“White Walls” — Meleana
(Dream 79229i52753)
Born and raised in Hawaii, Meleana Brown is one of the countless entertainers with Hawaii roots who is successfully pursuing a career on the mainland. Her YouTube clips include a high-profile duet with 10-time Grammy Award winner John Legend, and her resume here includes competing on “Hawaii Stars,” performing on the Navatek and a recent one-nighter showcase engagement at the Blue Note Hawaii. She returns to the Blue Note for two shows Tuesday, Valentine’s Day.
“White Walls,” her debut CD, confirms that she is ready and well qualified for prime-time exposure. Brown and her producers draw on several major genres — pop, urban, “club music” — and blend them in memorable ways. “Through the Storm” offers affirmations for those who face adversity, romantic or otherwise. With “Author,” Brown brings the energy level down and creates a sense of romantic intimacy.
With songs for those who are in love, those seeking love and those suffering through the aftermath of love gone wrong, Brown covers the spectrum in appealing style. There’s even a song about the struggle for self-esteem when bombarded by media images of “perfection.”
Visit meleanabrown.com.
“Blame It on My Youth” — Rachel Gonzales, Les Peetz, Len Benanto
(OK No Name Productions)
Jazz pianist Les Peetz is a guy who chooses to maintain a low profile and fly under the radar. Rachel Gonzales has been his vocalist of choice for years. Add Lou Benanto on acoustic “stand up” bass and you’ve got a solid trio with an unpredictable and eclectic repertoire. This limited-edition CD is a souvenir of a set they played at Hawaii Public Radio’s Atherton Studio in March 2013. It is an engaging snapshot of their creativity and diversity. Consider, for instance, their impressively doleful take on “Black Is the Color of My True Love’s Hair,” which makes this Appalachian folk song sound closer to a requiem than a love song.
The trio does a masterful job taking a Beach Boys classic, “The Warmth of the Sun,” and reworking it in the form of a jazz standard; Brian Wilson and Mike Love, who wrote the song a few hours before President Kennedy was assassinated in 1963, would certainly appreciate Peetz’s imagination in putting their work in such different form. Gonzales has an especially beautiful showcase with the title song, a gorgeous Oscar Levant/Edward Heyman creation from the mid-1930s. Her treatment of the lyrics illuminates each sentiment in turn. “In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning,” first recorded by Frank Sinatra in 1955 and long associated with him, is another emotional highlight.
The audio mix on this “live” recording is less than perfect — Peetz’s introductions and narration can barely be heard — but the musical performances are worthy of play on public-radio jazz shows.
Contact lespeetz@hawaii.rr.com.
