We’re back at Archetype on July 12 with Kēhau Kahananui and Alison Lewis. I’ll be accompanying both before doing my own set. It’ll be quite an eclectic evening with Kēhau bringing traditional Hawaiian songs and Alison bringing her beautiful arrangements of classics and a few originals (maybe even some of my songs)! Some of you might know my connection to Hawaii — and my love of a well-written song! — so you can imagine that I’m really excited for this evening! (And thanks to Cary Baker for the pic of me above from the Nilsson show last week).
Here are some snippets from their bios:
Kēhau Kahananui is an accomplished Hawaiian singer, drummer, chanter, and hula dancer.
Having grown up listening and practicing to a wealth of Hawaiian music through her father, she
was influenced by Hawaiian vocal icon Auntie Genoa Keawe and local legend Auntie Moana
Chang. She has taught at hula workshops and performed in California, Hawai`i, México, and
England. Having learned her first hulas as a child from her aunties, she has continued her studies
throughout the years. Singing and dancing hula standards remains a joyful expression of her
cultural heritage.
Additionally, Kēhau, is an experienced and vivacious singer, well-versed in blues, soul, and
rock. She is skilled both as a lead and background singer. She landed her first background gigs as a
teenager and has been gigging ever since. Audiences enthusiastically receive her and are bound to
get out of their seats and dance.
Alison Lewis was described by Cabaret Scenes as, “a singer with a hauntingly beautiful voice who transformed the ordinary into the extraordinary with brilliant arrangements and vocal experimentation.” No stranger to stages large and small, Alison has performed as a soloist at venues ranging from Disney Concert Hall to Lincoln Center. She has performed/toured with world music a cappella groups, major cover bands, R&B acts, as well as gospel and classical ensembles at high profile events throughout California. She has also shared the stage with such notables as Michael Franti, Peter Yarrow, and Patti Austin. She has additionally performed the national anthem for the LA Lakers, the Clippers, the 49ers and the Golden State Warriors.
Her debut solo album, Seven, received much national and international acclaim, as well reached the top 40 of both the CMJ and RMR charts. Here are just some of the things reviewers across the globe had to say:
” Seven is a tour-de-force, varied in styles of jazz, what is best about today’s jazz vocal offerings, but taken to task by a highly qualified and potent vocalist. One I hope to hear for years to come. Well done, and HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.”
“A really wonderful first outing from a talent that will have your attention from start to finish”
“… a true vocal talent that you will only encounter once or twice in your lifetime”
“Seven is in a world of its own”
”…seeing songs like Irving Berlin’s “Cheek to Cheek” and Bob Dylan’s “Like a Rolling Stone” in a new light, a way that makes the songs seem even more brilliant than their original version.”
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