Joel Katz’s music brings me to another era, and the steel guitar is something for the soul to behold. But you don’t have to yearn for days of old to listen: he’s at Mulligans on the Blue this Monday to entertain you with his unique instrument, whether you’re slugging down a pau hana Harp or you’ve come down to enjoy their incredible list of pupus, or even if you’re just enjoying the dinner scene and ocean views at the venerable Irish pub. 6:30pm Mulligan’s (100 Kaukahi St., Wailea); 808-874-1131

[Photo by Jessica Pearl]

THIS WEEK’S PICKS:

HOLD ON, I GOTTA TAKE A QUIZ

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EVERY THURSDAY – With friends old and new, form a team like “The Shake Weight Enthusiasts” or “Suck It, Trebek” and vie for a $50 gift certificate at Mulligan’s Pub Quiz Superfreakout (PS: Like ‘em on Facebook to tune-into insiders’ tips). The only unanswered question is where tornado Trish “The Dish” Smith (your hostess with the mostest) gets all her effervescent energy. Plus, drink specials and free pupus! No cover. 9:30pm-12am. Mulligan’s on the Blue (100 Kaukahi St., Wailea), 874-1131; mulligansontheblue.com

THIS WEEK’S PICKS:

BY THE POWER OF GREYSKULL

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Mulligan’s on the Blue’s Rockin’ the ’80s Party every Monday night. “Where’s the beef?” There’s no beef, brah! But there is beer! Lots o’ it! And, totally tubular tunes from back in the Day Glo era–just the stuff to help you “get into the groove” this “blue Monday.” 10pm-12am. Mulligan’s on the Blue (100 Kaukahi St., Wailea); 808-874-1131

THIS WEEK’S PICKS: ALL MY ROWDY FRIENDS ARE COMIN’ OVER TONIGHT

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Dude, hang in there. Daylight Savings is on Nov. 6. You know what that means: Hawaii’s 7am Sunday kickoff time will spring forward to the slightly less-ungodly hour of 8am; never mind we won’t have to wait an hour for beer/Bloody Mary service. Until then, revel in the sane hours of Monday Night (that is, um, afternoon) Football. If you couldn’t afford the NFL Sunday Ticket (who can?), no worries beef curries. Football-friendly watering holes abound, including Green Leaf Sports Bar & Grill (1088 L. Main St., Wailuku), Kahului Ale House (355 E. Kamehameha Ave., Kahului), Oceans Bar & Grill (1819 S. Kihei Rd.), Haui’s Life’s A Beach (1913 S. Kihei Rd., Kihei), Mulligan’s on the Blue (100 Kaukahi St., Wailea), Stopwatch Sports Bar (1127 Makawao Ave.) and Charley’s Restaurant & Saloon (142 Hana Hwy., Paia).

MAUI JAZZ AND BLUES FESTIVAL

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Kenneth Martinez Burgmaier is a cool cat, you dig? He’s the heart and soul of award-winning Jazz Alley TV and Hawaii On TV, and you’ve probably seen him ’round town, capturing cool stuff from behind the lens, as well as seen his works at film festivals, on stores’ shelves, on TV and on the Internet. He’s also brought us beautiful community events like the Hana Film Festival, Aloha Drive-In Theater, Lanai Ukulele Festival, Lanai Slack Key Festival, Lanai Jazz Festival, and now, for the first time, the Maui Jazz and Blues Festival. And boy, has Burgmaier outdone himself this time!

At seven venues Sept. 19-25, the festival’s drawn some huge names in the music world—some of whom it’s their first visit to the islands. The fun’s already begun with sweet kick-off shows at Mulligan’s on the Blue and Stella Blues Cafe, and you can continue to start your musical adventure early by checking out events tonight (Sept. 22) at Cuatro, featuring dinner jazz guitar with Benny Uyetake (6:30-8pm) and at Stella Blues Cafe, with SLAM featuring David Choy and Clay Mortensen, plus special festival guests. Best of all, tonight’s events are all free.

