Ron Artis II has turned his pop, soul, blues and funk chops in a new direction this holiday season, all for a cause close to his heart.
The North Shore musician from the famous artistic family collaborated with the Hawai‘i Symphony Orchestra in a made-for-TV performance at the Hawaii Theatre, which will be broadcast three times in upcoming days as a fundraiser for the symphony and the theater.
Since the spring, Artis has been waiting out the pandemic in Portland, Ore. — just a few minutes away from his brother Thunderstorm, fresh off a runner-up finish in season 18 of “The Voice” — but returned to Oahu late last month for some performances at the HB Social Club. A longtime fan of both the symphony and the theater, he decided to lend them a hand through his music.
“What a perfect moment to create something beautiful for our community, as well as support these two wonderful organizations,” Artis said.
In just two weeks, his friend Tylor Neist, a classically trained musician based in Portland, turned out a program of 12 of Artis’ songs arranged for an ensemble of about 20 instruments. Some songs were adapted from Artis’ 2019 album “Love of Love,” an acoustic album which featured a string quartet, while others are from his 2018 debut solo album “Soul Street.” Still others are new releases.
“I have to say I was so blown away,” Artis said, surprised by many of Neist’s arrangements.
Artis also gave special praise to string bass player Sayuri Yamamoto for her contribution to the jazzy tune “Dance With Me.” “I told her in the middle of the session, ‘You nailed that, that was so amazing,’ ” Artis said.
He also praised symphony concertmaster Iggy Jang for his violin solo during the song “Take Some Time.” “It’s a moment when everyone stops and we leave him out there, and he’s just soaring, like a bird made of silk,” Artis said.
The performance will be broadcast at 6:30 p.m. Monday on KGMB, 8 p.m. Thursday on K5, and at 10:30 p.m. Dec. 27 on KGMB. Donations to the theater and the symphony are welcome.
