By Staff Reports
(Oahu) – The holidays are officially here at Blue Note Hawaii and December kicks them off with an epic series with local legend Henry Kapono with his Back in the Day; The Songs of C&K shows. Next up are more local favorites ManoaDNA and Danny and Nicholas Kaleikini. Average White Band returns by popular demand followed by Willie K and a celebration of Frank Sinatra’s birthday with the Mike Lewis Big Band. Robert Cazimero continues his residency followed by the incomparable Herb Alpert and Lani Hall. Donavon Frankenreiter returns for three nights, followed by Jake Shimabukuro and a heart-warming Charlie Brown Christmas show. It wouldn’t be New Year’s without the much-anticipated return of legendary jazz saxophonist Kenny G.
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 December Blue Note Hawaii lineup includes:
Henry Kapono Presents: Back in the Day; The Songs of C&K
Dates: November 30-December 2
Showtimes: 6:30 & 9:00 p.m.
Doors: 5:00 & 8:30 p.m.
Tickets: VIP Seat $75, VIP Booth $300, Premium $45, Loge $35, Bar $25
Native Hawaiian and GRAMMY® nominated Henry Kapono is a multiple award-winning vocalist, guitarist, songwriter, and composer. He’s celebrating the laid-back island rock of Cecilio & Kapono (C&K), the group that rocketed him to fame in the 1970’s, Henry will be joined by some of Hawaii’s top entertainers:
- Gaylord Holomalia Of The Legendary Hawaii Group, KALAPANA
- Johnny Valentine, Legendary Hawaii Performer
- Blayne Asing, Multi Na Hoku Hano Hano Award-Winner
- Alx Kawakami, Manoa DNA
- Konrad Kendrick, Former Stomp Drummer
- Jon Hawes, Hawaii’s Premier Bassist
VIP SEATING
Single, front & center VIP seats are available as well as VIP booths seating up to four. VIP tickets include premium seating and a pre-show backstage meet & greet.
Manoa DNA
Date: December 3
Tickets: $35, $25, $15
Showtimes: 6:30 and 9:00 p.m.
Doors: 5:00 and 8:30 p.m.
Weaving a patchwork of styles and genres into one solid sound, this multi-generational group quickly became a fixture in the local music scene. They have taken the science out of DNA and replaced it with harmonies that will touch your soul. This concert will also serve as a charity drive for Laulima Giving Project. Bring an unwrapped toy to the show if you want to participate in the fundraiser.
Danny & Nicholas Kaleikini
Date: December 5
Tickets: $35, $25, $15
Showtimes: 6:30 and 9:00 p.m.
Doors: 5:00 and 8:30 p.m.
Danny Kaleikini, a staple in Hawaiian music and the “Ambassador of Aloha,” has been entertaining audiences from around the world for over 50 years. Danny and his grandson, Nicholas, a classically trained musician and producer at Lana Lane Studios, return to Blue Note for a special holiday celebration.
Average White Band
December 6 – 10
Tickets: $55, $45, $35
Showtimes: 6:30 and 9:00 p.m.
Doors: 5:00 and 8:30 p.m.
AWB is widely regarded as one of the best soul and funk bands in the history of music. Though best known for its timeless instrumental mega-hit “Pick Up the Pieces” the band’s strength lies in its consistently accomplished songwriting, stretching across several gold selling albums and multiple GRAMMY® nominations.
Willie K
December 11
Tickets: $45, $35, $25
Showtimes: 6:30 and 9:00 p.m.
Doors: 5:00 and 8:30 p.m.
The Hawaiian phenomenon Willie K is undoubtedly the only artist in the world who can go into an Irish pub in the middle of Maui and play anything from indigenous acoustic Hawaiian music to jazz, reggae, rock, country and even opera—and leave everyone within earshot slack-jawed in astonishment.
Frank Sinatra Birthday Celebration and the Mike Lewis Band
December 12
Tickets: $35, $25, $15
Showtimes: 6:30 and 9:00 p.m.
Doors: 5:00 and 8:30 p.m.
Native New Yorker and trumpeter Mike Lewis presents a celebration of what would be Frank Sinatra’s 102nd birthday with his very own Mike Lewis Big Band! Featuring tunes that were performed by “‘Ol Blue Eyes” himself, as well as arrangements by his famous accompanist, the great Count Basie.
Robert Cazimero
December 13
Tickets: $45, $35, $25
Showtimes: 6:30 and 9:00 p.m.
Doors: 5:00 and 8:30 p.m.
In the 1970’s, Robert Cazimero was instrumental in the resurgence of Hawaiian music and culture. That resurgence began a career that almost thirty years later is stronger than ever. Musician, composer, kumu hula; his work in all of these areas is well known throughout the world.
Herb Alpert & Lani Hall
December 14 – 17
Tickets: $55, $45, $45
Showtimes:
December 14 & 18 at 8:00 p.m., Doors at 6:30 p.m.
December 15 & 16 at 6:30 & 9:00 p.m., Doors at 5:00 & 8:30 p.m.
Herb Alpert and Lani Hall infuse an eclectic blend of jazz, world and American pop standards with their unique sound. Performing together since 2006, each half of this husband-and-wife duo brings an impressive musical background to the table: Alpert’s accomplishments include five number one hits, 28 albums on the Billboard charts and Lani’s multiple GRAMMY® Wins.
Donavon Frankenreiter
December 18 – 20
Tickets: $45, $35, $35
Showtimes: 6:30 and 9:00 p.m.
Doors: 5:00 and 8:30 p.m.
Donavon Frankenreiter began his professional life as a surfer, and began playing music seriously after moving to the isle of Kauai. He began gravitating toward Hawaiian instruments like slack key guitar, lap steel, and ukulele, integrating them into his own surf-rock sound and thus launching his music career.
Jake Shimabukuro
December 21 – 23
Tickets: $45, $35, $25
Showtimes: 6:30 and 9:00 p.m.
Doors: 5:00 and 8:30 p.m.
Jake Shimabukuro can still vividly remember the first time he held a ukulele. It was an encounter that would shape his destiny and give the world one of the most exceptional and innovative uke players in the history of the instrument—an artist who has drawn comparisons to musical titans such as Jimi Hendrix and Miles Davis. Jake’s December performances will feature Noel Okimoto on drums and Dean Taba on bass.
Charlie Brown Christmas
December 24 – 25
Tickets: $35, $25, $15
Showtimes: 6:30 and 9:00 p.m.
Doors: 5:00 and 8:30 p.m.
Native New Yorker and trumpeter Mike Lewis presents A Charlie Brown Christmas, featuring some of Hawaii’s best jazz musicians. The show will highlight selections from the soundtrack to A Charlie Brown Christmas, as written by legendary composer and pianist Vince Guaraldi.
Kenny G
December 27 – 31
Showtimes:
December 27 – 30 at 6:30 and 9 p.m., Doors at 5:00 and 8:30 p.m.
Table & Booth Seating $85, Bar $75
December 31 at 8:00 and 11:00 p.m., Doors at 6:00 and 10:00 p.m.
Table & Booth Seating $125-$150, Bar $95-$125
In a recording career that spans almost three decades and 24 albums, GRAMMY® Award-winning saxophonist Kenny G has grafted elements of R&B, pop, and Latin music to a jazz foundation, solidifying his reputation as the premier artist in contemporary jazz.
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 and Milan, Italy, Beijing, China, Napa, California, and Rio De Janeiro, Brazil). 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.