See, that’s another cool thing about Burgmaier—if his event’s aren’t free, they’re ultra reasonable. Even Saturday night’s big show costs just $20—which makes you feel like your liftin’ lolipops from cradles. Before I get to the illustrious lineup, here’s the when and where:

The big shows take place (mostly) at the Grand Wailea Resort & Spa, starting Friday (Sept. 23) with a VIP dinner and special guest performances (limited seating; visit mauijazzandbluesfestival.com for tickets and prices). You’d do well to make a weekend of it, seeing as the Grand’s offering a special event rate of just $199 per night (call 800-321-4666 for reservations, and ask for the festival package). That also works perfectly because come Saturday, you can just mosey up the street to Wailea Gateway’s Sweet Paradise Chocolate to hear Sal Godinez’s masterful fingers on ivory, and enjoy tongue treats galore (11am-1pm; this literally and figuratively sweet event is, if you can believe it, also free). You’ll then have plenty of time to cleanup good (all the chocolate can be messy, if you’re doing it right), for the big show at the oceanfront stage of the Grand’s Molokini Gardens, and a historic night of music (4-9pm; $20 single / $250 VIP table). And when you wake up in the mornin’ Henry Allen will be waiting to entertain you (10am-1pm) at a special Jazz Sunday Brunch at the resort.

Whew. OK. Now that you know where to go, here’s why: Les McCann, Delfeayo Marsalis, Tom Scott, Skip Martin, Brian Stoltz, Javon Jackson, Brother Noland, and Brittni Paiva, SLAM, Zenshin Daiko and the Kalama Intermediate School Ukulele Jazz Cats.

Those names should all ring a bell—because they’re big names. McCann’s won multiple lifetime achievement awards, is known for his platinum-selling single “Compared to What” (with partner/saxman Eddie Harris), and has collaborated with (who he calls pals), Miles Davis, Art Blakey, and Duke Ellington. Marsalis has been heralded as one of the best, most imaginative and musical of the trombonists of his generation (San Francisco Examiner), and has produced over 100 recordings for fellow big names like Harry Connick, Jr. Spike Lee, and Terence Blanchard. Further with winds, Scott’s a renowned saxophonist, who’s perhaps most noted for his film scores which include Conquest of the Planet of the Apes, Stir Crazy, The Sure Thing, and Shakes the Clown, just to name a few. And get this: he’s composing credits include TV show themes for Family Ties, Starsky & Hutch, Square Pegs, the Academy Awards, the Emmy Awards, the People’s Choice Awards, Comic Relief, The Carol Burnett Show, and The Pat Sajak Show. Seriously.

Oh, and he’s got a couple Grammy awards under his belt thanks to 12 nods earned by his 25 solo recordings.

Wrapping up (I want to give you extra time to plan a snazzy outfit to wear to the shoe), Martin is the former lead vocalist for Kool & The Gang. Jackson’s toured with the greatest and gotten Grammy nods, too. And Stoltz is famed for touring with the Neville Brothers Band and spent 14 years with The Funky Meters.

Did your brain just explode? Mine did. And I’ve heard the only remedy is to go to the events and for the soothe of jazz and blues.

Three course dinner, menu changes daily. The show is one of the best places to see Willie K.

Alchemical Reactions

Sunday (June 5), 9pm-12am, Mulligan’s on the Blue, Wailea / Tuesday (June 7), 9-11:30pm, Charley’s Restaurant & Saloon, Paia

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Who is The Goddess Alchemy Project? “Bringing forth a timeless science through a live, lyrical experience of “more than one sista on the mic at a time”… this crew gives voice to the potent sound of Goddess Alchemy rising from underground urban-scapes to mainstream airwaves. In collaboration with many artists and producers, this unique sound provides a fresh flavor by integrating elements of underground hip-hop, world accents, spoken word flows, and soulful melodics. Combine this with ancient texts, quantum physics, ancestral roots, multi-dimensional symbology, and an all-female cypher… the result to this equation is a new, musical science they call “Open Source Soul Floetics.”" (via goddessalchemyproject.com/biography)

Also features Honolulu’s Kings of Spade and Maui’s own Gomega. Advance tickets are available online at goddessalchemy.eventbrite.com. Sunday (June 5) Mulligan’s on the Blue, 100 Kaukahi St., Wailea; 808-874-1131 / Tuesday (June 7): Charley’s Restaurant & Saloon, 142 Hana Hwy., Paia; 808-579-8085

(photo by Nelson’s Photographic Design & Fairwinds Music)

