Stories — Interviews

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. We had fun on field trips, played games at recess, and later hunted for records in our high school days. We started talking through Facebook about Kalapana, Mackey Feary, and Hawaiian music. Next thing I know, Alika says, "Speaking of which are you familiar with exotica music? My uncle had a great group in the 60s, Arthur Lyman." Why it took me 15 years...

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. Turns out Jay's been busying performing with a Maui band called SLAM, a "very funky smooth jazz and R&B" group. SLAM jammed with saxophonist Tom Scott and trumpeter Skip Martin (from Kool and the Gang and the Dazz Band) at the Maui Jazz and Blues Festival earlier this month. By the way, Jay tells me Cool Sound/Cool Hawaii owner Toshi Nakada will be...

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 talked about Hawaii's high school dance circuits, intermediate school, Waikiki night clubs, the Spence Cliff restaurant chain, You can read Part 1 here and Part 2 here. ... Robin Kimura: I play for another cover band called RKSB with some of the...

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, Greenwood actually played after the Mackey Feary Band—sometimes with Mackey joining the funky ensemble for songs like 'Nightbird' and 'The Hurt'! Here's another excerpt of my interview with Robin, as promised in part one. This time, Rob remembers Mackey and the Magic Mushroom, a Honolulu...

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. He's led Greenwood in a string of celebrated reunion shows, 20 years after Greenwood disbanded in the 1980s. He also performs with his new group, RKSB, or Royal Kunia Street Band. (Not the Robin Kimura's Street Band, but close!) We talked for over an hour....