Most emphatically not just an empty tux

Maurice Ravel won the Paris Conservatory's Prix de Rome only after years of losing to more conservative composers. When the judges finally deigned to give it to him, he turned them down. But Ravel's own music wasn't that progressive, and Erik Satie famously cracked, "While Ravel rejects the Prix de Rome, all his music accepts it." The Hawaiian musician Willie K bought a tuxedo for his performance with the Hawaii Youth Symphony on Sunday evening, and made self-deprecating jokes all evening about it. But while his remarks suggested he was just a local boy who's out of place in a penguin suit, his performance showed that he may be one of the greatest musical polymaths of our time. Willie wowed the crowd at last year's annual fundraiser concert by performing "O Solo Mio" and scatting, a tricky jazz vocal technique, which he learned in his youth after hearing an impressive scat by Ella Fitzgerald. I knew he was coming back at the Youth Symphony gala this year but I didn't know what he could do that would be more amazing than that. This is what he did. He sang opera arias in the style of Pavarotti, and produced the same piercing tenor for which Italy's greatest schoolteacher-turned-opera singer was famous. He sang "Unforgettable" with Pauline Wilson and sounded like Nat King Cole. Can two voices sound more different than Pavarotti and Cole? Then, in "Danny Boy," he produced an Irish tenor that was a discrete third kind of voice. I might add that "Danny Boy" was arranged for the orchestra by Neil McKay based on a tape Willie K made on ukulele to show what his ideas were for the song, and the result was the first truly fresh arrangement of the much-performed song in many years. At this point I don't think it would surprise me if Willie K showed up one year having composed an opera. Willie K and Lehua Heine also performed together, singing "Vivo per lei" in a McKay arrangement, and I mustn't forget some excellent performances by the Hawaii Youth Symphony I itself, including Shostakovich's "Gadfly" suite.  This orchestra is almost twice as large as most symphonies and the sound they put out is awesome. Willie K epitomizes a truth about most musicians in Hawaii - whatever kind of music they're best known for, they like to "stretch" -  a favorite word of HYS Maestro Henry Miyamura - and explore other musical genres. And any musician will tell you that this kind of exploration and busting out is good for all musics. Willie K gets it, and he's happy to support the Hawaii Youth Symphony whether you think he listens to Shostakovich CDs or not. At a time when the Honolulu Symphony is struggling to figure out how it can survive, it is good for all of us to remember that our children need exposure to Hawaiian music, classical music, jazz, and every other kind of music.

Comments

[Willie K]

Thank you so very much Howard,
much mahalo for the blog
and sharing with the world (not just Hawaii)
what it really means to get it...

thanx always my friend
Willie K

[Desiree Berrigan]

I had the pleasure of meeting Willie K and hearing him play back in 1990 right when You Kuu`ipo was ready to break. No one in Hilo knew who he was, but I knew when I saw him play, as you said,I was seeing one of the greatest musical polymaths of our time. I have always said there is no one like Willie K, nor will there ever be. I can guarantee you, there aren't many people who have seen Willie perform as many times as I have. I've flown to Oahu and Maui, even Kauai, to see him play. And of course, anytime he graces the Big Island with his appearance, I will drive as many hours as it takes at any time of the day or night. As Willie once said on stage: Desiree is the biggest Willie K fan in the state of Hawaii. And I screamed out, in the whole world! I love you Willie. I always have and I always will. ~ Devoted Desiree

[Diana Damon]

I saw Willie and his fellow musicians play this past Saturday at Waikoloa on the Big Island, and those guys put on a world class show. It made me think about how it must have felt to have watched the career of Louis Armstrong, another genius musician whose career spanned decades, and who continued to grow and mature as an artist. Genius is not easy, and with it comes an overabundance of choices. Willie pulled off an amazing feat of showcasing that night. He "opened" for himself with his band "Lima Wela" and they did an amazing cutting edge new kind of Willie music- Mexican/Israeli/Hawaiian/American. Hey, believe me, it works. They lived up to their name, because after that set, their fingers must have been BURNING! Then, he introduced Vince Esquire, backed with bass and drums,and Vince did his usual smoking thing, and Willie joined him in a Santa hat, and they just rocked and pounded down some amazing version of "Superstition" without keyboards.
Then Christmas music "Can't Always Get What You Want", half the songs off his first album "Kuuipo", "Under the Mango Tree", "Spirits in the Wind", "Sad Eyes" Makaha Sons stuff and then more Christmas and goodbye. Excellent.

[Willie appeared on Sunrise a few days ago and did a seasonal tune, "Winter Wonderland," I think, in a light jazzy style that reminded me of Slim Gailliard and Slam Stewart, If you never heard of them, they're the guys who first recorded "Flat Foot Floogie With the Floy-Floy." HMD]