Night Ranger

October 9, 2014

Night Ranger's vocalist/bassist Jack Blades is feeling pretty excited about his band's latest album, "High Road." Best known for their classic hits like "Sister Christian," "(You Can Still) Rock in America," and "Don't Tell Me You Love Me," the band's new release captures their signature, melodic rocking sound."We're firing on all eight cylinders," Blades enthuses. "We're just kicking it with great ideas and rocking and rolling. This is a rocking album. We've got some good kicking stuff."The album blasts off with the catchy title track, a feel-good rocker perfect for highway cruising, ...

Raul Midon: ‘Not just another singer-songwriter’

October 2, 2014

A remarkably accomplished guitarist, singer and composer, Raul Midon has been compared to artists like Al Jarreau, George Benson and Donny Hathaway.Midon often receives rapturous reviews, with the U.K. Guardian praising, "When you witness someone who is really good, like singer-songwriter Raul Midon, it's a profoundly moving experience." Soul-Culture noted: "As far as the blend of pop, folk, soul and jazz is concerned, it's hard to think of anyone doing it quite as well as him."And legendary producer Quincy Jones labeled the singer-songwriter a "one-of-a-kind virtuoso that will make your ...

Relating to America

September 25, 2014

While it's been a few years since America has been on the charts, they made headlines in the pop press this summer when Michael Jackson's album "Xscape" was released. The posthumous recording featured a reworking of the band's classic hit "A Horse with No Name.""We heard about it several years ago," says America's Dewey Bunnell, who composed "Horse." "It was surprising. We thought of it as a novelty and forgot about it. His untimely death brought it back to the fore. I'm actually a co-writer with Jackson (on "Xscape"). When we revisited the lyrics after his death, it seemed that much ...

Heart of Hula

September 18, 2014

Any biennial hula show produced by kumu hula Uluwehi Guerrero is always a spectacular event. This year, the acclaimed Na Hoku Award-winning Maui kumu will mount another major production at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center's Castle Theater on Saturday featuring more than 100 dancers from Halau Hula Kauluokala and from Tokyo and Hokkaido, along with the Hawaiian music group Pu'ukapu, led by slack key virtuoso Sonny Lim, and a string ensemble.Entitled "Ka Ho'oilina" - The Legacy, the latest production's theme reflects Uluwehi's reverence and heartfelt appreciation for his lineage of ...

Leon Russell: Touring on a ‘Life Journey’

September 11, 2014

Following "The Union," his hit duet with Elton John, Leon Russell has released a terrific new album, "Life Journey," which captures the magic of some of his earliest golden recordings.Influenced by legendary producer Tommy LiPuma, "Life Journey" focuses on fresh interpretations of classics including Robert Johnson's "Come On In My Kitchen," the standard "Georgia On My Mind," and a superb cover of Billy Joel's "New York State of Mind," along with a couple of original songs. "After recording the album with Elton, two record company presidents requested an album from me," Russell explains ...

Jazz Royalty

September 4, 2014

Known as "The King of Nouveau Swing," a unique style that merges jazz and R&B, hip-hop and soul with Afro-New Orleans traditional music, acclaimed saxophonist Donald Harrison is one of the headliners at the fourth annual Maui Jazz & Blues Festival taking place at the Royal Lahaina Resort on Saturday.A legend of jazz, Harrison has performed with numerous musicians including Art Blakey, Roy Haynes, Miles Davis, Lena Horne, Eddie Palmieri, Dr. John and McCoy Tyner.Last year, he teamed with the virtuoso rhythm section of bassist Ron Carter and drummer Billy Cobham at New York's Blue ...