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Wood Craft Ben Wood |
Jazz-pops stars shine
with symphonyJazz was king at the Symphony Pops concert last weekend and the stars -- Jimmy Borges, John Pizzarelli and Matt Catingub, along with the orchestra -- were terrific at Blaisdell Concert Hall. Jimmy was in great voice. His driving, swinging version of "Please Be Kind," arranged Count Basie style by Matt, was my favorite. Guitarist-singer Pizzarelli is a Nat King Cole Trio and Frank Sinatra fan -- he has even opened for Frank -- and he was heavy on songs from those legends. Bassist John Kolivas and drummer Noel Okimoto made up his impressive trio. John also cracked jokes and told stories that were really funny. Matt was jazzing it up all over the place, conducting, singing, taking piano and sax solos and sometimes even sitting in with the sax section. He also arranged the music. What talent! Concertmaster Iggy Jang and the symphony musicians let their hair down and were solid, grooving right along with the big swing band that joined them ...
Mel records in Nashville
Melveen Leed is pumped up about the February release of her new CD which she cut in Nashville. Mel recorded 12 songs in two days, working only two hours each day. She said the musicians said no one has ever done it that fast. The Jordanaires and some of the former Anita Kerr Singers backed Mel on the album, which is made up of "Hawaiian country and real country" songs, she said ... The Jim Nabors Christmas show, always a big family hit, is booked Dec. 5-7 at the Hawaii Theatre ...Five pupus from the Neiman Marcus Cookbook were offered at a Mariposa reception for Kevin Garvin, the book's author, Monday night and they were delicious. Chef Doug Lum and his staff can take a bow. Smooth pop music was played by guitarist James Kraft during the reception as Kevin signed books for buyers ... Cherye and Dr. James Pierce attended the Neiman event. Their rare collection of photographs, by some of the world's top photographers, will be held at the Academy of Arts Dec. 4 through Jan. 11 ...
Anyone who enjoyed the comedic genius of the late Rap Reiplinger will never forget him. The Mountain Apple Company is giving people a chance to relive some of Rap's greatest moments with a DVD of "Rap's Hawaii," Rap's fabulous TV special. He played such glorious characters as Auntie Marialani, Fate Yanagi, Merdie Murdock and Willie Maunawili in that laugher ...
Hawaiian Air queens
The lovely Hawaiian Air DC-3 hostesses from 1943 to 1953, members of Na Koa'e Kea, are still going strong, getting together each year and remembering the good old days. This year's reunion was held at the Renaissance Waikiki and here was a heavy dose of music and hula. The organization's president is Hale Kaohu Rowland. She was among dancers that included Greta Hegerfeldt, Eula Mae Sweet, Lei Kaniho and Carol Mae Vanderford. Other dancers were Janu Cassidy-Spears, Alice Booth, Napua Kobshigawa, Harriet DeCosta and Leone Leong. Music was by the Kawika Trask Trio, Owana Salazar and Verna Mae Perkins. B.J. Feldman emceed the "Vintage Worn Hawaiian Fashion Show" ...
See the Columnists section for some past articles.
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
