“BACK IN MY DAY”

John Valentine Hawaii (Studio Valentine)

Waikiki veteran John Valentine has parallel careers these days as a solo performer and a member of both Henry Kapono & Friends and Kalapana. The time spent playing classic C&K and Kalapana music inspired this collection of new songs — most of them written in the style known as “contemporary local” back in the mid-1970s.

“Kewalos,” an instrumental co-written with longtime Kalapana sideman Todd Yukumoto, brings to mind Kalapana’s epic instrumental “Black Sand.” On other songs the work of flautist Rockford Holmes evokes memories of Kalapana in the mid-1970s. There are also songs reminiscent of the pop crossover hits of jazz vocalist Michael Franks, who was hugely popular in Hawaii in the 1970s.

Valentine’s range as vocalist has never been shown more effectively than it is on these songs. Several offer proof that he can write, record and produce catchy pop songs that deserve airplay across the nation and beyond.

Visit johnvalentinehawaii.com.

“MEDUSA LIVE”

Storm (Tin Idol Productions)

Gerard K. Gonsalves and Tin Idol Productions made history last year with a fully staged performance of their heavy-metal rock opera, “Medusa,” for a sold-out house at Kumu Kahua Theatre. In Gonsalves’ libretto, based on a Roman version of the original Greek myth, Medusa is a beautiful woman who is raped by Poseidon, turned into a “hideous scaly beast” by Athena and then exiled to a desolate island. Sandy “Storm” Essman starred in the title role with Kevin Jones as the Greek hero Perseus.

This souvenir of the event is so bare bones it doesn’t even identify the performers, let alone provide a synopsis of the story or the date of the event. However, judged only for its musical content, it is another important addition to the Tin Idol discography.

Visit facebook.com/tinidolproductions.