aloha got soul
Interviews
A Sincere Feeling: Interview with Trombonist Ira Nepus
Sincerity breeds positive feelings in the people around you. Just ask Ira Nepus, a trombone player from Hawaii by way of Los Angeles, California. At the age of 65, Ira Nepus has focused his efforts for the past 26 years on one of his greatest passions: music. Continue reading
It Starts with an Idea: Interview with drummer Scott Kohler
Social media is a marvelous thing. Case in point: I tweeted about Babadu a few months ago and @itsscottyk retweeted. Turns out it was drummer Scott Koher, who played on Babadu’s album and a number of other Hawaiian soul, jazz, and funk recordings. Continue reading
E Komo Mai! Cozy Hawaiian Grooves Mixtape + an Interview on Brazil’s coletivoACTION
Aloha Got Soul just got more fans in South America, thanks to the Brazilian black music blog known as coletivoACTION, which features rare groove music from around the world. Check out the mixtape “E komo mai! The cozy grooves of Hawaii” plus an interview with yours truly. Continue reading
In Search of “My Life”: Interview with Eddie Tsuru
Bassist Eddie Tsuru emailed me in June to see if I had Brandon Bray’s first single, “Glad You’re In My Life”. Unfortunately, I’ve never heard the song. But our subsequent interview revealed an impressive number of bands Eddie performed with, from fusion group Merlin to wedding entertainers Kaleidescope. Continue reading
A Love Supreme: The Lyman Legacy Lives On
Sometimes a realization hits you so hard, you don’t believe it’s been staring at you for so long. Case in point: I recently re-connected with guitarist Alika Lyman, a good friend of mine since elementary school.
Doing Something Special: An Interview with Jay Molina
This weekend, jazz-fusion band Music Magic reunites for a three shows at Jazz Minds Café. I had the opportunity to ask Music Magic bassist/vocalist Jay Molina some questions over email before the band’s rehearsal this past Sunday.
Robin Kimura Interview: Part 3
Last update: 31 August 2011 I set myself up for a lot of work when I interviewed Robin Kimura of Greenwood. Robin had so many stories to tell, and I’ve been typing as fast as I can to get his words down. So I gave Part 3 the chance to go uninterrupted for most of the excerpt. We … Continue reading
The Magic of Mack: Robin Kimura on Mackey Feary and his Band
My interview with Robin Kimura was lengthy (in a good way), but not nearly as long as the extended performances Greenwood played at Waikiki’s popular discos back in the 1970s. Greenwood started out in Waikiki clubs as the ‘off-night’ band—when a club’s main performer had the night off. But when it came to Mackey Feary, … Continue reading
The Story Behind the “Sparkle”: Robin Kimura on Greenwood’s 45
Over coffee on a Sunday morning last month I chatted with Robin Kimura, the bandleader of Greenwood, a brass-heavy funk band that played almost every club in Honolulu back in the 70s. As the driving force behind the 70s Night Club Reunion, Robin recently found a spark of inspiration that renewed his passion for music. … Continue reading
Brandon Bray, a Contemporary Hawaiian and His Story
I don’t have all the details on Brandon Bray, so I hope I’m not doing a disservice to his friends and family who knew him well. But his story needs to be told, regardless if I don’t cover everything from beginning to end. First off, a huge mahalo to Chuck Davis, one of Brandon’s closest … Continue reading
