Maui band brings unique blend to coffee shop
Andrew Molina & Friends to put on first show since pandemic
Violinist Willy Wainwright (from left), ukulele player Andrew Molina, cajon percussionist James Somera and bass guitarist Jay Molina will perform as Andrew Molina & Friends at the Maui Coffee Attic on Friday evening, the band’s first show since the pandemic hit. Photos courtesy of Andrew Molina & Friends
Maui father-and-son duo Andrew (left) and Jay Molina have been playing together for years, taking their musical talents as far as England’s Grand Northern Ukulele Festival.
Violinist Willy Wainwright (from left), ukulele player Andrew Molina, cajon percussionist James Somera and bass guitarist Jay Molina will perform as Andrew Molina & Friends at the Maui Coffee Attic on Friday evening, the band’s first show since the pandemic hit. Photos courtesy of Andrew Molina & Friends
Maui father-and-son duo Andrew (left) and Jay Molina have been playing together for years, taking their musical talents as far as England’s Grand Northern Ukulele Festival.
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Looking forward to playing live music again, Na Hoku Hanohano Award-nominated ukulele player Andrew Molina will team with his father, Jay Molina, violinist Willy Wainwright and cajon percussionist James Somera to perform as Andrew Molina & Friends on Friday at the Maui Coffee Attic.
"We're excited to play live after all this time with the pandemic," Andrew Molina said.
Formed a few years ago to spotlight the intriguing blending of ukulele and violin, the band is playing its first show since the pandemic hit.
"The instruments really complement each other well," he said. "We've been having a blast. We have arrangements from my CDs with the violin and it sounds pretty killer. It's a beautiful combination that you don't hear too often."
One of Hawaii's leading young ukulele players, Andrew Molina has performed across the Mainland, and in the U.K., Ireland, Austria and China. He has released three albums blending Hawaiian, pop, rock, Latin and jazz, with Ukulele Magazine praising his "sheer virtuosity," and declaring him a "Maui uke phenom" and "one of the next Jakes," comparing him with Jake Shimabukuro.
Known on Maui for playing with Gypsy Pacific, Wainright is an accomplished classically trained violinist who lived in Nashville for many years and has recorded and toured with country artists.
A veteran of the Maui music scene, vocalist/bass guitarist Jay Molina has performed with local bands such as Asian Blend, the jazz-fusion group Music Magic, and The Ali'i's. He spent 30 years playing with a luau show at the Marriott's Wailea Beach Resort.
An in-demand drummer/ percussionist, Somera has performed and recorded with many local artists, including Crazy Fingers, the Island Soul Band and The Drivers.
As far as repertoire, Andrew Molina & Friends play a variety of music and genres from Hawaiian, rock and Latin to country, jazz and classical. This versatility reflects his appreciation for a wide spectrum of music. His most recent album, "Evolv3," included interpretations of Jimi Hendrix's "Little Wing," Erik Satie's piano piece "Gymnopédie No. 1" and Sting's "Englishman in New York."
"We play songs from my CDs, covers and originals," Andrew Molina said.
Notable covers include Aerosmith's "Dream On," the Eagles' "Hotel California" and Led Zeppelin's rock classic "Stairway to Heaven."
"I always strive for variety," he added.
Playing ukulele since he was a teen, he said, "it's my first passion. I like showing people what it can do. A lot of people still think it's something from the ABC store, a trinket to take back home. Just because it's small doesn't mean it's not mighty."
He has found some of the most enthusiastic ukulele fans in the U.K.
"We went there for three years in a row, and you can jam in a pub until 3 a.m.," he recalled.
Father and son performed at England's Grand Northern Ukulele Festival, which attracts musicians and fans from around the world. In February 2021, amid stricter limits on gatherings and in-person events, the duo also put on a virtual show as part of the Maui Arts & Cultural Center's livestreamed concert series.
The Molinas will head out to the Mainland in April to play the inaugural Memphis Ukulele Festival, "and we'll make a tiny East Coast tour to New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania. The ukulele is really popular on the West Coast and it's starting to finally get on the East Coast and that's exciting."
"I was always a working-six-night-a-week musician, so it's really special for me to go on tour with him," said his proud father. "We get to bond on the road together. He started playing when he was about 13, and then he put so much time and dedication into it, and he told me, 'One day I want to do this as a living.' People come up to us at shows and say it must be so cool to play with your son. Dads will tell me, 'I wish my son would want to play with me, but he doesn't like my music.' I enjoy having people look at Andrew and go, 'I didn't know you could play 'Stairway to Heaven' on the ukulele.' "
Andrew Molina & Friends play at the Maui Coffee Attic at 6 p.m. on Friday. Two guest tables are available for $40. For more information, visit mauicoffeeattic.com/tickets.