Island Mele John Berger

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"Waimanalo Moon"

Rene Paulo
Respect

Hawaii-born piano virtuoso Rene Paulo has enjoyed renewed visibility in recent years with a series of albums for a Japanese label. One focused on well-known Hawaiian and hapa-haole standards, and another consisted primarily of Japanese melodies. Most of the songs here are Hawaiian standards associated with specific local artists such as Gabby Pahinui, Eddie Kamae and Peter Moon.

Paulo reworks each of them into gorgeous arrangements for the grand piano that reflect his formal training and natural talent. His solo artistry needs no additives, and series producer Kenichi Takahashi refrains from adding either guest musicians or synthesized overdubs.

There are a couple of surprises -- the title song is a Paulo original and a bonus track version of it reminds us that he does occasionally sing.

www.respect-record.co.jp

Mpeg Audio Clips: "Morning Dew" "Lei Pikake" "Pua Lililehua" Quicktime | RealPlayer | MPEG-3 info

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"Ukulele Breeze"

Herb Ohta Jr.
Lele Music Productions

Herb Ohta Jr. takes another step forward as a recording artist and record producer with this album. There's a greater emphasis on original melodies, several imaginative arrangements of other composers' works, and two songs for fans of his vocal stylings. Ohta does a fine job with the Hawaiian lyrics of "Pua Hone" and shows his romantic side as a singer-songwriter with the closing track, "Spend It With You."

The precision and deftness that distinguish Ohta, whether he's strumming or picking the ukulele, is best appreciated when he plays solo or with a small acoustic combo consisting of Noel Okimoto, Steve Jones and Jon Yamasato (Barry Flanagan sits in on "Lei Pikake").

Tinny synth string overdubs only point out how much better the arrangement would've sounded if he had the Honolulu Symphony strings behind him, but Ohta's artistry comes through despite the sonic clutter.

www.herbohtajr.com

Mpeg Audio Clips: "Sir Duke" "Beach Walk" "Pua Hone" Quicktime | RealPlayer | MPEG-3 info

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"The Very Best of Justin"

Justin Young
Neos Productions

The music on this aptly named 18-song anthology is a step or two removed from Justin Young's most recent album, "One Foot on Sand," but this is a fine retrospective of his work for Neos. It includes selections displaying his youthful penchant for languid synth-pop remakes, his experiments in reggae, and his gradual move into more sophisticated styles of acoustic rock.

"Soothe You" recalls his early success as a romantic pop balladeer and is one of his best originals from that period. "Streets Of Waiks," a fine slice-of-Jawaiian-life vignette, also stands the test of time. "If You Pick These Flowers," "Gonna Meet the Clouds" and "Butterfly" are also certain to tempt new fans who don't have all his earlier albums.

Producer Bob St. John completes the album with annotation that provides an overview of Young's history as a Neos artist.

www.neosproductions.com

Mpeg Audio Clips: "Soothe You" "The Call" "More Than Words" Quicktime | RealPlayer | MPEG-3 info

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See the Columnists section for some past reviews.

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. Contact John Berger at jberger@starbulletin.com.