The Orange Peels Come to the Make-Out Room

This Friday, one of my favorite pop bands, The Orange Peels, emerge from their Sunnyvale studio to perform at the Make-Out Room, along with the Corner Laughers and the Incredible Vickers Brothers . The Peels, led by the pop-stylings of singer/guitarist Allen Clapp and bassist Jill Pries, return with "special guests", perhaps "the incredible" Bob Vickers, ex-Mummies guitarist Larry Winther, who left to build a new home Oregon, or drummer John Moremen who left to tour with Last Train Home, MX80 and Half Japanese. The founders of the Peels, Clapp and Pries remained, and continued with the duo's latest and perhaps best effort, "Circling The Sun". Reunited with producer/drummer Bryan Hanna, and the Ocean Blue's guitarist Oed Ronne, which helped Clapp and Pries to continue with the same vigor and energy that made the Orange Peels one of the very best pop groups in the Bay Area.

From their Sunnyvale Eichler home, Clapp alongside Pries, produced the band's first two albums, "Square" (Minty Fresh) and "So Far" (SpinART). These truly were the groundwork for their newest effort, and the foundations were indeed well laid. The orchestral soundscapes of "Circling the Sun" are a unique departure from their previous CDs, giving this album an unexpectedly much fuller sound. Taking cues from the terrestrial and the celestial, the band's third album is both more earthy and spacey than its past works. It's the sound of a band that has matured, and as King Crimson guitarist Robert Fripp once fondly said of drummer Bill Bruford, "He still retains a loss of innocence without giving way to cynicism." This trait shows in Clapp's songwriting and vocal arrangements, echoing for example in his "lyrical preoccupation with the weather and the cosmos", in Circling the Sun. It's also evident in Pries, whose funky and melodic bass lines helps to propel the Orange Peels. Despite the ups-and-downs of leading a group, Clapp and Pries remain ever the musical optimists.

The addition of Chicago's Oed Ronne of the Ocean Blue, a multi-instrumentalist who joined the band in late 2002 on lead guitar and keyboards, has added to the chemistry. While Winther's guitar work, (like on my beloved "Back in San Francisco" from So Far), will be missed, Ronne doesn't disappoint. His talents were evident when I happened to catch the Orange Peels opening for the Ocean Blue in Baltimore a few years ago, and later as he joined Clapp on his solo tour at the club Iota in Northern Virginia. The band also apparently has "broken free from it's garage", to work with producer Bryan Hanna, who also collaborated on the band's debut CD, and recording in the world-class acoustic spaces of the new Terrarium in Minneapolis.

Although drummer Moremen left the group during the early stages of Circling the Sun, Clapp has benefited from using three different drummers to complete the album, Peter Anderson of the Ocean Blue, who rejoins his band mate Ronne on "So Right," and "Long Cold Summer". Hanna plays on "Something in You" (my personal favorite), and "Circling the Sun". The Orange Peels' original drummer Bob Vickers also returned to play on "California Blue" and the album's closing number, the laid back "How Green the Grass".

The Peels have been working on new recordings, Clapp's latest solo album and even a version of the Beatles' "Hello Goodbye" for one of the Target's TV spots. "The production company said they wanted it to sound like us", the Peels wrote on their web site. "Not an ad-version of us, so we got together at Mystery Lawn studio to hammer out an arrangement. A few hours later, we had recorded drums in the kitchen, guitars and bass in the garage, and the song was taking shape. We were so happy with what emerged -- a coastal, spacey California interpretation of a song we love. It's streaming now on our Myspace page..."

"I think it was a little too much of a West Coast jamboree for the ad in hindsight, but (the Incredible) Bob Vickers had propelled the song with such driving force on the drums, we couldn't resist going with it. Oed Ronne's folky guitar signature, Jill Pries' rumbling bass line and liberally applied Space Echo guitars by Bob and Oed were followed by some Wurlitzer electric piano and vocals by Allen..."

In the end, Target ended up using only Clapp's vocals over a totally different arrangement, a "kind of a baroque-pop show piece with harpsichords, chamber strings and big drums", according to the Peels. Target's loss, but Orange Peels fans can hear both versions on the Peels' website. If you're lucky, you might hear them play it tonight.


The Orange Peels
with The Corner Laughers plus special guests, and the Incredible Vickers Brothers
The Make-Out Room
Friday, June 20th @ 8pm
3225 22nd Street, San Francisco
$7.00

Return to Forever Comes to the Grand at the Regency Center

Previously, I'd written that I'd seen my first concert with jazz pianist Chick Corea some thirty years ago, with his now legendary group, Return to Forever. Considered one of the greatest fusion bands of all time, that incarnation featured the famed bassist Stanley Clarke, drummer Lenny White and guitarist Bill Connors. If my mind hadn't already been blown, it surely was after seeing the next RTF line-up following Connor's departure and the debut of a young guitarist named Al DiMeola. For three amazing nights in a row and only a few blocks from my childhood home, I sat in awe of this groundbreaking new music that would ultimately become known as "jazz-fusion". Now, some 25 years later, Return to Forever has reunited and performed for two extraordinary and captivating nights at the Grand on Van Ness and Sutter.

Miles Davis’ electric bands in the late ‘60s, featured on such classic albums as "In a Silent Way" and "Bitches Brew", served as an "incubator" for several pioneering jazz fusion bands, including Tony Williams’ Lifetime, Herbie Hancock’s Headhunters, John McLaughlin’s Mahavishnu Orchestra, Joe Zawinul and Wayne Shorter’s Weather Report and Chick Corea’s legendary Return to Forever, whose lifespan stretched from 1972 to 1977 with three different versions of the band.

After a touring absence of more than 25 years, the potent jazz-rock flagship quartet edition of Return to Forever returned for a world tour in 2008. This highly anticipated reunion sees the group’s classic lineup—Corea on keyboards, Al Di Meola on guitar, Stanley Clarke on bass and Lenny White on drums—embark on an expansive summer tour with dates in Europe and the United States.

