Wood Craft
Matt Catingub considers Frank Sinatra more than an idol, said his wife, Vicki. "We even have a cat named Frank," she said. "And look at his drink, Jack Daniels on the rocks." Sipping Frank's favorite drink, Matt, the Symphony Pops conductor, said, "He (Sinatra) was such an influence on my mother (singer Mavis Rivers) and it passed on to me, especially his arrangers." Mavis was one of the first artists Frank signed for his Reprise record label, along with Dean Martin and Sammy Davis, Matt said. That's why Matt was so happy to be leading the orchestra as it played Sinatra's charts, backing Jimmy Borges, at the Halekulani on New Year's Eve. The Sinatra family allows Jimmy to use Ol' Blue Eyes' arrangements exclusively. Jimmy was great singing Sinatra's favorites and so was Matt, playing sax and singing a number or two. The orchestra was augmented by jazz stars Gabe Baltazar, Abe Weinstein, Bruce Hamada, Noel Okimoto and Jim Howard. Before they took over, pixie-faced symphony assistant conductor Stuart Chafetz led the orchestra as it played for dancers. Singer-bassist Hamada and Howard on keyboard, the Halekulani's Lewers Lounge duo, played for dancers before Borges, Catingub & Co. went to work just after the midnight fireworks ... Matt thinks Sinatra is
the cat’s meowMatt says Bach, Beethoven and the Beatles will be featured at the Symphony Ball May 18 at the Sheraton Waikiki. Sam Wong will conduct classics and Matt will have the baton for the Beatles seg, which will feature singer Henry Kapono. That's a hot ticket ...
Carolyn gets paddled
At a recent Rainbow Booster Club fund-raising dinner, UH basketball coach Riley Wallace and Donna Bebber kept raising Carolyn Berry's auction paddle during the bidding to be a "color person" on the radio during a UH basketball game. They saw to it that Carolyn won with a bid of $500. "I'm going to donate another $500 to get out of doing it," said Carolyn, a strong UH basketball supporter ...Jim Nabors, lunching at Neiman's Mariposa, said contrary to published reports, his 2001 Christmas show at the Hawaii Theatre was not necessarily his last. Jim donates his services so the theater and symphony can make more money from the production. He said he has not received a letter yet from theater and symphony officials asking him to do the show again this year. When he gets the official request, he checks his schedule to see if he is able to do it. Nothing has changed from previous years, he said. So when fans ask him if he will do it again he says, "I don't know." That doesn't mean he won't do the show this year, a big hit for the past five years ...
Chef Wyss at the Bali
Bali at the Hilton Village will have former Swiss Inn owner Martin Wyss as guest chef Jan. 19. Martin was the executive chef at the Kahala Hilton for 18 years before opening Swiss Inn. Bali manager Alicia Antonio worked with Martin at the Kahala. Martin will prepare Swiss Inn favorites at the Bali. Dinner cost is $55 ... Sam Choy and his Kona restaurant are featured on Emeril Lagasse's Food Network special tomorrow at 3 and 6 p.m. Wines from EOS Winery of Paso Robles, Calif., will be offered at a dinner at Choy's Diamond Head restaurant Tuesday. Cost for the four-course dinner, with wines, is $55 ...
Ben Wood, who sold the Star-Bulletin in the streets
of downtown Honolulu during World War II, writes of
people, places and things every Saturday.
E-mail him at bwood@starbulletin.com