Hawaii
THE Blaisdell Center was one busy place over the weekend. Actually, it was two busy places. At the Concert Hall was a trio of jazz evenings, the highlight of which was Saturday's concert, which with the exception of sax fiend Gabe Baltazar sitting in on two numbers with the Four Freshmen would have been a real jazz rarity -- an all-white experience. But original Freshman Bob Flanigan came on in the middle of the set to introduce Gabe who was being honored throughout the festival and stated his favorite Stan Kenton albums were the ones featuring Gabe. Flanigan, now 75, also sang his signature "Day By Day" with the current quartet of Freshmen, though he left his fabulous trombone solo to a member of the group one-third his age. Also on the show that night: another ex-Kenton sax great, the white-haired and white-bearded Bud Shank; the duo of Marvin Stamm and Bill Mays; and the all-white 18-piece San Diego State Big Band, six of whom, incidentally, are either bald or about to be. Still and all, a terrific concert ... Original Freshman
Flanigan joins jazz festSTROLLING through the All-Collectors show at the Blaisdell Exhibition Hall before the Freshman show, I introduced myself to Richard Kiel, the 6-foot-9 actor who's best known for playing "Jaws" in the James Bond movies, and who was signing photos of himself in various roles. I knew his daughter, Jennifer, when she was an HPU student and waitress in a coffee shop I used to visit. I'd also met his wife, who's about 5-foot-nothing. "We see eye to eye on some things," he quipped. Jennifer, he informed me, has made him a grandpa twice, and he had photos of the kids with him ... I then ran into Lawrence Pacheco, the talented KGMB producer/director who had interviewed me for a "Checkers & Pogo" TV special, and he introduced me to an avid "C&P" fan from Texas who was looking for "C&P" collectibles. He shook my hand vehemently and said meeting a former Checkers was the highlight of his trip. "It's like meeting one of the Beatles," he exuded. (Yeah, I'm thinking, "Beetle Bailey.") ...
IN the year that Dixie Grill has been open in Aiea, only two people have finished off the two-pound "Bust Yo Belly Burger" in a half-hour or less, thereby getting it free. Well, that number doubled in just one day. Last Friday two more polished off the monster muncher within minutes of each other. So tip your hat to Mike Galluci, a New Jerseyite stationed at Hickam, and Paul Torres of Baltimore, working out of Ford Island. Both let their belts out a notch and left a few pounds heavier -- you have to down all the "trimmings" as well ...
Odd coupling
THEY'RE old buddies from Vietnam days, and now Channel 2 anchorman Joe Moore and "Wheel of Fortune" host Pat Sajak are teaming up again to appear here in "The Odd Couple." You can picture Sajak as the squeaky clean Felix, but it's hard to imagine Moore with his haired messed up, let alone as a complete slob like Oscar. (Another news anchor, Bob Basso, previously played the part here and was completely believable.) The show will be done Sept. 27-30 at the Hawaii Theatre, and oddly enough, tickets are already on sale. Manoa Valley Theatre is producing the show and Jim Hutchison directs ...
Dave Donnelly has been writing on happenings
in Hawaii for the Star-Bulletin since 1968.Contact Dave by e-mail: ddonnelly@starbulletin.com