After Corea left Miles’ employ, he helped found the avant-garde acoustic quartet Circle with saxophonist Anthony Braxton, bassist Dave Holland and drummer Barry Altschul. The band worked from 1970-’71, but Corea sought a new, less-esoteric direction where he could express his music to larger audiences—in a band committed to communicating the purity of sound, the challenge of improvising on complex compositions and the exploration of melding the jazz tradition with rock music. The time was ripe for what followed.

Return to Forever launched in 1972 with its self-titled debut featuring a quintet that Corea assembled, comprising Joe Farrell on flute and saxophone, Airto Moreira on drums and percussion, Flora Purim on vocals, and Stanley Clarke on bass—the only RTF member who served in all three editions of the band. With a Brazilian tinge imbued in the fusion, the first album featured such noteworthy tracks as “Sometime Ago,” “Crystal Silence” and “La Fiesta.” Later that year, the same RTF lineup delivered its follow-up, Light As a Feather, renowned as one of the band’s best recordings. Tunes included such Corea classics as “Spain,” “500 Miles High” and “Captain Marvel.”

In 1973, when Airto and Flora left RTF to start their own band and Farrell also took his leave, Corea enlisted a new lineup to explore a harder-edged rock-jazz fusion. The electric guitar was added, and placed front and center along with Corea on electric keyboards. The guitarist for the first of the four quartet albums, Hymn of the Seventh Galaxy (1973), was Bill Connors, who soon left the band to pursue his solo career. He was replaced in 1974 by 19-year-old, fresh-from-college, hard-rocking Al Di Meola, who cut his eyeteeth in the band. He was featured on the remaining three quartet albums and proved to be an integral member of the band.

While drummer Steve Gadd was originally pegged to be in RTF, he opted out because he was unwilling to tour, and was replaced by funk-fueled Lenny White, who Corea knew from the Bitches Brew sessions. Clarke remained the bassist, developing during this time his singular electric bass style. This lineup is considered to be the golden RTF group, which recorded three popular crossover albums: 1974’s Where Have I Known You Before (Di Meola’s debut), 1975’s Grammy-winning No Mystery and 1976’s studio finale, Romantic Warrior, which became the best selling of all RTF recordings.

For the third and final version of RTF, Clarke remained, Farrell returned, and drummer Gerry Brown and vocalist Gayle Moran were enlisted. In addition, Corea brought aboard a four-piece brass section. That group recorded the 1977 Music Magic album and toured throughout the year, documented by the album R.T.F. Live. It was the end for RTF in 1977, but the group was resurrected for a quartet concert in 1983 with saxophonist Joe Henderson, known as the "Griffith Park Concert".

Tuesday night's show opened slowly and chronologically with the classic "Hymn Of The 7th Galaxy", then moved to "Vulcan Worlds" from the seminal "Where have I Known You Before?" album. Corea's solo piece, "Senor Mouse" was followed by the "Sorceress" from the "Romantic Warrior" and sequed to my favorite RTF tune of all time, "Song To The Pharoah Kings". Other classic tunes followed; "Dayride", "Shadow of Lo" and "Beyond the Seventh Galaxy".

Stanley Clarke was just as you might imagine; the usual monster on his Alembic and acoustic basses, quoting his signature stuff on the stand-up, and his stereo bass rig was just incredible, virtually taking up the middle of the stage. Perhaps my favorite solo was DiMeola playing on his Ovation acoustic guitar with a Roland MIDI pick-up. Gorgeous. Lenny White's drumming was remarkably crisp, even better than when I saw him with Freddie Hubbard a month ago. Chick Corea was well, Chick Corea; a master second to none.

I will say this; I've seen more "reunion shows" than I care to count; too many of them cashing in on forgotten fame and nostalgia. However, as far as Return to Forever is concerned, I have never seen any band, after a 25 year hiatus, get back together and tear it up like they did. They were simply spectacular. I wasn't sure that I wanted Return to Forever to come back again; like an undefeated champion who comes back for one more fight, however they defied the odds, blew my mind, and left with their legacy, and their legend, intact.

Angelique Kidjo Comes to the Harmony Festival

I first wrote about Angelique Kidjo in May of '04, having first heard her during one of my visits to Montreal's annual Festival d'Afrique. Here musicians from Africa, the Carribean, and the Americas, converge and for one week, every style imaginable, from Techno to Morroco can be heard. Kidjo, a fabulous singer from Benin, has attempted to prove that the world is "much smaller and far more culturally connected than it may appear". Her music has been said to "glorify individual cultures while also underlining their universal similarities". Kidjo returns to the Bay area this Sunday, along with incredible line-ups like Mickey Hart, Parliament Funkadelic, Jefferson Starship, Paula Cole, Sol Horizon, among others at the 30th Harmony Festival, June 6th-8th in Santa Rosa.

With Djin Djin, her new release on Razor & Tie/Starbucks Entertainment, Kidjo comes home. The four-time Grammy-nominated, much-celebrated singer, composer, and performer began in the Beninese port village of Cotonou, where she launched her career at the age of six. The political turmoil in her country led her to relocate to Paris, the capital of world music, and then ultimately to New York City, where she now resides. Her striking voice, stage presence and her fluency in multiple cultures and languages won respect from her peers and expanded her following across national borders. It also earned her access to humanitarians who sensed the passion in the words of her songs, resulting in her long-term dedication to global charity work.

Kidjo has traveled far and mesmerized audiences on countless stages, speaking out on behalf of the children in her capacity as a UNICEF goodwill ambassador. Now with Djin Djin and the return to her musical roots, Kidjo has truly closed the circle in her life as she brings international artists to the musical world of her native country. As a child, Kidjo was mesmerized by an iconic album cover of Jimi Hendrix, which led her to follow the African roots of music from the United States, Brazil and the Carribean. The results were the Grammy-nominated trilogy of albums, OREMI, BLACK IVORY SOUL and OYAYA. With Djin Djin (pronounced “gin gin”), Angelique Kidjo returns to the soul of Benin – and, for the first time, shares it with a cast of all-star guests, in a marriage of cultures that has significance far beyond music alone. Inspired by the traditions and culture of Kidjo’s native Benin in West Africa, the title of the album refers to the sound of the bell that greets the beginning of a new day for Africa.