Alika Nako’oka

Saturday (June 4), 7-10pm, Mulligan’s on the Blue, Wailea

Everybody loves Alika. Born on the island of Maui, he hails from a musical pedigree that includes popular Hawaiian entertainers like his father, Alika Nako’oka Sr., and his uncles, Willie “Smiley” Nako’oka and Jesse Nako’oka (who’s famous for his long-running lu’au show at the Maui Lu, as well as a string of hits including “54 Bridges to Hana Town”). Alika began singing at an early age, performing throughout the Hawaiian Islands and Pacific Northwest, and later in his career toured Los Angeles, Seattle and Las Vegas. Learn more about Alika by visiting his website, http://www.alikanakooka.com and be sure to catch his gig this Saturday (June 4) at Mulligan’s on the Blue. 100 Kaukahi St., Wailea; 808-874-1131

LUCKY TWO: Friday (November 12), 6pm, Mulligan’s on the Blue, Wailea, $45 With Dinner / $18 Show-Only

Saturday (November 13), 7pm, 142 Baker St., Lahaina, $20

From the time he was a young boy, tenor vocal/banjoist Michael Black’s popular musician parents, Patty and Kevin Black — whose Dublin home was regularly a weekend hub for ‘hoolies,’ (i.e. kanikapila) — considered him a “precocious” talent. (Interesting tidbit: he left school at the age of 14 to work at the Guinness Brewery, but went on to study in London and later at UC Berkeley.) Joining Black is drop D-lovin’ lefty Jon Sanders (featured in the video above, with Dave Alley), whose early work included ’80s London folk bands Hot Banana and Three Wise Fools. Sanders moved to Dingle, County Kerry in the ’90s and took up playing the bouzouki (a pear-shaped, long-necked Greek lute), and has since made a name for himself as the Bard of Bouzouki, the Duke of Uke. From South to West Maui, the pair will be performing and storytelling on two nights this November. At Mulligan’s on the Blue, treat your taste buds to the same Emerald Isle treats as your ears, by opting for the dinner package (dinner at 6pm, show at 7pm). And, tickets to Black and Sanders’s West side show includes light refreshments (plus, free parking at the United Methodist Church). Reservations are required for the Mulligans show (808-874-1131), and are highly recommended for the limited-seating house concert in Lahaina (808-264-5190  / 808-661-0420). mulligansontheblue.com / mauiceltic.com / michaelblack.info / jon-sanders.com

CHECK OUT MICHAEL BLACK AND JON SANDERS’S LATEST RELEASES:

Twigs of the Neem Tree by Jon Sanders and Michael Black by Michael Black

Since then, it’s been a whirlwind of wonderful, with Scott’s regular updates about all the awesomeness planned. Follow the links and read more HERE, with the update being that the rumor mill manufactured some facts, and here’s photographic evidence:

Not to mention the stratosphere signed by Dave Murray of Iron Maiden, Bounty Music donated two ‘ukulele for the evening’s fundraising — one signed by Paula Fuga, and the other by Willie K. Here’s Paula (above, left) at KAOI Radio Group’s studios today, signing the uke (with Sam Ites; above, right). Also (below), a close-up of her artistic autograph on the Kohala by Lanikai uke.

Paula was in the studio with Mike Love and Sam Ites, about to go on air with Shaggy Jenkins, in advance of their Stella Blues Supper Club show (tonight and tomorrow, September 17 & 18; 6-9pm).

(Above, left to right: Scott Johnson, Mike Love, and Shaggy Jenkins.)

(Above, left to right: Trish “The Dish” Smith, of Maui Weekly fame — who was there interviewing the musicians, and with who I, ironically, have a hot date with tonight, to go see The Comedy Hui at the MACC — Scott Johnson, and Mike Love.)

As much as I blab about whatever it is I find funny (I hope) about blood cancer, Trish –  knowing how hard it is sometimes for me (as with anyone) to accept really, really nice gestures — asked me, “So, are you doing OK with all this?”

* “It’s all happening really fast,” I said. “It’s hard because I want to thank everyone with every breath, with every blink. But how?”

Well, this blog isn’t the best or only mechanism, but I guess it’s a start… THANK YOU to Scott Johnson, KAOI, Mulligans on the Blue, my beloved MauiTime ‘ohana and everyone who’s making ZEPTEMBER possible — and to everyone who’s helped/put up with me on my little cancer journey.

Sistah Paula Fuga and sistah me, trowing shaka. Das how!

If you’re looking at this thinking, “Wait? Where have I seen that weirdo wearing a worn-out beanie before? And a mention of Trish from Maui Weekly?” Maybe it was HERE…