Hawaii
TAKING time out from preparing for next month's Hawaii International Jazz Festival to guest with the Del Courtney big band at the Blue Tropix on Sunday was fest organizer Abe Weinstein. Celebrating the fact that the festival is "A Tribute to Stan Kenton," Weinstein and Gabe Baltazar, ex-Kenton sideman, did a clarinet duet. "Abe and Gabe," singer Jimmy Borges dubbed them. Baltazar and a number of former Kenton musicians will appear at the fest next month. The Four Freshmen, who also performed with Kenton, will be the featured attraction. The sole link to the original Freshmen is manager Bob Flanagan who was an original member and a dynamite trombone player. On a previous visit, I chatted with Flanagan and he remembered a University of Iowa gig I saw in 1958 as if it were yesterday. One naive young pup asked, "Gee, how old are they now?" The answer, of course, is that, one by one, the original Freshmen "graduated" and were replaced. Weinstein informs me that while Flanagan had a small stroke recently, he will be here with the group at the Blaisdell Concert Hall July 19-22, but is relinquishing the managerial reins to Dale Sheets, who managed the late Mel Torme for many years. Oh, you want another local tie? Sheets is the father-in-law of KSSK D.J. Michael W. Perry ... Ex-Kenton musicians
to join isle jazz festANOTHER guest at the monthly Blue Tropix gig with Courtney and his 14-piece big band was Joe Kingston, who was a big hit. Kingston regularly performs on the MS Patriot. At the Blue Tropix, dad Earll Kingston, an actor of note, and mom Maxine Hong Kingston, the award-winning novelist, got a chance to hear him with a big band. Maxine even videotaped his performance, confiding, "I've become a showbiz mom." ... There'll also be a 14-piece orchestra swinging into the Monarch Room of the Royal Hawaiian Sunday from 6 to 9 p.m. ...
Skorting the issue
FORMER high school cheerleader Sweetie Pacarro is now thirtysomething, but still is as tiny as she is energetic. At the Hanohano Room's Perry & Price show, Sweetie was bouncing about in her skort -- a garment that's a pair of shorts but with a wrap around made to look like a skirt. A patron asked where she got it. "The Gap," Sweetie replied, and then added, "actually Gap Kids." She wears a children's size 12! ...THEN there's tireless soccer promoter Jack Sullivan, who's determined to see soccer progress in Hawaii. After addressing the Honolulu Quarterback on his favorite subject, he asked if there were any questions and seemed heartened when a woman said she had one: "Where did you get that shirt -- I love the print." ...
Munching in Manoa
ACTOR Juan Reno ("Just Visiting," "Mission Impossible" and "La Femme Nikita") found himself dining at Donato's in Manoa Marketplace. He told gorgeous hostess Deserie, who is Chef Donato's wife, that he asked at the Kahala Mandarin for the best Italian dinner in town, and was directed to Manoa. Dallas Cowboys punter Mike Saxon was there with his bride after a Kauai wedding. They were with Pono Tuinei, whose late husband Mark was Saxon's teammate ...
Dave Donnelly has been writing on happenings
in Hawaii for the Star-Bulletin since 1968.Contact Dave by e-mail: ddonnelly@starbulletin.com