The diversity represented by Alicia Keys, Peter Gabriel, Josh Groban, Carlos Santana, Joss Stone, Branford Marsalis, producer Tony Visconti, and the others who contribute to Djin Djin speaks to the lesson of this project: For all the differences in the music of our time, the river of Africa flows through it all. The key was to build Djin Djin on a Beninese foundation. The heartbeat, then, comes from percussionists Crespin Kpitiki and Benoit Avihoue, both members of Benin’s Gangbé Brass Band. Details of their country’s rhythmic heritage, specific in some cases to individual villages, feed the rhythms they lay down throughout the album.

To this mix Kidjo welcomes players whose backgrounds complement the idea of Djin Djin: drummer Poogie Bell, known for his work with Erykah Badu and Chaka Khan; funk keyboard wizard Amp Fiddler, whose credits include Prince and George Clinton; Larry Campbell, whose multi-instrumental work has adorned the music of Bob Dylan, Emmylou Harris, and Paul Simon; Senegalese bass giant Habib Faye, a fixture with Youssou N’Dour; guitarists Lionel Loueke, from jazz legend Herbie Hancock’s band; Romero Lubambo, a Brazilian wonder whose credits include Diana Krall and Dianne Reeves; Joao Mota, from Guinea-Bissau and kora master Mamadou Diabate.

Each player is a virtuoso but, more important, is open to taking creative chances. “It was important to me that all of these great musicians come with me back to my roots,” Kidjo says. “I’ve never compromised those roots because I know my identity, and I’ve learned that in order to give through music, you have to position yourself among other individuals who may be from different cultures and background and then find ways to discover that we’re actually not different at all.”

Kidjo set some of the new material on Djin Djin into the languages of Benin, Nigeria, and Togo. She has written and sung extensively in French and English as well, but for this mission the lyrics came to her from further back in her history. The title track, “Djin Djin,” is a reminder to live each fleeting moment as fully as possible. Her songs embrace the joys and sorrows of life: the magic of birth (“Salala”), the uniqueness of each person even on this crowded planet (“Arouna”), the temptations of violence (“Mama Golo Papa”), the healing and learning potential of music (“Awan N’La”), the lessons offered as youth yields to age (“Sedjedo”) and isolation deepens in modern society (“Emma”).

But Kidjo doesn’t hold back her anger, expressed here toward wealthy classes enslaved by love of money (“Senamou (C’Est L’amour)”). She also looks forward to the day when leaving Africa to seek fortune far from home won't be the only solution for a desperate youth (“AE AE”). On her rendition of Sade’s “Pearls,” she extols women who are strong, yet suppressed and unable to escape the pain of existence. On another cover, a brilliant a cappella arrangement of Ravel’s Bolero entitled “Lonlon”, she illuminates the bridge that stretches from European classical music to the wellspring of northern Africa. And on “Gimme Shelter,” Kidjo transforms the Stones classic into an exuberant pan-national performance that nonetheless translates into a warning.

“This song means a lot to me,” she says. “Look at what’s going on: Fire is burning in our streets. Terrorists, in the name of God, are coming to destroy what we’ve worked for. If you don’t give shelter to the people who most need it, if you don’t treat them as your brothers and sisters, then what hope do we have?” The contributions of stellar guest artists illuminate Kidjo’s concept. By finding a place for their distinctive talents within the marriage of African and Western influences, Djin Djin celebrates the beauty of diversity as well as the unity of cultures that Kidjo achieves through her music.

These giants include Peter Gabriel on “Salala” (“He’s done so much for African music; in fact, there’s something African in his way of singing, moving, and writing his songs”); Alicia Keys on “Djin Djin” (“When she heard the Beninese drums in the studio, she said, ‘Wow, this is hip-hop!’ She understood it perfectly – and she sang so beautifully”); Joss Stone on “Gimme Shelter” (“We’re friends, so when I played her what we were doing in the studio, and she insisted on being a part of it, I was so happy that we could make this happen”); Josh Groban on “Pearls” (“He sings so effortlessly,” Kidjo says, “and yet you know that it isn’t easy to sing at that level of virtuosity”); Ziggy Marley on “Sedjedo” (“He understands so well the connections between the music of Jamaica and the rhythm of Africa – especially the gogbahoun rhythm that comes from my village”), Carlos Santana on “Pearls” (“He’s not only a guitar player: With his guitar he sings, he dances, he swings, he cries – and he has huge respect for Africa”); Branford Marsalis on “Djin Djin” (“He’s my brother! When he plays, you never know what you’re going to hear or where his wonderful ideas will take the music”); and Amadou and Mariam on “Senamou” (“We go so far back as friends; it was a special blessing and a gift to have them on the album.”)

Producer Tony Visconti (David Bowie, Morrissey) helps to bring each track on Djin Djin to full sonic bloom. Recorded at Electric Lady Studio in New York, with participants gathered in a studio made intimate by carpets, couches, and home-like accoutrements, these performances testify to the power of music to simultaneously unify and free those who make it and hear it.

“When we had finished our recording, we were all so sad because we had come together as a family, all within just two weeks,” Kidjo recalls. “Music brings us together, but after the music is over, you go back to your home, to your neighborhood, knowing that you can make a difference. You have to be proud of who you are. Whether you were born in America or Africa, you can celebrate life.”

Kidjo’s point is as simple as it is profound: The celebration only begins with Djin Djin and will last as long as you want it to after that.

