Island Mele
Friday, August 31, 2001
PAULINE WILSON EARNED a place in local music history with her work as the lead vocalist of Ox, Hawaii's best jazz-fusion band of the mid-'70s. A name change saw Ox become Seawind, a band that tried its luck in California, did some recording and broke up. Two Seawind songs -- "Follow Your Road" and "Devil Is A Liar" -- were big hits here. Ox, Seawind singer back
"Tribute"
with a ‘Tribute’
Pauline Wilson - McClees 2001Wilson's solo album reunites much of Ox/Seawind. The songs are American pop standards. The arrangements are contemporary jazz pop; not so far out that they lose the beauty of the melodies but broad enough to appeal to mainstream jazz romantics.
Wilson does a beautiful job exploring the nuances of "Someone to Watch Over Me" and "The Nearness of You," and almost all the others. "I Want to Be Around" is the exception. She gets harsher and brassier than necessary to sell the emotion.
http://www.paulinewilson.net
MP3 Audio Clips:
Good Morning Heartache
Quicktime | RealPlayer | MPEG-3 info
"Aloha Festivals Hawaiian Falsetto Contest Winners Vol. 2" August is prime time for Hawaiian falsetto contests and that makes this album timely. It is first and foremost a showcase for Rayburn "Chan" Abenes. He won the Clyde "Kindy" Sproat Storytelling and Falsetto Singing Contest last year and has six songs here; Akoni, Kalei Bridges, "Bulla" Kailiwai and Stan Priddy are also winners of the Big Island contest. The Frank B. Shaner Hawaiian Falsetto Contest is represented by Sam Keli'iho'omalu (1998) and Chauncy Bermondez (1999) who get one song each.
Various artists - Hula (CDHS-618)Five producers share credit for this beautiful compilation. The music is traditional in style even when the songs are new; Abenes writes on topics ranging from surfing to a lizard-eating cat. The liner notes complete the package with information on the artists and their music. This is a good introduction to Hawaiian falsetto and far superior to most local "win a record deal" projects.
http://www.hawaii-calls.com
MP3 Audio Clips:
with Chauncy Bermodez
with Rayburn "Chan" Abenes
Quicktime | RealPlayer | MPEG-3 info
"I Cry" This three-song CD by Japanese singer Yuri Chika has a local link since the songs were all composed by frequent Hoku Award-winner Kenneth Makuakane. The fact that she's a pop artist and these are pure pop songs suggests that Makuakane is moving outside the Hawaiian music he's been known for.
Yuri Chika - The Mountain Apple Company (MACDS-8001)Chika has just a hint of an accent. The arrangements are in the airy pop-lite style long popular here -- minimal bass and plenty of synth tracks -- but they seem more textured and memorable that most local pop. Chika should certainly be a hit here.
The title song is a languid ballad about loving someone from afar; it expresses the thoughts of many and is already getting local air play. "Pray You'll Come Back" juxtaposes of a lament of lost love and a cheery up tempo tune. "Our Love" completes the cycle with a sweet song about finding true love.
http://www.yurichika.com
MP3 Audio Clips:
Quicktime | RealPlayer | MPEG-3 info
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.
