Search - Colon :: The Groove Machine

A debut CD that doesn't quite capture the live excitement

C. Wolfe | houston, tx United States | 07/05/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I was sitting in the balcony of my hotel room overlooking Kapiolani Park when I heard some music drifting in on the Waikiki breeze. At first I thought it was a recording, a singer somewhere between Steven Stills and Richie Havens, and a guitar player riffing like early Santana, with some Martin Denny style jungle sounds in the mix. But when the singer started the rough and raspy chorus of "Give me the Beach Boys and free my soul..." I realized this "Drift Away" was live. I wondered on down to the bandstand in the sand and was amazed to see that the "guitar" player stomping on foot pedals was actually playing electric ukelele. It was the most unusual use of a traditional instrument I'd seen since Junior Brown and his guit steel in an Austin nightclub. Jake can do just about everything on the ukelele that Santana can on the guitar, but I doubt Santana plays uke. Anyway, don't be deceived into thinking from the CD title and jacket that this is some kinda electronica. The overtones are more of the Sixties than the Nineties; the melodies are mellow and slack key just like you would expect from these local boys. Despite the rather simple and uniform chord structures of the songs, the group displays a wide range of styles, including jazz, hawaiiana, latin, rock, spiritual and folk. Jake only gets a chance to cut loose on "Serrano" -- his more challengingly virtuoso cover of "Europa" is inexplicably missing from this 'debut' CD (I take it from the liner notes that Colon had a previous incarnation under another name). It's not likely you'll see these guys anytime soon on the Mainland, so I suggest you buy the CD instead for a little island spirit wherever you are."

Jake does it again

C. Wolfe | 11/27/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"If you like Jake Shimabokuro's uke' playing you will enjoy this album. A good mix of upbeat tracks and some slow ballads. The new group has a good sound."

Better than Pure Heart...

williewhistle | Hawaii, USA | 07/19/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Jake Shimabukuro and Colon have outdone themselves, they sound 100 times better since Jon Yamasato left the band. Try it out, it is the best combination of island grooves and fancy ukulele playing. Jake will knock you off your feet!"