entertainment scene since 1972, writes reviews of recordings
produced by Hawaii artists. See the Star-Bulletin's Home Zone
section on Fridays for the latest reviews.
