Hawaii News Now Jazz Legends Series Continues In March At Blue Note Hawaii
By: A.A. Cristi Feb. 28, 2018
Blue Note Hawaii welcomes some of music's most renowned artists this month, continuing the Hawaii News Now Jazz Legends series with Tony and GRAMMY (R) Award-winning jazz vocalist Dee Dee Bridgewater and epic drummer Billy Cobham. Jazz virtuoso guitarist Earl Klugh returns, jazz fusion saxophonist Boney James and reggae giants Big Mountain close the month. Local artists this month include Kuana Torres Kahele, Josh Kaye and Friends featuring Riya Davis in a tribute to Jill Scott, a tribute to the Miles Davis First Great Quintet with DeShannon Higa & QuadPod, Amy Hanaiali'i, and a tribute to Antônio Carlos Jobim with Sandy Tsukiyama and friends. Mike Lewis will present tribute shows to Duke Ellington and Natalie Cole featuring songstress Ginai and John Kolivas will host a tribute to the music of Stevie Wonder. The genre-bending Augie Rey makes his Blue Note Hawaii debut and Tavana returns to the stage by popular demand.
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, and at the Outrigger Waikiki for $15 for four hours valet.
The full March Blue Note Hawaii lineup includes:
Kuana Torres Kahele Presents Kahelelani: Tribute to Ni'ihau
March 1
Showtimes: 6:30 & 9:00 p.m.
Doors: 5:00 & 8:30 p.m.
Ticket Prices: $35, Loge $25, Bar $15
Kuana Torres Kahele has been involved in the music and hula scene of Hilo since he was 6 years old. Once he was discovered to have exceptional musical abilities he was pulled from the hula line and added as a permanent halau musician. Joining the Kuana Torres Kahele Band are special guests Nalani Keale and Halau Kaulakahi to present Music for the Hawaiian Islands: Ni'ihau.
Hawaii News Now Jazz Legends Series: Dee Dee Bridgewater
March 2 - 4
Showtimes: 6:30 & 9:00 p.m.
Doors: 5:00 & 8:30 p.m.
Ticket Prices: Premium $45, Loge $35, Bar $25
Over the course of a multifaceted career spanning four decades, GRAMMY(R) and Tony Award-winning jazz giant Dee Dee Bridgewater has ascended to the upper echelon of vocalists, putting her unique spin on standards, as well as taking intrepid leaps of faith in re-envisioning jazz classics.
March 7 - 11
Showtimes: 6:30 & 9:00 p.m.
Doors: 5:00 & 8:30 p.m.
Ticket Prices: Table & Booth Seating $45, Bar $35
Since releasing his inaugural album in 1976, the Detroit-born master of the acoustic-classical guitar has become one of the most imitated icons of the instrument. Earl Klugh has gone on to release dozens of albums, 24 of which have been on Billboard's top-10 list of jazz albums and 6 that made it to the No. 1 slot.
Tribute to Jill Scott: Josh Kaye & Friends Featuring Riya Davis
March 14
Showtimes: 6:30 & 9:00 p.m.
Doors: 5:00 & 8:30 p.m.
Ticket Prices: Premium $35, Loge $25, Bar $15.
Pianist Josh Kaye and vocalist Riya Davis present a tribute to neo soul pioneer, Jill Scott. Jill Scott was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and raised as an only child by her mother and grandmother. She had a passion for music and singing, taking to certain jazz and soul greats and learning the craft largely on her own. In 2000, Jill Scott would release her debut album reaching the Top 20 of the Billboard albums chart, and earn three Grammy nominations.
DeShannon Higa & Quad Pod: Tribute to Miles Davis' First Great Quintet
March 15
Showtimes: 6:30 & 9:00 p.m.
Doors: 5:00 & 8:30 p.m.
Ticket Prices: Premium $35, Loge $25, Bar $15.
Trumpeter Miles Davis made music that ultimately defines the history of jazz from the mid-'40s to the early '90s. Local jazz group DeShannon Higa & QuadPod will pay tribute to Davis' first great quintet that launched many unknown jazz musicians in the 1950s into the spotlight, including saxophonist John Coltrane.
Hawaii News Now Jazz Legends Series: Billy Cobham
March 16 - 18
Showtimes: 6:30 & 9:00 p.m.
Doors: 5:00 & 8:30 p.m.
Ticket Prices: Premium $35, Loge & Bar $25
Revered for his musical ingenuity, jazz fusion virtuoso Billy Cobham has contributed seminally as a master drummer, percussionist, composer, producer, educator, clinician and tireless musical explorer. Widely regarded as the "world's greatest drummer" with continued energy and exuberance, he forges ahead with an ever-passionate commitment to innovation and service to the world through his music.
Tribute to Antônio Carlos Jobim: Sandy Tsukiyama & Friends
March 19
Showtimes: 6:30 & 9:00 p.m.
Doors: 5:00 & 8:30 p.m.
