Kolivas and jazz quartet mark 10th anniversary

John Kolivas and his Honolulu Jazz Quartet will celebrate a milestone 10th anniversary with a performance from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. July 20 at Gordon Biersch at Aloha Tower Marketplace. A CD, which includes a live performance at the Triple Door club in Seattle, will be released to mark the occasion.

"Can you believe that time has gone by that fast?" said Kolivas, who has nurtured the group’s growth and success in a marketplace where jazz is not the easiest sell. The new CD will be something to remember because "Remembrance," a song Kolivas wrote featuring lyrics by his brother, Robert Pennybacker, is included on the disc, featuring the voice of Anita Hall. The tune was composed for survivors of the 9/11 World Trade Center tragedy but the album, said Kolivas, will have a forward thrust, kicking off a new era for the jazz quartet. …

RAZZ-MA-TAZZ: Though making progress in his bout with liver cancer, Jimmy Borges, one of our town’s best crooners, was all set to make his annual appearance at "Wildest Show in Town," July 27 at Honolulu Zoo. But his doctor has rescheduled his surgery, which includes a two-week rest-to-prep confinement period that precedes the Roy Sakuma-organized summer appearance — necessitating his withdrawal.

"I’m feeling stronger and more vital," Borges said last week. "I need to get back in the world, skinny and all, (and) I finally stopped losing weight and even gained a pound or two. It’s wonderful to start feeling like a human being again."

He so wanted to get back in the groove, but with health a top priority, Borges asked his pal Shari Lynn, who was vacationing in New York last week, and of course she willingly agreed to fill in. Borges has since taken on a "winner" credo in his recovery process.

Borges and his wife, Vicki, were spotted recently at the 5 p.m. mass at Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Church on Kaheka Street, around the corner from her apartment. "Nice to see them strolling … hand-in-hand after church," said my informant.

Borges has rounded up regulars from his old Trappers gig at the Hyatt Waikiki, like Betty Loo Taylor, Steve Jones and Noel Okimoto, along with Rocky Holmes, to back up Shari. …

NAME-DROPPING: Indie filmmaker Albert Pyun will return home Aug. 7 to participate in Don Brown’s Filmmaker Showcase at the Fresh Cafe. He’ll screen his latest sword and sorcery saga, "Tales of an Ancient Empire," starring Kevin Sorbo, Christopher Lambert, Lee Horsely, Melissa Ordway and Whitney Able. Pyun will participate in a Q&A and share what he calls "war stories of my 30 years in the trenches of Hollywood indie filmmaking." "Empire" has been a grueling three-years-in-the-making project for the former islander. …

Audy Kimura, resident entertainer-composer at Hy’s Steak House, has concocted another jingle — one with an African jungle theme — for Fitzgerald’s Casino in Las Vegas.

"My neighbors must have been wondering about elephants trumpeting late at night," said Kimura, a Hawaii Kai resident, since the spot features animal sound effects along with vocals by Maila Gibson and narration by Dave Lancaster. Ex-pat Faye Muranaka, now with the Fitz, scripted the spot. …

Singers Tahiti Rey and Jason Alan, now performing as a group, are featured at Apartment3’s Acoustic Tuesdays from 7 to 10 p.m. every Tuesday through July 30. Vito Trugilo on bass and Shawn Pimental on percussion provide musical support. Also: Find ’em Thursdays at the Cheesecake Factory and Fridays at the Wakiki Edition Hotel. …

And that’s "Show Biz." …

Wayne Harada is a veteran entertainment columnist; reach him at 266-0926 or wayneharada@gmail.com; read his Show and Tell Hawaii blog at www.staradvertiser.com.