Wood Craft
Jazz stars Abe Weinstein and Byron Yasui have long felt Hawaii's grand dame of jazz, pianist Betty Loo Taylor, deserves to be honored. So Betty will have her night July 16 during the Hawaiian jazz night of the annual Hawaii International Jazz Festival, which runs July 15-18 at the Hawaii Theatre. Betty Loo will bring out some of the people she has worked closely with over the years and they will swing out. Betty Loo to get her due
Her favorites include Jimmy Borges, Rachel Gonzalez, Gabe Baltazar, and Danny Otholt, who will do solo tunes with her. Hopefully, they'll have a jam session to wind things up. I don't want to miss this one ... Outrigger Hotel is a big sponsor of the jazz fest and will present three concerts, July 12-14, in the Prince Kuhio Hotel ballroom with the festival stars ...
Delegates will meet here
Hawaii doctors at the American Medical Association's House of Delegates meeting in Chicago last weekend had the right prescription to get the delegates to have their annual meeting in 2003 in Hawaii. Some doctors were opposed to the isles, citing the cost and image. They were concerned people would think they were coming here just to play. But isle Drs. Jeff Akaka, Fred holschuh, Allan Kunimoto and Calvin Sia, along with HMA director Jonathon Won and Deputy U.S. Surgeon General Rear Adm. Kenneth Moritsugu, convinced the group to continue meeting here every five years. Local Drs. Pat Chinn and Cynthia Goto also attended the Chicago meeting ...Mihana Souza expected 250 people for her 50th birthday party last Saturday and more than 400 showed up, thanks to it being written up here beforehand, she said. What are friends for? But there was no problem at the Souzas' large property and more money was raised for the Cancer Society than expected as everyone had to contribute $5 to the cause. Mihana is the daughter of Irmgard Farden Aluli and many of their family members entertained ...
Two CDs worthy of any collection: Jack de Mello's "Music of Hawaii," with the marvelous voice of Nina Kealiiwahamana; and the Hoopii Brothers' "Aloha From Maui," both from Mountain Apple, run by Jack's son, Jon. Those de Mello's know their stuff ...
Babs harrison, a Sheila Donnelly P.R. exec, is also a writer and has come out with two books, "Kitschy Cocktails" and "Kitschy Canapes." The cocktail book is filled with the aloha spirit, says Babs. The canape book has dozens of pupu recipes, she said ... Dan Cisco signs copies of his book, "Hawai'i Sports," today from noon to 1 p.m. at Borders at Ward Centre and at Borders Waikele on Monday from noon to 1 p.m. ...
Things should swing at the 18th annual Blue Hawaiian Moonlight concert at the Waikiki Shell next Saturday as Hula Joe and the Hutjumpers with the Hep Cat Swing Dancers is one of the acts. The other acts include: Pauline wilson, Kuuipo Kumukahi, Kalapana, Frank DeLima and Na Kolohe and the Peter Moon Band ...
Chef Streng joins the Prince
Hawaii Prince boss Ted McAneeley has named Gordon Streng executive chef. Streng, a native of Finland, was at the Mauna kea Beach Hotel He has also worked at famed Raffles in Singapore ... The annual $15,000 Mauna kea pro-Am golf tourney begins Monday. Mauna Kea golf chief Joe Root is leaving to help open Corde Valle Golf Club in Northern California ... I'm on vacation and will return to work July 12 ...
Ben Wood, who sold the Star-Bulletin in the streets
of downtown Honolulu during World War II, writes of
people, places and things every Saturday.
E-mail him at bwood@starbulletin.com