Stories

(This post has been updated since its original version first appeared) Today marks an important moment in Aloha Got Soul's existence, as well as the history of Hawaiian music (in my opinion, at least). I've been lucky enough to interview—let alone track down—Murray Compoc Spencer, the lead singer from Tender Leaf. Tender Leaf was a band from the 1980s whose sound could be described as easy-going soul with essences of psychedelic music. Its two founding members, Murray Compoc and Darryl Valdez, first met while working as drivers of the city bus (aka The Bus). They discussed music and jammed together,...

With two gigs nightly, 7 days a week aboard the Rella Mae cruise ship, Phase VII must have met many people during their tenure. So I was happy to find this photo in my inbox the other day, courtesy of saxophonist Edd English (far right): Edd gave me a bit of background on Dolly Parton's appearance aboard the Rella Mae: That year she took her family to Hawaii for X-mas—I mean everyone because she was able to rent the top deck of the Rella Mae, the boat Phase Seven played on. This photo is on the Top deck, as after...

Audy (Audwin) Kimura's "Summer" is simply beautiful, despite its aural complexity. Even with the strings, keys, percussion and guitars floating around, the song remains melodic and unpretentious from start to finish. I especially love when the electric piano or the guitar riffs at just the right moment, jumping out at you. It adds to the melody and accents Audy's soothing voice. (By the way, "Audwin" is such a cool name!) Almost incomparable in its mellowness, "Summer" could very well be the epitome of the laid-back vibes of Hawaii. I can close my eyes and imagine a handful of examples. Cruising...

Hey everybody, you can find out how/why Aloha Got Soul got its start by visiting the new About section. Plus, I update the Downloads page from time to time. Honolulu City Lights is up there now.

Sometimes my focus gets lost so deeply in the instrumentation of a song that I forget to listen to the vocalist! With Vic Malo's LP, this happens to me quite often. Guitars, orchestration/strings, keyboards, horns—everything complements everything, no musical opportunity was lost in the songwriting and arrangements (with the help of Don Ralke). Of course, Vic Malo's robust voice deserves attention. It's seductive. That fact alone speaks for itself. But still, the music is sophisticated yet soulful, on par with (if not above) Vic's vocal abilities. Better yet, the lyrics match the songs' moods perfectly. It's like the words were...