The 30th Annual Harmony Festival
Santa Rosa, Sonoma County Fairgrounds
June 6th-8th
http://harmonyfestival.com/

Jake Shimabukuro, Hawaiian Ukulele Virtuoso

Vacationing in Kauai this week has afforded me the opportunity to catch up on reading, spending time with family, friends and listening to music; music I might not ordinarily be exposed to. Enjoying an after dinner Mai tai with my sister-in-law Diane, I mentioned that one of my favorite musicians, Futureman of Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, had just finished a tour with Hawaii's most famous uke player. "Jake Shimabukuro?", she asked. "Why yes!" I said, "Do you know him?" Diane revealed that Shimabukuro had once performed for her young cancer patients at Capiolani Childrens Hospital in Honolulu. "He was amazing and his music was beautiful. Plus he was really, really fast." I first heard Shimabukuro on the Flecktones' 2003 album, "Little Worlds". His recent video performances on MySpace during Futureman's Black Mozart Ensemble's tour, will convince anyone who sees it, that Shimabukuro is indeed one of the most gifted talents to emerge from these sacred islands.

Though many still have trouble pronouncing his last name and the instrument he plays, Jake Shimabukuro (she-ma-BOO- koo-row) is becoming recognized as one of the world’s top ukulele (oo-koo-LAY-lay) musicians. Renowned for lightning-fast fingers and revolutionary playing techniques, Shimabukuro views the ukulele as an “untapped source of music with unlimited potential.” His virtuosity defies label or category. Playing jazz, blues, funk, classical, bluegrass, folk, flamenco, and rock, Jake’s mission is to show everyone that the ukulele is capable of so much more than only the traditional Hawaiian music many associate it.

At just four years of age, Shimabukuro's mother gave him his first lesson. “When I played my first chord I was hooked,” says Shimabukuro, “I fell in love with the instrument.” That love grew into a deep passion to create and innovate. Experimenting with various guitar effect pedals allows Shimabukuro to create sounds never thought possible on the tiny four-string, two-octave instrument. A true showman, his performance captivates audiences with intricate strumming and plucking, electrifying, high-energy grooves and smooth, melodic ballads evoking heartfelt emotion.

Evolving from the heavily amplified riffs that earned Shimabukuro the reputation as “Jimi Hendrix of the ukulele.” Shimabukuro masterfully extracts the pure “clean” natural acoustic sound of the uke, delicately making a single note smile or cry on his new solo album Gently Weeps. “Recently, I've been touring a lot as a solo artist,” says Shimabukuro, “and it was suggested to me that I record an album to directly reflect my live ‘bandless’ set. The songs I chose for this project are tunes I frequently perform at my shows. There are a couple of new ones, but these are mainly songs that I've been playing for a while.”

The highlight of the album is Shimabukuro’s cover of George Harrison’s “While My Guitar Gently Weeps.” Last year, a video clip of Shimabukuro playing this song in Central Park started circulating the internet resulting in emails of support and amazement from across the globe; France, England, Germany, Sweden, and also Australia and Korea where Jake recently signed distribution deals. To date, the video has been viewed over 1.5 million times. Shimabukuro had the honor of meeting Harrison’s widow, Olivia, backstage at his show with the Honolulu Symphony this past November. Afterwards, she described feeling George’s presence with her when Shimabukuro played his rendition of George’s Gently Weeps.

From a modest beginning performing at a local Honolulu café, Shimabukuro has gone on to play famous venues such as the House of Blues and The Knitting Factory (Los Angeles), The Birchmere (Alexandria, VA), Tipitina’s (New Orleans), Joe’s Pub and B.B. King's Nightclub (NYC), The Bumbershoot Festival (Seattle), The Fuji Rock Festival (Japan) and many others. Touring with Jimmy Buffett in 2005, 2006 and 2007 gave Shimabukuro the experience of a lifetime, regularly exposing his virtuosity and amazing stage presence to crowds of over 50,000. Shimabukuro’s first national television performance came in December 2005 on NBC’s The Late Show with Conan O'Brien. In June 2002, Shimabukuro became the first ukulele player from Hawaii to sign with Epic Records International/Sony Music International. Three years later, he obtained a U.S. distribution deal for his Hitchhike Records label.

His selection as the spokesman three years in a row for Hawaii Tourism Japan’s (HTJ) aggressive campaign to market Hawaii to Japan, as well as his frequent tours of the island nation, have also made Shimabukuro a household name in Japan. "Rainbow," a track from Walking Down Rainhill, was selected as HTJ’s theme song as well as the official Honolulu Marathon theme song in 2004. In 2006, Gently Weeps track “Beyond the Break” was selected as the Marathon’s theme song and was played as Shimabukuro crossed the finish line upon completion of his first marathon run.

Shimabukuro’s musical accomplishments are well known throughout the Hawaiian Islands and Japan, though he is perhaps known equally as well for his outgoing personality and warm heart. In his spare time Shimabukuro often visits schools to talk with and play music for the children of Hawaii, hopefully inspiring thousands to put their energy into learning about and playing music.

The State of Hawaii recognized Shimabukuro as an outstanding musician and role model for the people of Hawaii. In 2004 Shimabukuro was named Hawaii’s goodwill ambassador to Japan and received “The Japanese Foreign Minister’s Commendation” for being an active voice in U.S.-Japan relations at the grassroots level. In a ceremony held on September 4, 2006 Jake Shimabukuro was appointed as the 160th Okinawa-Uchina Ambassador at the Okinawan State House.

Shimabukuro toured with Bela Fleck & the Flecktones (2002, 2005, 2006) and recorded on the band’s aforementioned Little Worlds album. Shimabukuro is also featured on Ziggy Marley’s Grammy Award winning Love is My Religion (2006) and contributed to the soundtrack of the Jimmy Buffett-produced film, Hoot. This was a priceless experience for Shimabukuro and gave him the confidence to score the recently released Japanese independent film HULA GIRL. Two songs from the film score, “Wish on My Star” and “Hula Girl” are bonus tracks on Gently Weeps.

