SATURDAY
>> Southern California band Ozomatli returns to Honolulu
Ozomatli brings all the musical spirit of its sprawling Southern California home base into its music, blending energetic Latin dances with hip-hop, funk, reggae and rock.
Formed in 1995, Ozomatli produced its eponymous debut album in 1998 and was immediately embraced by the godfather of Latin rock, Carlos Santana, who invited the band to open for him. The band soon proved it was no one-hit wonder, winning the Grammy for best Latin rock/alternative album with its next album, 2001’s “Embrace the Chaos,” and again with its third album, 2004’s “Street Signs.”
They’ve got a lively following here, having performed in Jack Johnson’s Kokua Festival in 2005 — a performance that was included the 2012 “best of” compilation album of the festival — and at Turtle Bay, as well as The Republik, where they make a return appearance Saturday.
Known for its bright, brassy sound produced on folk Latin and traditional band instruments, the band often performs with as many as 10 or more members, but the main band members have stuck together since the beginning. They are Wil-Dog Abers (Bass, marimbula, vocals), Raul Pacheco (guitar, tres, jarana, vocals), Justin Poree (percussion, rap, vocals), Asdrubal Sierra (trumpet, piano, vocals), Ulises Bella (saxophone, vocals, requinto jarocho, keyboard, melodica) and Jiro Yamaguchi (percussion, vocals).
OZOMATLI
>> Where: The Republik
>> When: 8 p.m. Saturday
>> Cost: $29.50-$34.50
>> Info: 941-7469, jointherepublik.com
SATURDAY-SUNDAY
>> Clarinetist David Shifrin keen to play Hawaii again
For the acclaimed clarinetist David Shifrin, a chance to perform in Hawaii is like a homecoming.
Widely considered one of the foremost clarinetists of his generation, Shifrin was the principal clarinetist for two years with the old Honolulu Symphony back in the early 1970s, and he cherishes that experience as much as he does the clarinet itself.
“I’ve continued to try to grow and develop as a musician, and do other things in music besides only playing clarinet, but it’s still the center of my musical identity and a big part of who I am, as was being in the Honolulu Symphony,” he said. “When I moved out of my home and got on the plane to leave for the last time, I was very upset and sad to be leaving after just two years.”
Shifrin’s short tenure here is understandable. A native of New York who trained at the Curtis Institute, he already had been performing with the American Symphony under the great Leopold Stokowski when he came here to perform with a group from the Juilliard School. The Honolulu orchestra was in need of a principal clarinetist and Shifrin landed the job. “When you’re 20, you can do that,” he said. “I’ve never been sorry.”
Two years later, he left for the same post with the Cleveland Symphony, one of the “Big Five” orchestras in the U.S. That led to an illustrious career that has seen appearances at all the great concert halls, three Grammy nominations, collaborations with major artists, and teaching positions at several music institutions.
For his concert here, he will perform Debussy’s “Rhapsody” for clarinet and orchestra, and Weber’s “Concerto for Clarinet No. 2.” “The Debussy has its moments of flash, especially at the end, but in the beginning it’s very dreamy,” he said. “Some of the challenges for the clarinetist are control, and transitions of the music and being able to play in as many different moods and colors as Debussy could possibly imagine in a nine-minute piece.”
The Weber, he said, is “very vocal and operatic” and shows off range and agility of the clarinet. “His concerto alternates from being a total showpiece to being a very romantic opera,” Shifrin said.
The concert also includes Rimsky-Korsakov’s delightful “Scheherazade.” Rei Hotoda, artistic director of the Fresno Symphony, known for her expressive presence on the podium, leads the orchestra.
“ARABIAN NIGHTS”
>> Where: Blaisdell Concert Hall
>> When: 7:30 p.m. Saturday, 4 p.m. Sunday
>> Cost: $34-$92
>> Info: 800-745-3000, ticketmaster.com or 800-745-3000
SUNDAY
>> Polo season on the North Shore begins
Polo season rides into the North Shore on Sunday.
Matches will be held every Sunday except June 16 from now until Sept. 1 at the Hawaii Polo Club’s spectacular field in Mokuleia. You can make a day of it by getting out there around noon for some time at the beach or to take a ride yourself, or get there at 2 p.m. when the action gets fast and furious.
Two matches will be played Sunday featuring local players, but a number of top players have played here, as well as celebrities like Prince Charles of England in 1974. Overseas teams also compete here frequently; this year, teams from Australia will come in early June and teams from India will play in August.
This Sunday’s matches will be followed by a concert by Na Hoku Hanohano Award-winner John Cruz, pictured, whose 2007 album “One of These Days” debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard Heatseekers Chart and No. 6 on the Billboard World Chart.
“SUNDAY IN THE COUNTRY”
>> Where: Hawaii Polo Club, 68-411 Farrington Highway
>> When: 11 a.m.-7 p.m. (match from 2-5 p.m., music at 5:30 p.m.)
>> Cost: $18-$45 (tents and tables also available from $150-$350)
>> Info: 221-5153, hawaii-polo.org
WEDNESDAY
>> Local trio of star sax players performs at Gordon Biersch
Sax Max Hawaii, a trio of top local saxophone players, makes its debut performance next week at Gordon Biersch as part of its ongoing Wednesday jazz sessions.
The group consists of Jesse Snyder, Jason Gay and Larry Cook, who will combine their talents with a backing trio in an evening of jazz, R&B, blues and soul.
Snyder is a multitalented musician who plays sax, clarinet and flute and is an expert arranger as well. His horn arrangements were featured on Kahulanui’s big-band album “Mele Ho’oilina,” which won the Na Hoku Hanohano Award last year for jazz album of the year. He’s been performing in island clubs since 2009.
Gay, pictured at bottom left, studied at the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston and has performed with Ravi Coltrane and Michael Paulo, among others. He arrived here while serving in the Navy and, since leaving the service, has performed at Blue Note Hawaii, Jazz Minds and other Honolulu venues. He’s also caught on to the melting pot of Hawaii’s culture, producing an album, “Dynasty,” of Chinese folk songs arranged for jazz combo.
Cook, pictured, is a diverse stylist who has played with the Hawai‘i Symphony Orchestra in both classical and pops concerts, Hawaii Opera Theatre productions and with Matt Catingub’s concerts.
Joining them are Dean Taba on bass, Michael Grande on keys and Darryl Pellegrini on drums, all of them well-known figures in the local jazz scene.
“SAX MAX HAWAII”
>> Where: Gordon Biersch
>> When: 6:30-9:30 p.m. Wednesday
>> Cost: Free
>> Info: gordonbiersch.com/locations/honolulu/
For additional events, visit staradvertiser.com/calendar.
