Reviews
 Keep It Simple
Van Morrison
Roger McGuinn @ the Huntington IMAC, Long Island, NY - April 4, 2008
Emily Saxe @ the Allen Room/Jazz at Lincoln Center - April 5, 2008
Another Country
Tift Merritt
Be Your Own Pet
Get Awkward
Paul McCartney – The McCartney Years (DVD)
Juno – Music from the Motion Picture
Various Artists
Yes - Their Definitive Story
Day and Night Driving
Seven Mary Three
InterMedia Arts Center 2/2/08
Huntington, NY
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Israel Kamakawiwo ‘Ole
I came upon this disk when an older than middle-aged man called his wife over in a record store to gawk at this CD. I guess he was amused by the site of the 500-600 pound man on the cover, so he and his wife laughed heartily. After these heathens moved on, I worked my over to see the source of their amusement. From the recesses of my brain, I remembered hearing that Kamakawiwo ‘Ole had died. I also remembered hearing that this CD was quite good. With a combination of sympathy, curiosity and resentful anger, I bought "Facing Future".
In this instance, my memory served me well. ‘Iz’, as he is known by friends and fans, performs absolutely gorgeous renditions of traditional Hawaiian music. To put it in its simplest terms, his vocals are as impressive as his girth. There is virtually no element of commercial slickness, just gorgeous songs that evoke the beauty of his native island and culture.
The best moments of "Facing Future" occur when Iz and his band stick to native instrumentation. At these moments, you can almost see the landscape and deep blue sea. Interestingly, Iz includes an impressive Hawaiian-ized version of John Denver’s "Take Me Home, Country Road," causing me to wonder if Denver could have imagined the universality of his composition (it was also once covered reggae fashion by Toots and the Maytals). The only time the disk veers off course is on "Maui Hawaiian Sup’ pa Man", which employs an overtly corny, disco-fied rhythm that stands at odds to the balance of the collection. Otherwise, it is sheer evocative beauty.
Grade: 
 
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