September 2021 - Page 4 of 5

September 11, 2021September 12, 2021

ROBERT’S DOING CHRISTMAS @ CHAI’S

Mele Kalikmaka!

Robert Cazimero’s the first to announce a round of Christmas shows…at Chef Chai’s, his sorta home base for a couple of years now.

Cazimero dropped the dates — Dec. 15 through 19 at Chai Chaowasaree’s restaurant — in a conversation when he guest-performed at Blue Note Hawaii over the weekend. Chef Chai’s becomes a sometimes nightclub, when the popular Hawaiian singer-pianist takes over at least once a month, for his ongoing Full Moon Concert. Next one is Sept. 19, so make plans to save a table.

Christmas is Robert’s favorite holiday, and while the limited Chai’s space — cozy and hip — won’t allow for a line of hula dancers and halau crooners like in earlier Cazimero holiday spectacles in traditional showroom or nightclub venues in the past, he’s truly capable of filling the room with a bounty of festive yuletide and Hawaiian cheer even with a minimum of performing colleagues. After all, the spirit’s the thing..

With the surging pandemic, who knows if anyone else in any other venue, large or small, will venture to deck the halls with boughs of maile and share yuletide melodies and carols with an island undercurrent. The scaled-down barometer in place currently might mean fewer or smaller holiday concerts. However, if you’ve booked a show and can share the news, please advise, pronto. …

Personalities

While pianist Rene Paulo has been released from the hospital on the mainland, following his recent bout with COVID-19, sorry to to report that his wife Akemi Paulo, who used to sing while Rene played keyboards, now has caught the virus and is in quarantine. Rene and Akemi are the parents of jazz musician Michael Paulo and sister-singer Kathy Paulo, so offer prayers once again for a speedy recovery. …

Speaking of wellness: Horace Dudoit III of Ho’okena has weathered through his coronovirus isolation, and is back in the saddle again, performing in limited engagements. …

And that’s Show Biz. …

September 11, 2021September 11, 2021

STARS ALIGN FOR ‘JAKE & FRIENDS’ CD

Ukulele wizard Jake Shimabukuro will be strumming amid a galaxy of stars when “Jake & Friends,” his most ambitious CD yet, is released Nov. 12.

It’s a bona fide party on a platter, when the likes of Bette Midler, Willie Nelson, Kenny Loggins, Jack Johnson, Jimmy Buffet, Michael McDonald, Ziggy Marley, Vince Gill and Amy Grant collaborate with the island-born musician to share, strut, and savor a gamut of musical genres, from pop to country, from blues to folk, from rock to standards.

“Making the album was a real challenge, but I’m deeply honored that all of the artists agreed to record with me,” Shimabukuro said in a statement.

The idea to lasso guest artists began on a modest scale, when Shimabukuro, the prevailing and defining figure of the ukulele movement worldwide, first got country legend Willie Nelson to consent to collaborate on one of his signature tracks, “Stardust.” Nelson at that time also was stretching his reach beyond his usual country corral.

Similarly, Shimabukuro also had been testing the waters to expand his horizons, when he tapped George Harrison’s “The Guitar Gently Weeps,” and gave that bluesy song an ukulele spin, which garnered him widespread attention on YouTube, connecting his talent to the national musical scene.

“Stardust” with Nelson’s expressive yet familiar vocal, and “Two High,” featuring a Nashville alt-rock group Moon Taxi, will be the first singles from the milestone CD.

He scored Midler, a fellow Honolulan, to bring his ukulele presence to her luminous and lovely Golden Globe-winning “The Rose,” one of the treats on the disc and one to Bette on, given her popularity.

The roster of other guests is impressive; participants include former Grammy and Country Music Association winners. Beyond the aforementioned names, listen for other crowd-pleasers in Jesse Colin Young, Jon Anderson, Sonny Landreth, Warren Haynes, Ray Benson & Asleep at the Wheel, Lukas Nelson and Billy Strings.