Recognized as a virtuoso not only by his audience, but also by fellow musicians and producers as well, Shimabukuro has had the opportunity to perform with and/or open for Diana Krall, Fiona Apple, Bobby McFerrin, John Hiatt, Victor Wooten, Chris Thile, Keller Williams, Tommy Emmanuel, Mike Marshall, Darol Anger, Les Paul, Jamie Cullum, Kaki King, Stanley Clarke, Blues Traveler, Stephen Bishop, John Craven, Hot Buttered Rum, Radiators, Honolulu Symphony, Chance and Mista D of Nashville’s MuzikMafia.

Energy, imagination, and innovation have been Shimabukuro’s keys to success. He plans to continue recording, performing, collaborating, and staying happy. “I love what I do. I’m forever thankful for music.”

Shimabukuro won't be in the Bay Area until November, when he performs at the Palace of Fine Arts during the SF Jazz Festival. Until then, Mahalo Jake Shimabukuro.

"It IZ What It IZ"... Hawaii's Israel Kamakawiwo'ole

Before my arrival in Kauai this week, fellow music lover, friend, (and D1 Supervisor candidate) Eric Mar, turned me on to the song "E Ala E", by "IZ", aka Israel Ka"ano'i Kamakawiwo'ole, one of Hawaii's greatest musical geniuses. The 1995 album featured the political title song "E Ala E" and the moving "Kaleohano". As his career progressed, IZ became known for promoting Hawaiian rights and Hawaiian independence, both through his music (whose lyrics often stated the case for independence directly) and through his life. IZ became famous outside Hawaii when his album "Facing Future" was released in 1993 with his medley of "Over the Rainbow" and "What a Wonderful World", which was subsequently featured in several films, television programs, and commercials.

Kamakawiwo'ole was nicknamed "The Gentle Giant" by his admirers. He was described as always cheerful and positive, and he was best known for his love of the land and of the people of Hawaii. Through his consummate ukulele playing and incorporation of other idioms (such as jazz and reggae), IZ remains one of the major influences in Hawaiian music over the last 15 years.

Israel Ka"ano'i Kamakawiwo'ole was born on May 20, 1959 at Kuakini Hospital in Honolulu to Henry Kaleialoha Naniwa Kamakawiwo'ole, Jr. and Evangeline Leinani Kamakawiwo'ole. Wiwo'ole means courage or courageous in the Hawai'ian language. Kamaka may come from kanaka, which means man. IZ was raised in the community of Kaimuki, where his parents had met and married. He began playing music with his older brother Skippy at the age of 11, being privy to the music of the great Hawaiian entertainers of the time such as the likes of Peter Moon, Palani Vaughn, and Don Ho, who frequented the establishment where his parents worked.

In his early teens, his family moved to Makaha, Hawaii. There, he met Louis "Moon" Kauakahi, Sam Gray, and Jerome Koko. Together with his brother Skippy, they formed the Makaha Sons of Ni'ihau. From 1976 throughout the 1980s, the Hawaiian contemporary band gained in popularity as they toured Hawai"i and the continental United States and released 15 successful albums.

Sadly, in 1982, IZ's brother Skippy Kamakawiwo'ole died of a heart attack. In that same year, IZ married his childhood sweetheart Marlene and soon after had a daughter who they named Ceslieanne "Wehi".

IZ formed the musical group Makaha Sons of Ni'ihau with brother Skippy plus Louis "Moon" Kauakahi, Sam Gray and Jerome Koko. They recorded No Kristo in 1976 and released five more albums, including the similarly titled Na Mele Henoheno Na Makahiki Mui, helu ‘ekahi and Na Mele Henoheno Na Makahiki Mui, helu ‘elua, which included the famous Hawaiian independence anthem "Hawaii'78", before Skippy's death in 1982. The group became Hawaii's most popular traditional group with breakout albums like 1984's Puana Hou Me Ke Aloha and its follow-up, 1986's Ho'ola. IZs last recorded album with the group was 1991's Ho'oluana. It remains the group's top-selling CD to this day.

In 1990, IZ released his first solo album Ka"anoi, which won him awards for Contemporary Album of the Year and Male Vocalist of the Year from the Hawaii Academy of Recording Arts (HARA). Facing Future was released in 1993. Considered his best album by many, it featured his most popular song, the medley "Somewhere Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World", along with "Hawaii 78", "White Sandy Beach of Hawaii", "Maui Hawaiian Sup'pa Man", and "Kaulana Kawaihae". Facing Future debuted at #25 on Billboard Magazine's Top Pop Catalogue chart. On October 26, 2005, "Facing Future" became Hawaii's first certified platinum album, selling more than a million CDs in the United States, according to figures furnished by the Recording Industry Association of America. On July 21, 2006 BBC Radio 1 announced that "Somewhere Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World" would be released as a single.

In 1994, Iz was voted favorite entertainer of the year by the Hawaii Academy of Recording Arts (HARA). "N Dis Life" (1996) featured "In This Life" and "Starting All Over Again". As his career progressed, IZ was known for promoting Hawaiian rights and Hawaiian independence, both through his music (whose lyrics often stated the case for independence directly) and through his life.

In 1997, IZ was again honored by HARA at the Annual Na Hoku Hanohano awards for Male Vocalist of the Year, Favorite Entertainer of the Year, Album of the Year, and Island Contemporary Album of the Year. He watched the awards ceremony from a hospital room.

"Alone In IZ World" (2001) debuted at #1 on Billboard's World Chart and #135 on Billboard's Top 200, #13 on the Top Independent Albums Chart, and #15 on the Top Internet Album Sales charts.

Throughout the later part of his life, IZ's obesity began to take it's toll and at one point he weighed as much as 758 pounds on his 6 feet 2 inches frame. He endured several hospitalizations and on June 26, 1997, IZ died of weight-related respiratory illness, at the age of 38.

