July Events Announced at Blue Note Hawaii
By: A.A. Cristi Jul. 12, 2017
The good times continue this month at Blue Note Hawaii with an eclectic lineup of local talent, national artists and side-splitting comedians. The Henry Kapono Artist to Artist Series continues with Malani Bilyeu of Kalapana, promising chicken-skin moments for all in attendance. Mike Lewis & Friends will share tributes to B.B. King, Etta James and contemporary soul singer Sade. Island Rhythm 98.5FM co-presents an unplugged pop-up show with Anuhea & Friends, followed by local greats Patrick Landeza & Kawika Kahiapo, a show with Duncan Kamakana & the Osorio 'Ohana, the Keauhou Band and of course the incomparable Willie K. The Blue Note Hawaii Comedy Series continues this month with Ahmed Ahmed and Rita Rudner, presented by Hawaii's Natural High. Donavon Frankenreiter is back by popular demand and new to the Blue Note are GRAMMY nominated jazz artists The Rippingtons. There won't be a dry eye in the house when an all-star lineup of local artists pay tribute to legendary jazz crooner Jimmy Borges.
A 15% kama'aina discount is available to residents for most shows. This is available online with code MAHALO15, as well as in person at the box office. Parking is validated at the OHANA East Hotel for $6 for four hours, and at the Outrigger Waikiki for $15 for four hours valet.
The full July Blue Note Hawaii lineup includes:
Mike Lewis & Friends: A Tribute to B.B. King
Date: July 12
Showtimes: 6:30pm & 9pm
Doors: 5pm & 8:30pm
Tickets: $35, $25, $15
Mike Lewis is a native New Yorker who recently moved back to Hawaii and is performing tributes to great classics like B.B. King. Mr. King considered one of the most influential blues musicians of all time, earning the nickname "The King of Blues." Mike Lewis and friends pay tribute to the iconic B.B. King. Mr. King was an American blues singer, electric guitarist, songwriter, and record producer. He introduced a sophisticated style of soloing based on fluid string bending and shimmering vibrato that influenced many later electric blues guitarists.
Henry Kapono's Artist to Artist Series: Malani Bilyeu of Kalapana
Date: July 13
Showtimes: 6:30pm & 9pm
Doors: 5pm & 8:30pm
Tickets: $45, $35, $25, Ultra VIP $65
Outrigger Resorts and Kapono Inc. present the second show of their unique and exciting "Artist to Artist" series in collaboration with the special GRAMMY Museum exhibit We are Friends: A Lifetime Party of '70s Hawaiian Music, with Henry Kapono hosting Hawai'i's iconic GRAMMY Museum featured artists.
The July 13th show will feature Malani Bilyeu of Kalapana, sharing stories of the group?s beginnings and historic rise to the top of the local charts to their icon status today. The show will begin with Henry Kapono "talking story" with Malani, artist-to-artist, and end with a special performance. Performing with Bilyeu will be Alden Levi (electric bass & vocals), Jeff Rasmussen (ag guitar & vocals), and John Porlass (percussion).
This show is sponsored by Outrigger Resorts, Hawaii News Now and Honolulu Star-Advertiser.
Island 98.5FM Pop-Up: Anuhea & Friends Unplugged
Date: July 14 & 15
Showtimes: 6:30pm & 9pm
Doors: 5pm & 8:30pm
Tickets: Tables: $35, Bar: $25
Island 98.5 presents Anuhea & Friends in two unplugged, pop-up nights at Blue Note!
Hawaiian-born singer, guitar player and songwriter Anuhea blends pop and reggae with conscious lyrics to create a style of her own. With radio hits like "Simple Love Song" and "Higher Than The Clouds," Anuhea is a major presence on the Islands, with favorable critical comparison to fellow islanders Jack Johnson and Bruno Mars. Anuhea also enjoys the distinction of being specifically requested to perform by his Holiness, the Dalai Lama.
Don't miss her unplugged at Blue Note for only two nights!
Patrick Landeza & Kawika Kahiapo
Dates: July 16
Showtimes: 6:30pm & 9pm
Doors: 5pm & 8:30pm
Tickets: $35, $25, $15
When Patrick Landeza became the first mainland-based artist to win the N? H?k? Hanohano award in 2013. Having initially learned how to play slack key guitar from family, Landeza later apprenticed with slack key legend, Raymond K?ne, and was mentored by slack key masters such as Cyril Pahinui, George Kuo, and Dennis Kamakahi. Landeza, now a well-respected slack key instructor and performer, has taught classes in private and at music camps nationwide.
