Information from one of my favorite guitar folk singers in Tucson:

Saturday, November 19 (6:30pm) Lani’s Luau (2532 South Harrison Road, Tucson – [520] 886-5828), Tucson’s authentic Hawaiian Restaurant presents:

An evening of Celtic Aloha!

Hawaiian Music Award winner Jamie O’Brien comes from a London-Irish family, but his heart lies across a different ocean. Tonight, he presents an evening of the music he loves: a little bit of Irish, a little bit of Hawaiian … a lot of Celtic Aloha.

Lani’s Luau presents Jamie playing solo from 6:30 to 8:30pm: songs, slack key guitar and ukulele. He has played Irish music for as long as he can remember and Hawaiian for over a decade. Since meeting and teaming up with slack key guitarist and singer, George Kahumoku Jr., to present “Oceans Apart – Islands Together”, Jamie has been making connections between the music and culture of the islands.

Jamie has taken his Celtic Aloha performance to Maui, Oahu, the Big Island of Hawaii, Lanai and Kauai, as well as across the Mainland from Washington State to Washington DC and many places in between. He has played with such musicians as Daniel Ho, Keoki Kahumoku, Ozzie Kotani and many others from the world of Hawaiian music and Aoife Clancy, Danny Doyle, Jim Eagan and many others from the world of Irish music.

Enjoy a meal at Lani’s Luau, Tucson’s authentic Hawaiian restaurant and enjoy the music of Jamie O’Brien and a Celtic Aloha. No cover charge, but reservations are recommended.

And read my previous blog about Jamie’s latest CD “Chasing Ghosts” (click here), which I listen to often in my car. Lani’s Luau is on the NW Corner of Harrison and Golf Links, and serves delicious (ono) Hawaiian food.

British born guitarist, composer & folk singer Jamie O’Brien is releasing a new CD entitled “Chasing Ghosts”. Most of the songs are melodious and “jazzy”, and some are yearning songs of lost love, perhaps the “ghosts” of his past. Jamie asks that we mark Thursday, May 5 on our calendars. That is the release date for this new CD album. Musicians will be flying in from the East Coast & celebrating the release with Jamie at Boondocks that evening (3306 North 1st Avenue at 6:30pm).

Jamie on his guitar, courtesy of the musician

My favorites from this particular CD are #1 “Don’t Look Back”, #7 “See You Sometime” and #15 “You Only Wish”. The titles probably reveal the theme of the song’s lyrics. Jamie composed the 18 songs on this CD, and seven in collaboration with Stephen Roud, Ernest Hone, Peter Cooper, or Peter Morson.

He (and Bob Lee)will be performing at Lani’s Luau restaurant (NW corner of Harrison and Golf Links) on Friday April 29 at 6:30 p.m. Call ahead at 520-886-LUAU (5828). And he and some friends are also performing the next day at Lani’s for a fundraising luau (click here for the flyer).

Website: www.launies.com, email jobrien@launies.com to order this CD and others.

I’ve heard Jamie perform at 2nd Saturdays Downtown as well as at Himmel Park branch library and Bookman’s. He performs a lot of Irish Celtic music as well as Hawaiian slack key guitar and on the ukulele. “Uku” is flea and “lele” means jumping in Hawaiian, which is indicative of the lively music of this instrument. He’s also the winner of the 2011 Hawaiian Music Awards Anthology of the Year.

The local musicians accompanying Jamie on this CD are:
Dillon Barr (trumpet)
Phil Borzillo (guitar)
Bruce Campbell (bass)
Jenny Ford (vocals)
Ryck Kaiser (fiddle)
Henry Koreztky (vocals, mandolin, guitar)
Gary Mackender (accordion, Hammond organ)
Paul McKeown (guitar, keyboards, percussion, vocals)
Jon Villa (trumpet)
Dede Wyland (vocals)

Please come to Lani’s Luau for an Hawaiian hula show/fundraiser luau:

Saturday April 30, 2011, 4-8 PM

Delicious authentic dinner buffet:

Kalua Pig, Teriyaki Chicken, Steamed rice, Macaroni Salad, Lomi Lomi Salmon, Poi (upon request), Haupia, Pineapple Upside down cake, Hawaiian Punch/water

Dance performances by Hula Mai Ka Pu’uwai and Pacific Islanders Dance group.

Entertainment: Ukulele & slack key guitar by Jamie O’Brien & company, and Sierra Vista’s own Pat Tinnell & Company.

Cost: $25 for adults, $12.50 for children (12 and under)

Lani’s Luau is at 2532 S. Harrison Rd. (NW corner of Harrison and Golf Links).

Call Lani’s Luau for tickets at 520-886-5828 (LUAU) or 520-405-1212.

All proceeds go to Lani’s Luau to pay off their debt from rental of kitchen equipment.

One of my previous blogs on the fundraising efforts (click here). Please kokua (help).

UPDATE: This terrific luau raised over $7,500 and now Lani’s Luau only owes about $250 to Arizona Restaurant Supply. Mahalo plenty (as we say back home) to all you participated to “save” Lani’s Luau!