The Hawaii State Flag flew at half-staff on July 10, 1997, the day of IZ's funeral and his koa wood coffin lay in state at the Capitol building in Honolulu. He was the third person in Hawaiian history to be accorded this honor (the other two were Governor John A. Burns and Senator Spark Matsunaga) and the only non-politician. Over 10,000 people attended his funeral. Thousands of fans gathered and cheered as his ashes were scattered into the Pacific Ocean at M'kua Beach on July 12, 1997.

On September 20, 2003, hundreds paid tribute to IZ as a 200-pound bronze bust of the revered singer was unveiled at the Waianae Neighborhood Community Center on O'ahu. The singer's widow, Marlene Kamakawiwo'ole, and sculptor Jan-Michelle Sawyer were present for the dedication ceremony.

"E Ala E" has become one of my all time favorite IZ tunes.

Thanks Eric.

Trilok Gurtu's "Twenty Years of Talking Tabla"

"Twenty Years of Talking Tabla" is a 20-year journey through the career of percussionist Trilok Gurtu. Rita Ray of BBC Radio described him as “a serial collaborator” – this carefully chosen compilation shows exactly that side of him. As a world class virtuoso, now in his mid fifties, Trilok has attracted a world class set of collaborators; these started with John McLaughlin in whose trio Trilok flourished as the featured soloist for 4 years, other jazz greats continued this path – Joe Zawinul, Jan Garbarek, Don Cherry, Pharoah Sanders were all attracted to Trilok’s burning sense of rhythm. Of course he is deeply rooted in the Indian tradition, so it is no surprise to see that collaborations also took place with the glitterati of Indian musical society – his mother, Shobha Gurtu, Zakir Hussain, L. Shankar, Shankar Mahadevan and Sultan Khan. World music has become an established genre in which Trilok has further “ploughed his own furrow” to great effect, collaborating with Salif Keita, Oumou Sangare, Angelique Kidjo, Neneh Cherry, Tuvan throat singers Huun Huur Tu, the Malian musicians from the Frikywa family and the Italian, Arke String Quartet.

Trilok is obviously obsessed with colours, tones and rhythms while never neglecting melody, and as such, he is a musician who brings passion, vision and craft to his compositions and performances that make them immediately accessible. The sleeve notes below were compiled by Gerry Lyseight, Gaham Lawson and of course Trilok Gurtu. I happily confess that I own virtually all of these albums.

"Shobharock" from Usfret recorded in 1987 Silva Screen Records (CMP)
Twenty Years ago, Trilok released his first solo album Usfret (influencing the likes of Talvin Singh, Asian Dub Foundation and Nitin Sawhney in the process) and formed his own road band in 1988. Shobharock is the opening track and features his mother’s layered vocals over a striding electronic beat alongside compadres Don Cherry on trumpet, Jonas Hellborg on electric and fuzz bass and L Shankar on doubleneck electric violin. TG: “This was the first time I had recorded with my Mum and I had to trick her into doing it as she had never worked with Western drums before. I recorded her parts with only Tabla backing and added the other instruments later. When she heard the finished track she said “Who’s the singer?”. She grew to love the track and through it learned to sing harmony.”

"African Fantasy" from "African Fantasy" recorded in 1999 Mintaka Recordings
Benin’s Angelique Kidjo sings the almost hymn-like title track from 1999’s African Fantasy. Trilok adds the lightest of percussion and Ravi Chary adds to the mood on Harmonium. Nicholas Fiszman brings a gloriously subtle E Bow guitar.TG: “African Fantasy is my arrangement of a song by L. Shankar called Song for Everyone which I originally performed with him alongside Jan Garbarek and Zakir Hussein”.

"Have We Lost Our Dream" from "The Beat of Love" recorded in 2001 Blue Thumb (Universal)
This is a wonderful collaboration masterminded by Trilok: Salif Keita, “the golden voice of Africa” sings a poignant duet with Sabine Kabongo -about his sadness for the future of Africa, lamenting the various States in Africa – listen carefully you can here all the names of the States. Sabine, who had an illustrious career with Zap Mama, answers Salif’s Malian vocal in English. Wally Badarou adds synth and Amit Heri guitar in an exquisite piece.

"Dinki Puriya" from "African Fantasy" recorded in 1999 Mintaka Recordings
You can imagine Trilok and sitar player Ravi Chary watching each other intensely as they perform this intricate conversation between tabla and sitar on ‘99’s African Fantasy CD.

"Expression Of Love" from "Remembrance" recorded in 2002 Universal India
Remembrance was recorded by Universal India in Bombay, it was a coup to get so many respected musicians to appear together; Trilok wrote this track for his mother to perform with Shankar Mahadevan and Sultan Khan. Shobha Gurtu, close to her eightieth year, with a wall full of Government Awards, was offered a duet with Shankar Mahadevan.

He is still a young man who has rapidly become a star due to his wonderful singing in Bollywood films. So for him, this was a chance in a life time, but then to add Sultan Khan too, was amazing. Sultan Khan is the most venerated Sarangi player having accompanied Ravi Shankar and Allah Rakah for many years before succeeding with a solo career. The result is stunning.

"Water Solo" previously unreleased recorded live by Denmark Radio. Engineer Jacob Langkilde, Producer Anders Dohn in Copenhagen in 2003
I first saw Trilok perform live in the late 90s and that show remains one of the best I have ever seen from anyone. Trilok sits/kneals on a carpeted stage surrounded by all manner of percussion instruments, including a bucket of water. Every instrument is there for a reason – none of it is for display or novelty. It can be quite difficult to see exactly how some of the sounds are produced although at another show there was a mirror arrangement above his head angled towards the audience which solved a few musical mysteries. One of the many highlights of that first show was his Water Solo which involves him striking a thin sheet of metal, amplifying the resulting reverberations and slowly submerging the vibration metal into the aforementioned bucket of water - creating an ethereal sound akin to something devised in the legendary BBC Radiophonic Workshop.