Though now living in beautiful Waimanalo, Kawika grew up in the small town of Kane`ohe on the windward side of O`ahu. Kawika's interest in music began at an early age, when, inspired by his father, he spent many hours alone in his room "jamming". Some of his fondest memories are of their "garage" jam sessions, when "Pops" Gabby Pahinui would show up with his guitar. This is what inspired Kawika's passion for ki ho`alu (slack-key guitar).
Duncan Kamakana & The Osorio 'Ohana
Dates: July 17
Showtimes: 6:30pm & 9pm
Doors: 5pm & 8:30pm
Tickets: $35, $25, $15
Duncan Kamakana grew up on the island of Oahu in a family richly steeped in music, Hawaiian culture, intellectual stimulation and abundant love and creativity. He rose to fame following his appearance on "The Voice" where he was chosen out of 50,000 other contestants for a coveted spot. Following this, Duncan hopes to create his own musical legacy and from his humble beginnings, find his own voice. On July 17, Duncan, his father and his sister will take the Blue Note stage for a special 'ohana performance!
Date: July 18
Showtimes: 6:30pm & 9pm
Doors: 5pm & 8:30pm
Tickets: $45, $35, $25
As part of a family band-he was the second of nine boys and four girls-Willie learned how to play every instrument that might be needed in the show, from guitar and bass to the ukulele, quickly becoming a virtuoso on each. And he learned how to make music in virtually any genre that might please an audience. His albums released over the past two decades are devoted to everything from pure traditional Hawaiian music to Jazzy/Blues tunes.
Blue Note Comedy Series: Ahmed Ahmed
Presented by Hawaii's Natural High
Date: July 19
Showtimes: 6:30pm & 9pm
Doors: 5pm & 8:30pm
Tickets: Premium: $36, Loge/Bar: $26
Egyptian-American actor, comedian, producer, and director Ahmed Ahmed is one of the most diverse, multi-faceted talents in the entertainment industry today.
Ahmed is currently a paid regular performer at the world famous Comedy Story in Hollywood, The Laugh Factory, and the Comedy Cellar in New York City, and he tours nationally and internationally. Ahmed is a true believer that laughter heals, and that comedy can bridge the gap between communities across the world.
Donavon Frankenreiter
Date: July 20 - 22
Showtime: 6:30pm & 9pm
Doors: 5pm & 8:30pm
Tickets: $35 premium, $25 loge and bar
Donavon Frankenreiter began his professional life as a surfer. Born in Southern California, he landed a sponsorship with Billabong as a young teenager and moved to the Hawaiian Islands when he was 14. There, he rented a home from the parents of Jack Johnson, a fellow surfer with an untapped musical talent.
Music was always a hobby for Frankenreiter, who began playing guitar during his late teens. He began gravitating toward Hawaiian instruments like slack key guitar, lap steel and ukulele, integrating them into his own surf-rock sound and launching his music career, which became equally successful as his surfing career.
Mike Lewis & Friends: A Tribute to Etta James Featuring Mindy Smokestack
Date: July 23
Showtimes: 6:30pm & 9pm
Doors: 5pm & 8:30pm
Tickets: $35, $25, $15
Mike Lewis and Friends pay tribute to the great singer Etta James, an American singer known for her songs "At Last" and "Something's Got a Hold On Me." The tribute features local vocalist Mindy Smokestack who is known for her heartfelt vocals and uplifting songs that bring an awareness of love, positive energy, and hope of overcoming hardship and adversity. Mike Lewis pays tribute to Etta James, an American blues, R&B, soul singer. The tribute features local vocalist Mindy Smokestack who is known for her heartfelt vocals and uplifting songs that bring an awareness of love, positive energy, and hope of overcoming hardship and adversity.
Mike Lewis & Friends: A Tribute to Sade Featuring Ginai
Date: July 25
Showtimes: 6:30pm & 9pm
Doors: 5pm & 8:30pm
Tickets: $35, $25, $15
NY turned local trumpet player Mike Lewis and his talented friends pay tribute to one of the greatest contemporary soul singers of the last 30 years - Sade. On vocals is local jazz and R&B songstress, Ginai.
The Rippingtons
Date: July 26 - 28
Showtimes: 6:30pm & 9pm
Doors: 5pm & 8:30pm
Tickets: Premium/Loge: $45, Bar: $35
The Rippingtons are a GRAMMY-nominated contemporary jazz group, founded by guitarist and composer Russ Freeman in 1985. The group has passed the thirty year mark, and continues to innovate. Under Freeman's production, the group has released 22 albums, all of which have attained top 5 Billboard status, with 5 of them reaching #1. Their debut album, "Moonlighting", which Jazziz magazine has called "the number one most influential contemporary jazz album of all time."
