Big Stars Mark This May at Blue Note Hawaii

May has major stars lining up at Blue Note Hawaii, the state's premier venue for the world's most celebrated artists, kicking off with two local favorites DeAndré Brackensick and Robert Cazimero, followed up by seminal reggae artists Black Uhuru, soul songstress Meleana Brown and American Idol star Taylor Hicks.

Blue Note Hawaii welcomes back Danny and Nicholas Kaleikini, Blayne Asing and making their Blue Note Hawaii debut are American funk legends WAR. Maria Muldaur and her Red Hot Bluesiana Band are up next, the New Mastersounds and groundbreaking rock band Living Colour. The month wraps up with another installment of the Blue Note Comedy Series featuring Bert Kreischer.

A 15% kama'aina discount is available to residents for most shows. This is available online with code MAHALO15, as well as in person at the box office. Parking is validated at the OHANA East Hotel for $6 for four hours.

The full May Blue Note Hawaii lineup includes:

DeAndré Brackensick
Dates: May 1
Showtimes: 6:30pm & 9pm
Doors: 5pm & 8:30pm
Tickets: $35, $25, $15
Celebrate May Day with gospel singer DeAndré Brackensick! This performance marks DeAndré's last performance in Hawaii before moving to Australia to record his album. May Day is Lei Day, so come to the show wearing a lei and help us give DeAndré a great send-off. A California native, DeAndré found his start to singing in his local gospel church. Although he is widely known for his run to the Top 8 on American Idol - Season 11, DeAndre continues to show his cultural influence and musical versatility by performing traditional Hawaiian music and hula across the island. His professionalism, creativity, and undeniable zeal for music makes him a sought-after artist and has worked with the likes of Sammy Johnson, Jamie Jones (All-4-One), Michelle Williams (Destiny's Child), Shoshana Bean, and John Legend. Performing throughout various states of America and just recently coming off of his Australia / New Zealand tour, DeAndré is currently working on his first full-length studio album to be released by the end of this year.

Robert Cazimero & Friends
Date: May 3
Showtime: 6:30pm & 9pm
Doors: 5pm & 8:30pm
Tickets: $45, $35, $25

In the 1970's, Robert Cazimero was instrumental in the resurgence of Hawaiian music and culture. That resurgence began a career that almost thirty years later is stronger than ever. Musician, composer, kumu hula...his work in all of these areas is well-known throughout the world. His incomparable elegant voice is distinctive, whether he performs solo on piano or with his brother, Roland, as The Brothers Cazimero. Recording has played an important part of Robert's career, and he has collectively (as The Brothers Cazimero) and individually released over 30 albums over the past three decades. The success of these recording projects can easily be measured by the fact that they all remain on the market. For his Blue Note Hawaii shows, Robert will perform a mixture of jazz standards as well as some of his traditional Hawaiian classics.

Blue Note Hawaii & Island 98.5 Presents:
BLACK UHURU
Date: May 4 & 5
Showtime: 6:30pm & 9pm
Doors: 5pm & 8:30pm
Tickets: $45, $35, $25

Black Uhuru are a Jamaican reggae group formed in the Waterhouse district of Kingston Jamaica in 1972, initially as Uhuru (Swahili for 'freedom'). Over the years, despite several line-up changes, Black Uhuru has released many successful albums and remained one of the most important reggae artists in the world. Derrick "Duckie" Simpson, Garth Dennis, and Don Carlos started the group in the early seventies. Subsequently, Carlos left to pursue a solo career, as did Dennis to join The Wailing Souls. Simpson formed a new version of Uhuru with Errol Nelson (of The Jayes) and Michael Rose, taking the name Black Sounds Uhuru. Their Prince Jammy-produced debut album, Love Crisis, was released in 1977. Nelson returned to The Jayes in late 1977, and was replaced the following year by Sandra "Puma" Jones, a social worker from South Carolina USA, and the band now took on their most familiar name, Black Uhuru. From 2001 to the present, Black Uhuru has toured around the world with vocalists Duckie Simpson, Andrew Bees, and Kay Starr being joined by stellar musicians onstage (often including Sly & Robbie as the rhythm section) for memorable and critically acclaimed performances. Black Uhuru are currently planning the release of their newest album on which Duckie Simpson, Andrew Bees, and Kay Starr will continue the sound that has defined the group while also exploring new musical ground. Rumors coming out of Kingston indicate that the new record contains some of the group's best material to date.