"The Other Tune" recorded in 1993 from "Crazy Saints" Silva Screen Records (CMP)
A Joe Zawinul tune featuring the great ex-Weather Report man on keyboards and his trademark vocoder mano a mano with Trilok on drums, tabla and percussion. TG: “Joe had originally planned to record with me for 2 days but we got on so well that 2 days became 10 and then we toured as a duet for a year. I knew that he enjoyed boxing so I originally suggested the duet idea! He wanted me to join his band but I explained that my days of being a sideman ended after working with John McLaughlin. I like to play my way and collaborate with musicians I respect rather that join someone else’s band ”.

"Balahato" recorded in 2006 from "Arkeology" Promo Music
Balahato comes from Trilok’s latest release- Arkeology - recorded with Italy’s Arke String Quartet and has an almost Celtic feel - with Trilok providing both the pulse as well as the percussive vocal against sawing strings. John L Walters puts it well in The Guardian

“These accomplished players mesh and weave in the best 20th-century manner, and violinist Valentino Corvino is a passionate soloist. Their tunes imply Indian, Balkan and Celtic rhythms, in asymmetric time signatures that suit Gurtu down to the last demisemiquaver: he flies around the six-, seven- and 14-beat patterns.”

"Seven Brings Return" recorded in 1998 from "Kathak" Mintaka Recordings
Steve Lukather is one of the world’s most sought after session guitarists, best known for his work with Toto as well as Randy Crawford, Michael Jackson et al and he features here heavily on virtuoso axe. Trilok’s incendiary blasts of percussion and vocal colour an evolving melody. TG: “Seven is a lucky number in many cultures and 7/8 is a favourite time signature of mine. Steve said it was a great time signature to listen to, but really difficult to play but he did a great job”.

"Mother Tongues" Edited to 4:53 recorded in 1989 from "Live at the RFH" JMT Recordings (Universal)
Recorded live at London’s Royal Festival Hall on 27th November 1989 (from which the album takes its title), Trilok was part of legendary guitarist John McLaughlin’s Trio which also features Kai Eckhardt, one of the world’s great bass players and a member of several of Trilok’s own bands. Here three giants of their chosen instruments match each other lick for lick in a literal master class of jazz improvisation. TG: “I have to give great credit to John for sticking to his guns and believing in this project because it wasn’t an immediate success. My drum solo on Mother Tongues attracted lots of praise and after this live album we played to bigger and bigger audiences around the world”.

"Dance With My Lover" previously unreleased recorded live by Denmark Radio. Engineer Jacob Langkilde, Producer Anders Dohn in Copenhagen in 2003
Trilok’s composition originally appeared on “The Beat of Love”, but this is a Live recording two years after the studio album appeared with Sanchita Farruque taking the vocal duties and Celia Reggiani playing keyboards. Ravi Chary, a long-time member of Trilok’s road band, plays sitar. Usually a quiet, dignified man, one can hear that on this performance he was really rocking – in fact it was one of those rare occasions where a classical sitar player stood up and played his sitar like a guitar. The whole performance is really cooking.

"Save Our Children" recorded in 1999 from "Save our Children" Verve Records
Save Our Children is taken from the sax legend Pharoah Sanders’ album of the same name produced by Bill Laswell who captures an incredible Tabla sound for Trilok. It contains a spiritual chorus and African rap. The creator has a master plan - and it involves Trilok.

"Big Brother" recorded in 1999 from "African Fantasy" Mintaka Recordings
Oumou Sangare is Mali’s most high profile campaigner for women’s rights internationally as well as one of their most famous singers. She features on African Fantasy and adds her superb vocal to Big Brother backed by a typically tight, funky band with Trilok chipping in on the vocals. TG: “Africa Fantasy was about bringing together the African and Indian roots of jazz. I had known of Oumou for many years and when I asked her to participate she jumped at the idea. I said she could do whatever she wanted and she turned up at the studio with 2 backing singers and an n’goni player”.

"Once I Wished a Tree Upside Down" recorded in 1991 from "Living Magic" Silva Screen Records
When Trilok recorded his second album “Living Magic”, our serial collaborator was still in his collaborating infancy, yet this duet with Jan Garbarek shows us what is to come. Here Trilok on tabla and percussion duets with Jan’s skipping sax weaving melody lines in and out. An early example of Garbarek’s distinctive sax sound that was to become so popular later on.

"You, Remember This" recorded in 1998 from "Kathak" Mintaka Recordings
A beautiful song, written by Trilok and his mother Shobha, she titled it, so its become a “keepsake” for Trilok. It was inspired by a street musician they came across. Shobha gives a wonderful vocal performance for her son while Kai Eckhardt underpins Trilok’s rhythm and adds a wonderful melodic bass solo towards the end.

"Agne Yano" recorded in 2005 from "Farakala" Frikyiwa Records
Proving again that no musical category can confine him Trilok takes to Mali to collaborate on a project put together by French DJ Frédéric Galliano’s Frikyiwa organisation. Hadja Kouyaté sings lead on Agne Yano. Abandoning all his familiar instruments, Trilok gets into the African spirit with balafon, water calabash and shékéré. TG: “I trekked 700 kilometres into Mali for this recording in very difficult circumstances. Afterwards I travelled to Bamako to stay at Oumou Sangare’s hotel. She said that it was a part of the country that was incredibly inaccessible and was amazed that I had spent time in what was effectively desert!”.

"Greetings" recorded in 2002 from "Remembrance" Universal India
This track was eagerly anticipated by the Indian musical community, they knew that nobody other than Trilok could stand the heat from Zakir’s revered tabla playing. They were not disappointed – “Greetings” sees the two maestros go head to head with Trilok excelling on sonic effects, kit and percussion while Hussain runs through his formidable repertoire on the tabla. TG: “I had known Zakir for years and my mother read an interview of his where he stated that, I had taught Western drummers how to play the kit. She agreed with what Zakir said, which was a great compliment from both of them”.