Blue Note Comedy Series: Rita Rudner
Presented by Hawaii's Natural High
Date: July 29
Showtimes: 6:30pm & 9pm
Doors: 5pm & 8:30pm
Tickets: Premium: $55/Loge, Bar: $35
Rudner is known for her epigrammatic one-liners. Over the course of a fourteen year run and 2,000 plus shows, she has sold one and a half million tickets and become the longest-running solo comedy show in the history of Las Vegas. She has been named Las Vegas's "Comedian of The Year" nine years in a row and in 2006 received the Nevada Ballet's "Woman of The Year" Award.
First Annual Jimmy Borges All-Star Festival
Date: July 30
Showtimes: 6:30pm & 9pm
Doors: 5pm & 8:30pm
Tickets: Premium: $45, Loge/Bar: $35
Jimmy Borges, Hawaii's gentleman of jazz, entertained and inspired audiences around the world for over 60 years. Hawaii's Frank Sinatra is known for his velvety voice and charisma. Borges was also one of Hawaii's most beloved teachers, encouraging generations of young artists to reach for their dreams. Proceeds from this 1st Annual Festival named in his honor will benefit the "Jimmy Borges Endowed Scholarship in Vocal Music," a need-based award at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. It will feature the best and the brightest of Hawaii's jazz stars - all coming together to honor one of the greatest talents to grace our island.
Keauhou
Date: July 31
Showtimes: 6:30pm & 9pm
Doors: 5pm & 8:30pm
Tickets: Premium: $35, Loge: $25, Bar: $15
Keauhou finds passion and joy in the performance, preservation, and perpetuation of traditional Hawaiian music. The name, "Keauhou," was suggested by Hailama Farden, while the trio played music at the Kamehameha School's Midkiff Library. This library is home to the wa?a (Hawaiian canoe) named "Makani Hou o Keauhou," under which the group performed. Translated as "the new wind of Keauhou," this wa?a became the inspiration for the group name, "Keauhou." While the Hawaiian language offers a multiplicity of meanings and translations, the group's name can be translated as "the new/renewed generation." This name defines the young trio, Kahanuola Solatorio, and brothers, Nicholas and Zachary Lum, as they strive to bring forth inspiration from Hawaiian music of the eras preceding them, and contribute to a renewed respect and interest for the incomparable beauty of traditional Hawaiian music.
About Blue Note Hawaii
Located in the former Society of Seven showroom inside Outrigger Waikiki Beach Resort, Blue Note Hawaii will feature a year-round lineup of musical entertainment - from local talent to international sensations - for limited engagements. As a part of Outrigger's ongoing commitment to the musical arts, the performance venue has undergone an extensive, multi-million-dollar revitalization, creating a brand new venue in the heart of Hawaii's most famed beach resort destination. Blue Note Hawaii features completely new décor and a state-of-the-art sound and light system.
The 9,000 square-foot facility was designed by local architecture and interior design firm InForm Design, and seats over 300 patrons, showcasing two performances nightly in an intimate setting - seven days a week, 365 days a year. Blue Note Hawaii also features a contemporary gift, including a dedicated location for musical acts to hold autograph sessions following each show. Guests can also dine at the venue, where a full-service restaurant and bar highlights the culinary talents of Chef Rodney Uyehara. Talent buying and programming is handled out of Blue Note Entertainment Group's New York office. Additionally, the venue is available for private event bookings.
About Blue Note Entertainment Group
Blue Note Entertainment Group, founded in 1981 by Danny Bensusan, is a multi-faceted entertainment company that owns and operates New York's Blue Note Jazz Club, B.B. King Blues Club & Grill, Highline Ballroom, Subrosa, and Lucille's Grill; The Howard Theatre (Washington D.C.); and Blue Note Jazz Clubs Worldwide (Tokyo and Nagoya, Japan; Beijing, China; Milan, Italy; Napa, CA, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and Honolulu, HI). The company also programs the Regattabar Jazz Club (Cambridge, MA). Blue Note Entertainment Group presents shows outside of its club network. The annual Blue Note Jazz Festival was established in 2011 and has since grown to become the largest jazz festival in New York City each June. Subsidiaries of Blue Note Entertainment Group include the GRAMMY-nominated record label Half Note Records, whose catalogue includes over fifty titles recorded live at New York's Blue Note Jazz Club, as well as Blue Note Travel, Management Group and Media Group.
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