Kokua Fest concerts come alive in album

‘Best of Kokua Festival’

Jack Johnson & Friends
(Brushfire Records)

Jack Johnson’s six Kokua Fest concerts have done a lot of good for Hawaii with the net proceeds funding Johnson’s Kokua Hawaii Foundation programs, which encourage recycling and other responsible life­style choices. The biggest "problem" has been that the concerts sell out so quickly that many would-be supporters of Johnson and his foundation are unable to be there. This compilation album, scheduled for release Tuesday, contains 13 performances that represent five of the concerts, and, yes, the net proceeds from CD sales are going to the foundation.

Johnson’s mainland fans will likely focus on his duets with high-profile stars such as Willie Nelson ("Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain"), Jackson Browne ("Take It Easy"), Ziggy Marley ("Cry, Cry, Cry") and Eddie Vedder ("Constellations" and "I Shall Be Released"). When an artist of Nelson’s stature revisits one of his early hits, the results are almost always worth hearing; with Johnson and Ben Harper harmonizing softly behind him, that’s the case here.

"Take It Easy," best known as an early hit by the Eagles, comes home, as it were, when sung in kinder and gentler style by the song’s co-writer, Jackson Browne, and with Johnson and John Cruz on harmonies. OK, so they change the lyrics to make the song about Hale­iwa — when the writer does it, it’s fair usage.

Hawaii residents will notice and applaud Johnson’s commitment to promoting island musicians. Cruz sings lead on "Island Style," his biggest hit. Vocalist/ slack-key guitarist Kawika Kahi­apo sits in with Vedder and Johnson on "Constellations." Jake Shi­ma­bu­kuro adds the magic of ukulele on "Breakdown."

Paula Fuga is heard on three songs. Her voice provides distant shadings behind Johnson’s lead vocals on "Better Together," she performs as a full partner with Johnson and Marley on "Cry, Cry, Cry" and she has a significant role on "Welcome to Jamrock" with Johnson and Damien "Jr. Gong" Marley.

Although the songs were culled from recordings made over a six-year period, they are presented in a sequence that creates the sense of listening to a single all-star show. It closes with Johnson, Vedder and Zach Gill singing "I Shall Be Released," which was evidently the final song of their Kokua Fest set in 2007.

www.jackjohnsonmusic.com

"Better Together"