"Vignola" recorded in 2003 from "Broken Rhythms" Mintaka Recordings
The adventurous fusion of Italy’s Arke String Quartet and Tuvan throat singers, Huun Huur Tu, point up Trilok’s ceaseless musical imagination. They add their unique colours to what was essentially a duo piece recorded in his home town of Bombay with Trilok on percussion and Roop Kumar on vocal.

"Ganapati" recorded in 1998 from "Kathak" Mintaka Recordings
The Kathak CD features Trilok in the company of his band at the time, The Glimpse. Ganapati features the voice of Neneh Cherry and is dedicated to the memory of her stepfather, the great innovative Jazz man, Don Cherry, who had been instrumental in bringing Trilok to the West. TG: “Ganapati is the king of all attributers, remover of all obstacles and relates to the benevolent Hindu God Ganesh. I saw Don in that light, to me he was the great innovator, more so than Miles Davis, and way before his time. A true inspiration to others, he knew that music, the best music, had to touch spirituality. Not many achieve this even momentarily but it’s something everyone can feel when it happens. This was what Don was always striving for. Neneh was almost in tears as she sang”.

"Planet Earth" recorded in 2003 a remix by Talvin Singh, from "Remembrance" Universal India
Tabla player and DJ Talvin Singh is a long-standing devotee of Trilok’s and can often be seen in the audience at Trilok’s shows. As the most visible proponent of the British Asian Underground scene in the ‘90’s and collaborator with everyone from Bjork to Madonna, Talvin here pays his respects to his mentor with this remix of Planet Earth a medley of tracks from Remembrance.

"The Works" of Kit Watkins

Recently, I received a copy of a fantastic DVD by the the multi-talented musician Kit Watkins entitled, "The Works". This Data/DVD is an incredible collection that spans nearly thirty years of this prolific artist. Watkins first came to my attention on the campus of Georgetown University, during his tenure as founding member of the group, "Happy the Man". Sponsored by the university's then forward thinking radio station, WGTB, Watkins and his group produced a show that is now the stuff of legend and heralded the age of prog-rock and new age music of the late '70's and '80s. There are 27 albums and 12 bonus tracks in mp3 format on the DVD, (including my personal favorite, "Over the Andes" with Coco Rousell), making this a must have collection of a true musical genius.

Another reviewer once wrote of Watkins, "Kit Watkins first came to prominence as part of legendary progressive band, Happy the Man. Despite disbanding years ago after just a couple albums, Kit still gets questions as to if and when this band might ever get back together. Later he joined up with Andrew Latimer in Camel for the album, "I Can See Your House from Here." Shortly afterwards he became a solo artist with his first album, "Labyrinth." From here it was inevitable that Kit would start his own label, Linden Music.

For me, Kit's music is a perfect example of why more artists need to start their own labels. The major labels make it a point to market to the lowest common denominator. An artist on a major label, and even many niche indie labels, must record albums that basically sound the same from beginning to end and from one album to the next. That makes it easy for the labels to market, but denies the artist any artistic growth and eventually cuts short his/her career. Kit refuses to treat his audience in this manner. Instead he assumes that they are both very intelligent and very curious and each album is a new adventure in a totally different musical world."

Born to classical piano teachers in 1953 in Virginia, Kit Watkins studied piano at home from ages 5 through 13. During his teen years, Kit was drawn to rock music and became a driving force behind a series of local bands, playing organ, synthesizer, and flute, as well as singing lead. By age 18, he was discovering his own writing abilities. He soon joined up with the band Happy The Man (HTM) which was forming at the local university. It was with HTM that Kit honed his skills in composing, performing, arranging, and producing. During its six years, the band recorded five albums, including two produced by Ken Scott and released on Arista Records. In 1979, Kit then joined the British band Camel for an album produced by Rupert Hine and several tours of the UK, Europe, and Japan from 1980 through 1982.



Kit’s solo career began in 1980 with the self-produced album Labyrinth, released on his own Azimuth Records label. The album won him 5th place in Keyboard magazine’s Annual Readers’ Poll Awards for keyboard album. He recorded and performed with drummer/percussionist Coco Roussel during this period. During the 80s, Kit continued to produce solo and collaborative albums, some released on his own label, while others were picked up by larger independent labels. In the early 90s, Kit formed a new label, Linden Music, which released a number of his new recordings, as well as CDs by Robert Rich, Jeff Greinke, David Borden, and others.

His music style has changed focus from album to album, and has encompassed such varied forms as progressive, electronica, ambient, jazz, and world-fusion. Some notable influences include artists such as Brian Eno, Mickey Hart, Mark Isham, Joe Zawinul, Harold Budd, Wayne Shorter, Steve Reich, Joni Mitchell, Jon Hassell, Eberhard Weber, Jeff Greinke, Steve Roach, and Wendy Carlos.

In 2001, Kit performed a milestone concert in Philadelphia for The Gatherings series, hosted by Chuck van Zyl of Star’s End Ambient Radio. It was Kit’s first performance in 20 years, and his first ever as a solo artist in a new genre. In preparation for this concert, Kit began learning and using an electronic wind instrument as the focal point of his stage performance. He finds this instrument far more expressive and liberating than electronic keyboards, especially for melody and solo work. Coupling his abilities on flute with his many influences by horn and reed players, the migration to the electronic wind instrument has been a natural. The Gathering CDs are also available, as well as a video of the concert on DVD.

Also in 2001, Kit briefly formed an improvisational ensemble named Tone Ghost Ether. The group was realized through a natural interaction between three musicians (Kit Watkins, Brad Allen, John Tlusty) searching for a common form of expression. All of the music by Tone Ghost Ether was improvised and played in real-time without overdubs.

Kit Watkins is continuing to record and release new works from his private studio in Brattleboro, Vermont. The music of Kit Watkins can be heard on-line at KitWatkins.com, as well as on such broadcast radio shows as Hearts of Space, Star’s End, and Echoes. His wide ranging interests in music and sound allow him to change his focus from album to album resulting in a fresh experience for both artist and listener. Expect the unexpected.