“Looking back on it all now, it feels like a dream,” Shimabukuro said with both pride and relief. “I grew up fantasizing that one day I might be able to meet my musical heroes, and here I am on my own record playing with them. That’s remarkable beyond words. I’m so fortunate to have had this experience, and I can’t wait for people to hear it. I think they’re going to be able to tell that I’m having the time of my life.”

The disc features 16 tracks and can be ordered at https://smarturl.it/JakeShimabukuro in advance of its release date.

Behind the scenes

Vanessa Lachey, on Modern Luxury Hawaii magazine cover

There’s not a whole lot of quotable quotes from Vanessa Lachey, who is portraying Jane Tennent, the first female leader of an NCIS unit in CBS’s procedural family of shows, in pre-premiere articles so far. Lachey is going to be the focus on how “NCIS: Hawai’i” fares after it debuts Sept. 20 at 8 p.m., following the launch of the mothership show “NCIS,” at 7 p.m.

Lachey is the cover girl of the current Modern Luxury Hawaii cover, with the piece exploring her juggling her professional life as an actress with that of being a mom of three kids with husband Nick Lachey of the group 98 Degrees, but given the nature of the mag’s audience and focus, the pictorials are fashion-oriented — a missed opportunity to share perhaps the first-on-the-site filming at Pearl Harbor, in her work environment, where much of the show’s plots will be anchored. …

And that’s Show Biz. …

September 10, 2021September 10, 2021

PANDEMIC ALTERING TERM DELTA?

Just asking…

Has the pandemic altered the meaning of ‘delta’?

Don’t know about you, but the term “delta” has been redefined to be the demonic variant of the coronavirus pandemic.

Not too long ago, betcha most folks linked Delta solely to the name of the airline. Employees there must now cringe whenever “delta variant” is uttered daily on TV or part the newspaper’s coverage of the health crisis.

Linguists know, thanks to the Greeks, that delta is the fourth letter of the alphabet. Military folks regularly utter the term, defining companies: alpha, beta, charley, delta.

Personally, when I heard the delta term in current times, I linked it to the late Helen Reddy’s monster hit from the past “Delta Dawn.”

I still can envision her voice, delivering the number.

Remember?

“Delta Dawn, what’s that flower you have on?
Could it be a faded rose from days gone by?
And did I hear you say he was a-meetin’ you here today
To take you to his mansion in the sky.”

This tune was written by Alex Harvey and Larry Collins, not Reddy. Its meaning deals with a complicated memory the writer Harvey had of his mother.

Indeed, delta has dawned with new relevance and power in life, and no one’s singing about it.

Can I ask someone in radioland to periodically play “Delta Dawn,” so we can reflect and remember simpler and safer times devoid of the pandemic?

September 8, 2021September 8, 2021

FANS, FRIENDS MOURN DJ’S PASSING

Social media has been buzzing with reflection and condolences following the death of David John “DJ” Pratt, the lead guitarist for the music group Kalapana, who died Tuesday afternoon at his home. He was 66 and was found unresponsive.

He was a founding member of Kalapana and has become the fourth to die, following the earlier passing of Mackey Feary in 1999, Alvin Fejarang in 2017 and Malani Bilyeu in 2018.

Pratt, Feary, Bilyeu and Kirk Thompson were the original members of the band, formed in 1974. Kalapana presided alongside Cecilio and Kapono in a friendly competition to emerge as prolific and grounding local boys who wrote original hit songs and performed in Waikiki clubs in the heyday of the 1970s to the ‘90s. It was the glory days of recording, concertizing, and touring shows here and elsewhere.

Reactions to Pratt’s death touched the nerves of fellow musicians.

Michael Paulo, a saxophonist who played with Kalapana in recent years. mourned the passing of his pal. “Once more I lost a part of my musical soul,” said Paulo. “I never forget always being in awe of him as a young musician, when I first joined Kalapana. His playing live on ‘Can You See Him’ was powerful and amazing; I can see him still with his long hair flowing down his face and sweat running off his brow, while ripping it up on that acoustic guitar 45 years ago. I was so privileged to be part of those performances. Rest in peace, my friend. You were one of Hawaii’s greatest guitarists.”