Meleana Brown
Dates: May 6 & 7
Showtimes: 6:30pm & 9pm
Doors: 5pm & 8:30pm
Tickets: $45, $35, $25
Multi- talented Meleana Brown performs Gospel, Hawaiian, Classical Opera, Ballads, Pop and R&B nationally & internationally. In 2010, Meleana was the opening act for Grammy-winning Bruno Mars in Honolulu. Born and raised in Hawaii, Meleana comes from a talented family and performed alongside Celine Dion's renowned violinist, Roddy Chung, at a benefit concert in Los Angeles in 2012. Meleana auditioned for Duets on ABC TV and within hours she was singing on national television, alongside nine-time Grammy winner, John Legend. She went on to travel all over the world singing as a featured vocalist on the high seas for a luxury cruise liner. In 2003, Meleana was one of the top 12 finalists on the popular TV show, American Idol, in a season that featured Grammy & Academy Award-winning Jennifer Hudson, and Season Three winner, Fantasia. She is now pursuing her musical career in Los Angeles.

Taylor Hicks
Dates: May 12 - 14
Showtimes: 6:30pm & 9pm
Doors: 5pm & 8:30pm
Tickets: $35, $25
Taylor Hicks is one of the most beloved and popular AMERICAN IDOL winners of all time. From the start, Hicks' material on the mega-hit show set him apart, with a unique take on Southern soul, R & B, country and blues. Sixty-four million votes were cast and nearly 37 million American viewers and more than 200 million viewers worldwide tuned in to crown Hicks the Season 5 winner of AMERICAN IDOL, making it one of the most-watched TV events of the last decade. Hicks' star continued to rise after he stepped off the IDOL stage. Less than three weeks after his IDOL victory, his debut single, "Do I Make You Proud," entered at #1 on Billboard's Hot 100, Pop 100, and Single Sales Charts. Coinciding with the single's release, a cover story named him People magazine's "Hottest Bachelor of the Year." His self-titled album (Arista), debuted at #2 on the Billboard 200 and was quickly certified RIAA Platinum. In 2007, Hicks penned a brisk-selling autobiography "Heart Full of Soul" (Random House). Hicks is the first male IDOL winner to be featured on a Grammy Award-winning album, Jimmy Fallon's "Blow Your Pants Off," which took home the 2013 Grammy for Best Comedy Album.

Danny and Nicholas Kaleikini
Dates: May 16
Showtimes: 6:30pm & 9pm
Doors: 5pm & 8:30pm
Tickets: $35, $25, $15
N? H?k? Hanohano nominated Danny & Nicholas Kaleikini connects the traditional sounds of Hawai'i with modern arrangements influenced by jazz and blues. Danny Kaleikini, a staple in Hawaiian music and the "Ambassador of Aloha," has been entertaining audiences from around the world for over 50 years and is most commonly known for his long-standing residency at the Kahala Hilton, a stint that ran for 30 years. He was the opening act for Paul Anka at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas and has performed alongside Dolly Parton, Sammy Davis Jr., Don Ho, Hilo Hattie, and Jimmy Borges. Nicholas, a classically trained musician and producer at Lana Lane Studios, played clarinet in his early years that developed into a lifelong love of the saxophone and piano. He is the Director of the POW! WOW! School of Music Hawai'i, a free two-week-long music intensive program for local youth. Nicholas also performs with internationally acclaimed MC and activist Shing02. They recently performed in Seoul, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Beijing and sold-out shows at the El Rey Theatre in Los Angeles and Social Hall in San Francisco. In 2015, the duo released their first album together entitled Aloooha. The album was nominated for EP of the Year at the 2016 N? H?k? Hanohano Awards. The duo released their second EP, Mahaaalo, December of 2016. Mahaaalo highlights Danny and Nicholas' first release of original music.

Blayne Asing
Dates: May 17
Showtimes: 6:30pm & 9pm
Doors: 5pm & 8:30pm
Tickets: $35, $25, $15
Born and raised on the island of O'ahu, singer/songwriter Blayne Asing began playing ?ukulele at age eight; singing in the Kamehameha Schools Children's Chorus at age nine; playing guitar at age 14; and playing percussion in the Kamehameha Schools marching, concert, and pep bands at age 12. Although he grew up loving the music of popular Hawai'i artists, his own music is heavily influenced by country and folk music artists such as James Taylor and Jackson Browne. In addition to his expertise in playing a variety of instruments, Asing is a prolific songwriter. His original songs range from country/folk to Hawaiian and island music, but he also loves performing the music of his favorite Hawaiian legends. He released his debut album "Young, Old Soul" in 2015, which earned him the 2016 N? H?k? Hanohano Award (Hawai?i's GRAMMY Award) for Most Promising Artist.

