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Island Mele
Friday, May 19, 2000
Pahinui’s slack-key
has ‘Heart’Windward Heart: By Bla Pahinui (Dancing Cat 38052-2)
THE distinctive style of Bla Pahinui is captured beautifully in this collection of solo live recordings. This is a "must buy" for slack-key fans.
The first track doesn't feature Pahinui and the album would be better without it. The tracks that follow create an engaging and multifaceted portrait of Pahinui as guitarist, singer and story teller. Add the meticulously detailed liner notes booklet and this is a perfect introduction to Pahinui and Hawaiian slack-key.
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www.dancingcat.com
SELF-STYLED "Honolulu Jazz Poet & Songwriter" Bernie Ostrowski introduces four original compositions with support from such major Hawaii jazz talents as Tennyson Stephens, Azure McCall, David Choy, Jess Gopen and Steve Jones. Ostrowski favors somber themes. "A Lonely Solitude" and "Ain't In My Bed Blues" address the age-old subject of love lost; "Brothers Walkin' By" is an edgy uptempo number that shows his versatility as a writer.
Five standards complete the package. It's a smooth acoustic experience throughout, a welcome return by Stephens and McCall, and a fine local debut by Ken Ebo on trombone and vocals.
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Ami Pua Publishing
3161 Ala Ilima #1602
Honolulu, HI 96818
FIRST there were the Love Notes singing and recording a capella music in Hawaii. Now comes Shakapella adding a human "beat box" to the basic doo wop group sound. The name is just too too precious (shaka plus a capella, get it?) but the guys certainly can harmonize. They also do light local-style rap.
Andrew "Chill" Bulatao adds the "vocal percussion" effects to a repertoire that stretches from the Dominoes' risque 1951 hit, "Sixty Minute Man," to 'N Sync's "God Must Have Spent A Little More Time On You."
"Honolulu Girls" is a weak parody of the Beach Boys hit. It isn't even the first local parody of the song; the vocal work is better than the concept. "Shakapella Groove," written by Bulatao and tenor/musical director/arranger Scott Turnbull, is a fine theme song and musical calling card.
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Hula Records International
808-485-2294
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.
