'Big Rock Stampede'

Elephant
(BTYFB)

It can't be said too often—as legal downloads become the norm for selling new music—that it's a sign of confidence in the quality of one's work for an artist to make the commitment to release an album on CD.

Elephant's David Fanelli (drums/percussion), Kevin Jones (vocals/percussion), David K. Kopper (bass) and Porter Miller (guitar/bass/mandolin/synthesizer) take that step with this seven-song sampler, and their confidence seems well placed. Given the range of modern rock represented here, Elephant could win the interest of several distinctly different audiences.

Contrast the frenetic up-tempo rhythms of “;Boogie”; and “;Conquistador”; with the humorous blues in “;Bad Suit”; or the ironic slice-of-life lyric images contained in “;Katie,”; the story of a young woman whose mantra becomes “;everybody's doing it.”;

“;Pull the Pin pt. 1”; and “;Pretty Little Thing”; add a style of vintage rock reminiscent of Grand Funk-meets-Brownsville Station, while two unlisted tracks provide other examples of their versatility.

www.myspace.com/elephanthawaii

”;Driver”;
”;Bad Suit”;
”;Katie”;

'Come Together'

Ginai with Pierre Grill
(RVR)

Recording remakes of classic pop hits is almost always a bad idea for Hawaii-based musicians.

Few artists, producers or arrangers are capable of improving on a classic or—in the case of a song that first hit as recorded and released by the composer—interpreting it with more insight. Who knows more about the compositions of, say, George Harrison, than he did?

With that as prologue, and countless insipid remakes strewn across the last seven decades of local music as warnings to expect the worst, this unpretentious collection of Beatles classics reworked as jazzy pop proves to be one of the rare exceptions. Yes, this isn't the first time some of them have been done in this general style—Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66 had a Top 10 hit with “;The Fool on the Hill”; in 1968—but they're all done well this time around.

Grill is a talented and versatile pianist who also plays accordion (he adds the bass line via synthesizer). Single-monikered Ginai sings all the vocal parts and also is the percussionist. She has never sounded better; he also is in fine form.

They set the mood with a reworking of the title song that emphasizes piano, percussion and Ginai's voice rather than the iconic instrumental hook of the original. The decision to do “;Michelle”; and “;Girl”; as instrumentals also pays off in sharing fresh perspectives.

“;Fool”; is less interesting simply because the general idea of doing that song this way is more than 40 years past being an original idea. It's nicely done but nothing new. “;Let It Be”; closes the album with an unadorned “;live”; performance.

www.pierregrill.com

”;Come Together”;
”;Hey Jude”;
”;Michelle”;

'Appetite for Love'

Jahmaka
(RBM)

Stephen “;Mr. Steph_monN”; Lau and Bill “;Da_Mousemon”; Mousser are the key figures in this solidly crafted album of local-style reggae that was officially released last May but only recently presented for review.

Lau is the group's singer and in-house lyricist; he and Mousser share credit as composers and also as the producers of the project. Mousser is the group's drummer; Lance “;Free_Lance”; Motogawa (keyboards), Kelly “;Kelly_Boi”; Kolii (bass) and Mario “;Doji_mon”; Largosa (guitar) complete the roster.

Although several members identify themselves as Rastafarians, they leave the religious messages to other artists and concentrate on nondenominational mainstream reggae with standard secular themes—sexy women, sex with sexy women, relationships and the group's love of playing “;roots rock reggae”; music.

“;Is This”; stands out in showing Lau's production skills as multiple backing tracks create the impression of a singing group harmonizing behind him. He also displays a knack for coining memorable lyric phrases in asking an unreliable lover, “;Is this love or bad intention?”;

The affection of faux Afro-Caribbean patois has been the bane of the local reggae scene since the '80s, and that common failing detracts from the credibility of several selections here. On the other hand, props to Jahmaka for not padding the album with any Jawaiian remakes of old-time pop hits.

The group is offering CD buyers an additional track as a free download. Information on how to get it is available in the liner notes.

www.myspace.com/jahmakamusic

”;Radio Man”;
”;Lets Dance”;
”;You And Me”;