Jazz

Honolulu's only

Jazz Club dedicated to jazz with live jazz six nights a week, closed Sunday

Food, Beverage and Music

1661 Kapiolani Boulevard

Just west of Atkinson

945-0800

* Check for surprise artists

Awesome, man!(click here) , Hey young'uns Boo. October 31 Costume Party. Grove and sway with 'Dem Bones, live jazz with attitude. Some call it Halloween!

Always, always... there is an extensive food menu. Great pupus or a late dinner.

DeShannon Higa

Rocky Brown

Amber Ricci

Yes, add me to your email list!

October Schedule

Jazz Minds Art & Café

Mondays, October 2,9,16,23,30 The Nu Swing Project with Waimanalo’s Maria Remos, 6-man band jazz, R&B, hip hop, 9 p.m. – 1 a.m., Jazz Minds Art & Café. 945-0800

Tuesdays, October 3, 17, Rachel Gonzales with Les Peetz, 9 p.m.-midnight., Jazz Minds Art & Café. 945-0800

Tuesday, October 10, surprise concert with Glenn Murray and Sulubika on flute and Cool Breeze, 9 p.m. - midnight, Jazz Minds Art & Cafe 945-0800

Tuesday, October 24 Amber Ricci with DragonFly (Dan Del Negro and Ernie Provencher), 9 p.m.-midnight., Jazz Minds Art & Café. 945-0800

Tuesday, October 31 Halloween Costume Party, cover charge 1/2 off if you come in costume, spooky, ghoulish live jazz starring 'Dem Bones, with

Aaron Hili sax, Kyle Santos trumpet, Kevin Hughes guitar, Jeremy Ward bass Russ Lundgren drums and lots of people sitting in. Let the monster in you out. 9 p.m. till late, Jazz Minds Art & Cafe. 945-0800

Wednesdays, October 4,11 Ginai with Keith Scott on piano, jazz, 9 p.m., Jazz Minds Art & Café. 945-0800

Wednesday, October 18 Kimberley Bradford, jazz, 9 p.m., Jazz Minds Art & Café. 945-0800

Wednesday, October 25 Russ Lundgren Jazz Quartet with Dave Yamasaki on guitar and Dave's friend, the sax player for Huey Lewis and the News, 9 p.m.-midnite, Jazz Minds Art & Café. 945-0800

Thursdays, October 5,12,19,26 gr00ve.imProV.arTiSts with DeShannon Higa, urban jazz, 9 p.m. – midnite, Jazz Minds Art & Café. 945-0800 (Randy Wheeler sax/video, Abe Lagrimas drum, Maria Remos vocals),

Friday, October 6, Good bye party for Lew Maddox of the Buddy Mak Jazz Quartet, many surprise celebrity guests sitting in. Jazz Minds Art & Café. 945-0800

Fridays, October 6,13,20,27 Buddy Mak Jazz Quartet with Don Smith, live jazz, 9 p.m. - midnight, Jazz Minds Art & Cafe, 945-0800

Saturdays, October 7 70’s and 80’s disco with live DJ, 9 p.m.,,Jazz Minds Art & Café. 945-0800

Saturday, October 14 Friends of Adam blues band with Clay Campania, 8:30 p.m., Jazz Minds Art & Café. 945-0800

Saturday, October 14 (LATE) Kona Wind with five part harmony, 9:30 p.m. - 12:30 a.m., Jazz Minds Art & Café. 945-0800

Saturday, October 21 taping of new Olelo TV show, Ginai's Jazz Island, featuring Sandy Magsino with the Justin James Quartet. First in a series of monthly shows to be taped at Jazz Minds every third Saturday, 6-9 p.m., Jazz Minds Art & Café. 945-0800

Saturday, October 21, Son Caribe's Hot Latin Dance party with DeShannon Higa, also DJ Mark in the wee hours, free pupus and $4 drink specials, 9:30 p.m. - 2 a.m., Jazz Minds Art & Café. 945-0800

Saturday, October 28 Lundgren Jazz Quartet with a rare appearance by Louie,

John Lundgren sax flute, Russ Lundgren drums, Kevin Hughes guitar, Jeremy Ward bass 9 p.m.-midnite, Jazz Minds Art & Café. 945-0800

Special

Buddy Mak Jazz Quartet

Maria Remos

Honolulu Jazz Quartet

Abe Lagrimas

Rich Crandall

October 2006

Monday Night

The Nu Swing Project

Avant Garde Jazz Starts with Hip Hop

If musical creativity were like the mother lode, Jazz Minds Art & Café would be the deepest tunnel in Honolulu – where the likes of The Nu Swing Project has been mining every old note and funky rhythm looking for the next different, hot new sound.

And if you like experimental, hyper creative jazz, this is for you. The first eclectic sound you hear comes from a clunky, old Fender Rhodes electric piano, which sounds like a 59^th Street tune from the 70’s sitcom Taxi.

There’s a lilt and a New York drive to Dave Mergens on of this great classic instrument.

Then comes Waimanalo Maria Remos, who sounds nothing Hawaiian but more Haight Ashbury, kind of moaning, crooning, improvising words and tune in her own special Jewel way.

Bassist “Beek” Venderbeek is not playing rhythm but is adding low down commentary in counterpoint to Patrick Armitage’s Beasty Boys drums. He’s the one smiling and having fun.

The band members individually have trekked various paths to their love of jazz.

But they all came through the hip hop hoop.

“Hip hop and jazz have the same soul behind it, the intent to create. It offers the ability to grow as a musician and to fully express yourself,” says bandleader Mergens.

Mergens is just a few years past 20. His parents made him learn piano at age 6. He started sax at 13. Tenor at 20. He heard Charlie Parker and Miles Davis’ “Kind of Blue” one day. And rock was history.

Remos has never had any music or voice lessons. She was an open mic groupie. She won her first open mic singing a cappella at Indie Café in Kapahulu. She got into hip hop free styling at poetry slams and met Honolulu’s Mr. Trumpetman Deshannon Higa at an open mic. She’s been with him 2-1/2 years. She met Mergens at an open mic at Jazz Minds 10 months ago. She’s been with him since. Both.

“Beek” hails from Hyannis and has been living the musicians life, playing whatever pays, in and out of bands, including hip hop, until he found the Nu Project. Then he decided being creative was more important than…

Armitage is the only real pro in the group. He has toured all over the world, most recently with the Beasty Boys. On a stop in Hawai‘i, he fell in love with the islands. And decided to take a break. Our gain.