Island Mele

By John Berger

"Middle of the Ocean"

Coconut Joe Turtle Bay

Coconut Joe is actually a band led by composer Bob Rogers. The group's second album offers a blend of tropical rock, acoustic blues and modern hapa-haole music that is probably too eclectic for local radio but a rare find for fans of the unconventional.

With aid from a handful of guest musicians, Coconut Joe becomes a blend of Bob Brozman, the Emerson Brothers, Jimmy Buffett and Stealers Wheel, with a dash of Dixieland jazz.

All the songs are originals, and although Rogers' lyrics don't get as whimsical as those of Wiki Waki Woo, several are flavored with somewhat similar nostalgia for tropical yesterdays. Consider "Haupia," the ironic misadventures of a coconut, and "Sweet Angelina," a love song that drifts into calypso territory.

"Sands of Silver And Gold" is a smooth and swinging tune sweetened by studio guest Noel Okimoto on vibes. "Evolution of Joe" strikes a more somber note as the band lists things that Hawaii has lost, or is in danger of losing: sugar cane, a favorite drive-in and a coconut grove.

www.coconutjoe.com

Mpeg Audio Clips: Sweet Angelina Haupia Evolution Of Joe Quicktime | RealPlayer | MPEG-3 info

"Johann Sebastian Bach"

John King Nalu

Bach melodies on an ukulele? The idea may seem out of the ordinary, but the years John King spent bringing this self-produced indie-label album to fruition were well spent. King, an author and musical historian, traces the instrument's predecessors back to the Renaissance, and plays it in a style that was already known in Bach's time.

King plays unaccompanied, and so the listener can easily appreciate the clarity of his playing and the harp-like sound he creates.

This isn't the first time that European classical music has been played on ukulele, but King's album has now reached Hawaii and is a beautiful addition to the short list of such projects. Bach aficionados will enjoy it too.

(For information write: P.O. Box 76151, St. Petersburg, Fla. 33734.)

www.nalu-music.com

Mpeg Audio Clips: From Cello Suite No. 1 - Prelude From Cello Suite No. 4 - Bourree I & II From Cantata No. 147 - Wohl mir, dass ich Jesum habe Quicktime | RealPlayer | MPEG-3 info

"Jus' Press"

Ledward Kaapana & I Kona Shaka

Ledward Kaapana was already a Hoku Award-winner when producer Gary Shimabukuro and engineer John Kahale Chang got him into Studio Hawaii to record "Jus' Press" in 1985. It won "Contemporary Hawaiian Album of the Year" in 1986, and with good reason. With Alika Odom and Ryan Tang as I Kona, Kaapana was able to stretch out on vocals and guitar.

Several tunes showcased his falsetto skills, and his "12th Street Rag/Sweet Georgia Brown Medley" was a rousing demonstration of his speed on the frets and the trio's camaraderie as well.

The re-release of this classic on the new Shaka label should be good news, but the cheap packaging cheats buyers by omitting information on who Kaapana is, the things that made "Jus' Press" a milestone, and Kaapana's many accomplishments since 1985.

Mpeg Audio Clips: Holo Waa Pa None Hula 12th Street Rag/Sweet Georgia Brown Medley Quicktime | RealPlayer | MPEG-3 info

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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.