Glenn Medeiros, once a Hawaii act recording and performing pop ballads nationally and now the principal of Saint Louis School, recalled his admiration of a musical peer. “God has graced me with the incredible opportunity to travel to over 30 countries in my life,” Medeiros said. “During that time, I met so many talented musicians. I’ve always felt that Hawaii is the home of some of the greatest guitarists in the world. I believe we lost the greatest of them. I never had the chance to work with him closely but I’ve always admired him from afar.”

John Valentine, for decades a notable guitarist in Waikiki and still on the scene, had a iconic visual response: an emoji of a broken heart.

Kamasami Kong, a former Hawaii deejay who’s now a leading media resource in Japan, had a succinct reaction: “I feel numb.”

Beyond his recording and performing career, Pratt was a popular recording and sound engineer for TV projects and an audio sound engineer for live and video sessions where his craft would be mostly heard and seen through the lens of other artists.

Pratt also was an honoree when Kalapana was tapped as a Na Hoku Hanohano Lifetime Achievement Award winner, presented by the Hawaii Academy of Recording Arts.

In recent years, Kalapana members featured Gaylord Holomalia, Kenji Sano, Maurice Bega, Randy Aloya and Michael Paulo.

Further details of his survivors or information of funeral plans have not been made public. …

The ill crowd\

Time for sending prayers and get-well wishes to:

Rene Paulo, the renowned poet of the piano who used to regularly perform with his singing wife Akemi Paulo. He has been diagnosed with COVID-19, according to a Facebook posting by son Michael Paulo. Rene and Akemi relocated to California several months ago; a visit for a medical treatment apparently is how he caught the virus. Update: According to Michael, his dad is set to be released from the hospital Thursday (Sept. 9).
Joe “Pekelo” Recca, the former singer and show emcee for Tihati Productions spectacles in Waikiki. His longtime battle with throat cancer has worsened; he is hospitalized now.
David “Kawika” Talisman, a private investigator with a history of music, composing and script-writing for TV shows. He also has been in the hospital to tend to issues with his prostate cancer.

On the road again

Local girl Tricia Marciel is prepping to spend the next few months at sea, joining an inaugural cast of performers aboard the Enchanted Princess, staging shows for the cruise’s maiden launching soon in the Caribbean. “After nearly two years of ups and down,” she said on Facebook about the pandemic and her new venture, “it’s going to be somewhat amazing to do what I love, feel purposeful and in my very small manini way, help a company and an industry that’s been very good to my recovery.” …

And in New York, Matt Yee brings his outrageous adult revue to the Triad Theatre, at 10 p.m. Friday (Sept. 10). If you’re in the vicinity, proof of vaccination is a requisite. Yee is known for his shows aboard the Atlantis and Royal Caribbean cruises in the recent past. …

And that’s Show Biz. …

September 8, 2021September 8, 2021

ARE SHOPPING CARTS, BASKETS SAFE?

Just asking…

Are shopping carts still safe during the current surge of the pandemic virus?

A year ago, food markets like Foodland Farms and Safeway used to dutifully sanitize shopping carts and baskets for customer use. Nowaways, Foodland seems to be continuing the safety measure, Safeway not so much.

Since the viral spreads through eyes, noses and mouths, maybe the potential germs on a cart or basket handle no longer is a big deal.

After all, we’ve all been shopping at Costco, CVS Longs, Walgreen’s, Marukai and Don Quiote, and unless I’ve visited during non-spray-and-sanitize hours, I’ve never seen or experienced any sense of cart maintenance at these stores. Instead, wipes and lotions are commonly available inside these merchants for self-sanitizing.

What’s your take on this cart issue — do you wipe down your own, wear gloves, wash hands when you’re home … or just aren’t a worry-wart anymore?