WAR
Dates: May 18 - 21
Showtimes: 6:30pm & 9pm
Doors: 5pm & 8:30pm
Tickets: $48, $38
War has sold nearly 50 million records and has been honored with 17 Gold, Platinum, and Multi-Platinum awards. The band is a permanent part of America's pop cultural landscape and a touring act that performs 150 shows a year. One of the first true musical melting pots, the band's enduring influence and catalog of timeless hits continues to permeate the everyday lives of fans around the world. They have twelve BILLBOARD Top 40 Hits including 7 Top Tens including The Cisco Kid, The World Is A Ghetto, Slippin' Into Darkness, Spill The Wine, All Day Music, Summer, Why Can't We Be Friends And Low Rider.

Mango Season
Dates: May 22
Showtimes: 6:30pm & 9pm
Doors: 5pm & 8:30pm
Tickets: $35, $25, $15
Mango Season began as a love story. Annie and Curtis Kamiya were two young artists searching their way through heartbreak, their twenties, and life after college by bonding over a deep love of music. Led by this husband and wife duo, Mango Season evolved their sound from acoustic folk performed on the sidewalks and dive bars of downtown Honolulu into a full, sexy seven-piece band that delivers an intoxicating mix of vintage soul, jazz infused harmonies, and a shock of funk groove. Mango Season's shows are a late-night, boozy backroom club experience and have drawn comparisons to Earth, Wind & Fire, Pink Martini, and Kalapana. Mango Season's shows will feature all new and original music, and is a celebration of the release of their sophomore album "Seven."

Willie K
Dates: May 23
Showtimes: 6:30pm & 9pm
Doors: 5pm & 8:30pm
Tickets: $45, $35, $25
Raised on Maui, Willie Kahaiali`i (a.k.a. Willie K) has been entertaining audiences with his music since the age of 10. He has evolved into an eclectic and charismatic singer, songwriter, entertainer, and now actor. One of Hawaii's most versatile talents, Willie performs a myriad of musical genres, including Hawaiian, Jazz, Blues, Reggae, Rock, Country Western, and even Opera.

Lazar Bear presents Maria Muldaur & Her Red Hot Bluesiana Band
Dates: May 24
Showtimes: 6:30pm & 9pm
Doors: 5pm & 8:30pm
Tickets: $50, $40, $30
Maria Muldaur is best known world-wide for her 1974 mega-hit "Midnight at the Oasis," which received several Grammy nominations, and enshrined her forever in the hearts of Baby Boomers everywhere; but despite her considerable pop music success, her 50-year career could best be described a long and adventurous odyssey through the various forms of American Roots Music. During the folk revival of the early '60s, she began exploring and singing early Blues, Bluegrass and Appalachian "Old Timey" Music, beginning her recording career in 1963 with the Even Dozen Jug Band and shortly thereafter, joining the very popular Jim Kweskin Jug Band, touring and recording with them throughout the '60s. In the 40 years since "Midnight at the Oasis," Maria has toured extensively worldwide and has recorded 40 solo albums covering all kinds of American Roots Music, including Gospel, R&B, Jazz and Big Band.

The New Mastersounds
Dates: May 25 - 27
Showtimes: 6:30pm & 9pm
Doors: 5pm & 8:30pm
Tickets: $35, $25, $15
In the late 1990's, guitarist and producer Eddie Roberts was running a club night in Leeds called "The Cooker." When The Cooker moved into a new venue with a second floor in 1999, there was space and the opportunity to put a live band together to complement the DJ sets. Simon Allen and Eddie had played together in 1997 as The Mastersounds, though with a different bassist and no organ. Through friends and the intimate nature of the Leeds music scene, Pete Shand and Bob Birch were added on bass and Hammond respectively, and The New Mastersounds were born. Though it was raw, and more of a boogaloo sound at first, it was powerful from the start. Their first rehearsal was hot enough for Blow it Hard Records to release on two limited-edition 7" singles in 2000.