Ticket Prices: Premium $35, Loge $25, Bar $15
Honolulu native Sandy Tsukiyama grew up in a household surrounded by jazz and Caribbean calypso. She first heard "The Girl from Ipanema" at age 9 and was fascinated with the new sound and the strange accent of the singer. Captivated by bossa novas on radio jazz programs, she embarked on a quest to further investigate the music of Brazil. She currently sings weekly in hotels across Waikiki and hosts "Brazilian Experience," a weekly Brazilian music program, on Hawaii Public Radio.
Amy Hanaiali'i
March 20
Showtimes: 6:30 & 9:00 p.m.
Doors: 5:00 & 8:30 p.m.
Ticket Prices: Table & Booth Seating $45, Bar $30
Singer-songwriter, Amy H?naiali'i remains Hawai'i's top selling female vocalist of all time. H?naiali'i's success as a recording artist speaks for itself and is evidenced by a multitude of awards and acknowledgements, including five GRAMMY(R) nominations for Best Hawaiian Music Album. Amy's albums have also garnered 22 N? H?k? Hanohano awards - Hawai'i's equivalent to the GRAMMY(R) awards.
Tribute to Duke Ellington: Mike Lewis & Friends
March 21
Showtimes: 6:30 & 9:00 p.m.
Doors: 5:00 & 8:30 p.m.
Ticket Prices: Premium $35, Loge $25, Bar $15
Mike Lewis and his Band pay tribute to the great Duke Ellington, a major figure in the history of jazz. Ellington's blend of instruments, melodies, and rhythms gave audiences a new and accessible jazz experience. He created one of the most distinctive ensemble sounds in Western music with The Duke Ellington Orchestra, and continued to play what he called "American Music" until his death in 1974.
Tribute to Stevie Wonder: John Kolivas & Friends
March 22
Showtimes: 6:30 & 9:00 p.m.
Doors: 5:00 & 8:30 p.m.
Ticket Prices: Premium $35, Loge $25, Bar $15
Bassist John Kolivas and friends present a tribute to one of the most creative musical figures of the late 20th century: Stevie Wonder. As one of the most-awarded male solo artists, Wonder has sold over 100 million records worldwide. He is noted for his work as an activist for political causes, including his 1980 campaign to make Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday a holiday in the United States.
Boney James
March 23 - 24
Showtimes: 6:30 & 9:00 p.m.
Doors: 5:00 & 8:30 p.m.
Ticket Prices: VIP $65, Table & Booth Seating $55, Bar $45
It's been a full quarter-century since the young saxophonist and composer, Boney James, released his debut album as a band leader. The now four-time GRAMMY (R) nominee and multi-platinum-selling musician wows audiences, "never missing a beat and all but daring the crowd not to have a good time." - Boston Globe
Augie Rey
March 26
Showtimes: 6:30 & 9:00 p.m.
Doors: 5:00 & 8:30 p.m.
Ticket Prices: Premium $35, Loge $25, Bar $15
Augie Rey and his multi-talented group can only be described as superb. His talents are displayed in his own his original compositions and rearrangements of top tunes. When he first came to Hawaii in 1970, he formed one of the first Salsa Bands in Waikiki, that has evolved genres but still stayed true to his Hispanic heritage.
Tribute to Natalie Cole: Mike Lewis & Friends Featuring Ginai
March 28
Showtimes: 6:30 & 9:00 p.m.
Doors: 5:00 & 8:30 p.m.
Ticket Prices: Premium $35, Loge $25, Bar $15
Trumpeter Mike Lewis presents a tribute to Natalie Cole, featuring Ginai on vocals. The daughter of legendary jazz-singers, Nat King Cole and Maria Cole, Natalie Cole found her own voice in funk, blues, and R&B. She would later release her debut album "Inseparable" in 1975, which would go on to win 2 GRAMMY(R) Awards.
Tavana
March 29
Showtimes: 6:30 & 9:00 p.m.
Doors: 5:00 & 8:30 p.m.
Ticket Prices: Premium $35, Loge $25, Bar $15
Tavana's blend of singer/songwriter, acoustic-blues-rock-roots music has been captivating audiences throughout the Hawaiian island chain and east to the mainland. Tavana's innovative sound has gained him radio play of original music and quickly gaining momentum among the local scene being featured in the high-profile musical showcase South by Southwest in 2010 and 2011.
Island 98.5 Rocksteady Reggae Series: Big Mountain
March 30-31
Showtimes: 6:30 & 9:00 p.m.
Doors: 5:00 & 8:30 p.m.
Ticket Prices: Premium $45, Loge/Bar $35
Big Mountain is an American reggae group known for their cover version of Peter Frampton's "Baby, I Love Your Way", which became a Top 10 hit single in the U.S. in early 1994, reaching No. 6 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, No. 1 on Mainstream Top 40 and No. 2 in the UK.
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 and Milan, Italy, Beijing, China, Napa, California, and Rio De Janeiro, Brazil). 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(R)-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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