Maui Jam Band features Hawaiian standards

Reviews by John Berger jberger@staradvertiser.com on April 19, 2018

Reviews by John Berger jberger@staradvertiser.com Posted on April 19, 2018

Updated on April 19, 2018 at 5:58 pm

Multi-instrumentalist Al Nip is the leader, primary vocalist and solid foundation of the Maui Jam Band, made up of Valley Isle residents who play Hawaiian and hapa-haole standards. Read More

Gordon Broad and Rod Young present a collection of songs about Windward Oahu

Reviews by John Berger jberger@staradvertiser.com on April 5, 2018

Reviews by John Berger jberger@staradvertiser.com Posted on April 5, 2018

Updated on April 5, 2018 at 6:00 pm

This two-disc CD is a collection of new recordings of songs Broad has written over the years about people and places on Windward Oahu. They’re presented in geographical order going from Laie down to Waimanalo. Read More

Hollinger returns; ‘Collaborations’ introduces Rendezvous

Reviews by John Berger jberger@staradvertiser.com on March 29, 2018

Reviews by John Berger jberger@staradvertiser.com Posted on March 29, 2018

Updated on March 29, 2018 at 6:12 pm

Two-time Hoku Award winner Stuart Hollinger returns with his third album, drawing on a variety of genres to present songs reminiscent of the Police, Steely Dan and Crosby Stills & Nash — but nothing sounds borrowed from other artists. Read More

Stephen Inglis pays homage to Grateful Dead

Review by John Berger jberger@staradvertiser.com on March 22, 2018

Review by John Berger jberger@staradvertiser.com Posted on March 22, 2018

Updated on March 22, 2018 at 5:53 pm

Until now Stephen Inglis has had the most visibility for his work as a musical associate of slack key master Dennis Kamakahi. Read More

Randy Parker shares 30 years of music on an anthology

Reviews by John Berger jberger@staradvertiser.com on March 15, 2018

Reviews by John Berger jberger@staradvertiser.com Posted on March 15, 2018

Updated on March 15, 2018 at 5:34 pm

With “Happy to Be Me,” Hawaii Island singer/songwriter Randy Parker is sharing 30 years of original music. Read More

Sean Cleland makes memorable solo debut

Reviews by John Berger jberger@staradvertiser.com on March 8, 2018

Reviews by John Berger jberger@staradvertiser.com Posted on March 8, 2018

Updated on March 9, 2018 at 12:23 am

Multitalented Sean Cleland has been best known until now as a member of the Hollow Spheres, a quartet he helped found in 2009. He builds on that solid foundation as a solo artist. Read More

Ohta Jr. and Tolentino tap stars for new album

By John Berger jberger@staradvertiser.com on February 22, 2018

By John Berger jberger@staradvertiser.com Posted on February 22, 2018

Updated on February 25, 2018 at 11:06 pm

The Hawaiian word “kaona” refers to hidden meanings in song lyrics or poetry. Those who know the kaona get the deeper meanings; those who don’t, miss out. Read More

Chock, Aranita albums satisfy hapa-haole, world music fans

Reviews by John Berger jberger@staradvertiser.com on February 15, 2018

Reviews by John Berger jberger@staradvertiser.com Posted on February 15, 2018

Updated on February 17, 2018 at 4:32 pm

Michael Chock’s second project as a solo recording artist began with his discovery of the guitarlele — an ukulele with two additional lower strings. Read More

Rich Crandall, Jimmy C revive songs of yesteryear

Reviews by John Berger jberger@staradvertiser.com on February 1, 2018

Reviews by John Berger jberger@staradvertiser.com Posted on February 1, 2018

Updated on February 2, 2018 at 4:30 pm

Promoter and host Rich Crandall created a weekly jazz showcase called Studio 6 at the Musicians’ Union building in the mid-1990s. A piano player, Crandall recorded “Live at Studio 6” with Dean Taba on acoustic bass and Abe Lagrimas Jr. on drums. Read More

Kahulanui sequel features assortment of Hawaiian, hapa-haole songs

Reviews by John Berger jberger@staradvertiser.com on January 11, 2018

Reviews by John Berger jberger@staradvertiser.com Posted on January 11, 2018

Updated on January 12, 2018 at 6:54 pm

Kahulanui released its long-awaited second album “Mele Ho‘olino” as 2017 was ending. It’s a fresh assortment of Hawaiian and hapa-haole songs that spans two centuries. Read More

Kahumoku pays tribute to his grandma with classic slack key stylings

Reviews by John Berger jberger@staradvertiser.com on January 4, 2018

Reviews by John Berger jberger@staradvertiser.com Posted on January 4, 2018

Updated on January 5, 2018 at 4:48 pm

George Kahumoku returns to the music of his childhood with this collection of songs that he grew up listening to in the early 1950s. Read More