Living Colour
Date: May 28 - 30
Showtimes: 6:30pm & 9pm
Doors: 5pm & 8:30pm
Tickets: $45, $35
Two-time GRAMMY Award-winning rock band Living Colour is an American rock band from New York City, formed in 1984. Led by guitarist Vernon Reid, the bands lineup solidified in the mid-80's w/ Corey Glover (vocals), Will Calhoun (drums) and Muzz Skillings (bass). Stylistically, the band's music is a creative fusion influenced by free jazz, funk, hard rock and heavy metal. Their lyrics range from the personal to the political, in some of the latter cases attacking Eurocentrism and racism in America.

The band's debut album, "Vivid," was released in 1988 on Epic Records. The album reached #6 on the Billboard 200 Albums chart and was later certified double platinum by the RIAA. It featured "Cult of Personality," a #13 hit on the Billboard 200 Singles chart as well as the Top 40 hit, "Glamour Boys." "Cult of Personality" went on to earn the band their first Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance. In 1990 the band's second full-length album, "Time's Up," was released and reached #13 on the Billboard 200 while certifying gold. It won a Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Album and featured guest appearances by Queen Latifah, Little Richard, Doug E. Fresh, and Maceo Parker.

After a split in 1995, Living Colour returned in December 2000 and began recording "Collideøscope". Released in 2003, the album featured aggressive lyrics, with many of the songs about the September 11 attacks. It also contained cover versions of AC/DC's "Back in Black" and The Beatles' "Tomorrow Never Knows." Their first release on Megaforce Records, "The Chair in the Doorway," was issued in 2009 and reached #159 on the Billboard 200 charged by the single 'Behind The Sun.' In 2013, the band celebrated the 25th anniversary of 'Vivid' w/ a world tour crossing North and South Americas, Europe, and Japan, including the Soundwave festival in Australia.

Blue Note Comedy Series: Bert Kreischer
Presented by Deep Promotions
Dates: May 31
Showtimes: 6:30pm & 9m
Doors: 5:00pm & 8:30pm
Tickets: $36, $26
Bert Kreischer is a standup comic who performs to sellout crowds across the country. His latest stand-up special, Bert Kreischer: The Machine, premiered on Showtime on November 11. He is the host of the Travel Channel's Trip Flip and Bert the Conqueror, and previously hosted Hurt Bert. He is a regular guest on The Joe Rogan Experience and The Rachael Ray Show and has appeared on Late Night With David Letterman and Jimmy Kimmel Live. His one-hour special Comfortably Dumb appeared on Comedy Central and his book "Life of the Party, Stories of a Perpetual Man-Child" shares the hilarious and outrageous stories that define his comedy and exemplify what has made him one of the best story-tellers of his generation.

About Blue Note Hawaii
Located in the former Society of Seven showroom inside Outrigger Waikiki Beach Resort, Blue Note Hawaii will feature a year-round lineup of musical entertainment - from local talent to international sensations - for limited engagements. As a part of Outrigger's ongoing commitment to the musical arts, the performance venue has undergone an extensive, multi-million-dollar revitalization, creating a brand new venue in the heart of Hawaii's most famed beach resort destination. Blue Note Hawaii features completely new décor and a state-of-the-art sound and light system.
The 9,000 square-foot facility was designed by local architecture and interior design firm InForm Design, and seats over 300 patrons, showcasing two performances nightly in an intimate setting - seven days a week, 365 days a year. Blue Note Hawaii also features a contemporary gift, including a dedicated location for musical acts to hold autograph sessions following each show. Guests can also dine at the venue, where a full-service restaurant and bar highlights the culinary talents of Chef Rodney Uyehara. Talent buying and programming is handled out of Blue Note Entertainment Group's New York office. Additionally, the venue is available for private event bookings.

About Blue Note Entertainment Group
Blue Note Entertainment Group, founded in 1981 by Danny Bensusan, is a multi-faceted entertainment company that owns and operates New York's Blue Note Jazz Club, B.B. King Blues Club & Grill, Highline Ballroom, Subrosa, and Lucille's Grill; The Howard Theatre (Washington D.C.); and Blue Note Jazz Clubs Worldwide (Tokyo and Nagoya, Japan; Beijing, China; Milan, Italy; Napa, CA and Honolulu, HI). The company also programs the Regattabar Jazz Club (Cambridge, MA). Blue Note Entertainment Group presents shows outside of its club network. The annual Blue Note Jazz Festival was established in 2011 and has since grown to become the largest jazz festival in New York City each June. Subsidiaries of Blue Note Entertainment Group include the GRAMMY-nominated record label Half Note Records, whose catalogue includes over fifty titles recorded live at New York's Blue Note Jazz Club, as well as Blue Note Travel, Management Group and Media Group.

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