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Island Mele
Friday, January 12, 2001
Second CD shows
duo’s interplayIn the Saddle: By Led Kaapana and Bob Brozman (Dancing Cat 8022-38051-2)
THE second Dancing Cat album by Led Kaapana and Bob Brozman is first-rate throughout. Kaapana sings on two selections but the emphasis is the interplay between his slack-key guitar and Brozman's acoustic steel. That makes the duo's rendition of "Meleana E" a standout track since the pair gets into it for almost 12 minutes and uses Kaapana's voice as well.
Dancing Cat has a history of publishing excellent liner notes. The detailed annotation here makes this album a perfect introduction to the artists, their repertoire, and slack-key in general.
http://www.dancingcat.com
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HERE'S a local Christian album Hawaii can be proud of. Jan Shima's voice and career-best arrangements by Marvic Esquibil give each of these Shima originals substance as music in their own right as well as enhancing personal testaments of faith in Christ. The tempos and textures range from gorgeous soft pop to strong neo-disco mixes and Latin rhythms. Each song is a delightful interlude. "Even The Rocks" and "You Are My Lord" are memorable; "With Your Seal" merits play as well.
Email: janshima@pixi.com
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THE good news about Pati's debut album is he and his production team lay down tracks as rich as almost any of the mainland "slow jams" getting play these days on Hawaii's "urban" format radio stations. The bad news is that almost every one is a remake and several remake hits that are only a few years old. Pati needs more to set him apart from the thousands of urban-style vocalists already hooked up with mainland record deals.
A Jawaiian remake of Henry Kapono's "Gotta Get Away" is more interesting than yet another local rehash of "All I Have To Do Is Dream" but the most interesting items here are a traditional Polynesian tune and the originals from his studio team. While Fiji and O-shen work well as hired talent retained to add local star power to "Island Girls," Pati and his team must prove worthy of national air play in their own right.
Email: rukkus@hawaii.rr.com http://www.olilndaroad.com
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See Record Reviews for some 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 Today
section on Fridays for the latest reviews.