Storm brings astrological concepts into new solo project

Reviews by John Berger jberger@staradvertiser.com on December 29, 2017

Reviews by John Berger jberger@staradvertiser.com Posted on December 29, 2017

Updated on December 29, 2017 at 6:42 pm

Sandy “Storm” Essman is the alpha female in Gerard K. Gonsalves’ hard-rocking Tin Idol Productions ohana. Read More

Kuana Torres Kahele honors Molokai on newest album

By John Berger jberger@staradvertiser.com on December 22, 2017

By John Berger jberger@staradvertiser.com Posted on December 22, 2017

Updated on December 25, 2017 at 1:17 pm

With “‘Aina Momona (Music for the Hawaiian Islands Vol. 6),” multi-Hoku Award winner Kuana Torres Kahele continues to make good on his unprecedented commitment to record and release six full-length albums of newly written songs — each about a different Hawaiian island. Read More

Hoku Award-winner Kahiapo creates benefit anthology

Reviews by John Berger jberger@staradvertiser.com on December 7, 2017

Reviews by John Berger jberger@staradvertiser.com Posted on December 7, 2017

Updated on December 8, 2017 at 6:09 pm

Multi-Na Hoku Hanohano Award-winner Kawika Kahiapo is the producer and driving force behind this economically packaged anthology released to benefit the Hawaii Autism Foundation. Joining him are 13 other Hawaii recording artists — almost all ofthem are also Hoku Award winners. Read More

Brother Noland’s latest brings together diverse genres

Review by John Berger jberger@staradvertiser.com on November 23, 2017

Review by John Berger jberger@staradvertiser.com Posted on November 23, 2017

Updated on November 23, 2017 at 4:09 pm

Thirty-three years and 11 albums later after his breakout album “Pacific Bad Boy,” Brother Noland continues to follow his imagination and knit together ideas from diverse genres of contemporary music with “His Songs His Stories His Styles.” Read More

Kumu hula Hewett shares traditions on ‘Pili Me Ke Aloha’

Review by John Berger jberger@staradvertiser.com on November 16, 2017

Review by John Berger jberger@staradvertiser.com Posted on November 16, 2017

Updated on November 18, 2017 at 4:38 pm

Kawaikapuokalani Hewett is one of the few culturally significant kumu hula who is equally significant as a recording artist. His new album lives up to expectations in all respects. Read More

Collection marks 20 years since IZ’s death

By John Berger jberger@staradvertiser.com on November 9, 2017

By John Berger jberger@staradvertiser.com Posted on November 9, 2017

Updated on November 10, 2017 at 3:55 pm

In the 20 years since he died of weight-related health problems at the age of 38, Israel “IZ” Kamakawiwo‘ole has become bigger in death than he was in life. Read More

New Hope Oahu offers polished praise

By John Berger jberger@staradvertiser.com on November 2, 2017

By John Berger jberger@staradvertiser.com Posted on November 2, 2017

Updated on November 5, 2017 at 10:44 pm

The second half of the 20th century saw the rise of a new type of Christian music that was much closer to pop than traditional hymns or African-American gospel music. Read More

TV pitchman Bonilla documents life with new comedy CD

Reviews by John Berger jberger@staradvertiser.com on October 26, 2017

Reviews by John Berger jberger@staradvertiser.com Posted on October 26, 2017

Updated on October 27, 2017 at 4:01 pm

Daryl Bonilla has been known for years for his work as a local stage actor and as the guy who says “That’s my bank!” With “What Year You Grad?” he steps forward as the latest local-style stand-up comic with a CD documenting his work on stage. Read More

3 isle musicians blend traditions on new CD

Review by John Berger jberger@staradvertiser.com on October 19, 2017

Review by John Berger jberger@staradvertiser.com Posted on October 19, 2017

Updated on October 20, 2017 at 4:56 pm

One of the unanswerable questions about the evolution of Hawaiian music is why Hawaiian musicians adopted and adapted some non-Hawaiian instruments and not others. Three Hawaii residents explore these cultural roots in music on “Across the Sea.” Read More

Star-studded Mana Maoli follow-up looks like early Hoku front-runner

Review by John Berger jberger@staradvertiser.com on October 12, 2017

Review by John Berger jberger@staradvertiser.com Posted on October 12, 2017

Updated on October 14, 2017 at 12:05 am

After Mana Maoli’s first big music video project won this year’s Na Hoku Hanohano Award for best music video, the second release from the organization looks like the immediate front-runner for 2018. Read More

Island Mele