Percussionist - Mike Muldoon - Blog

Recommended Percussionists

Mon, 17 Jan 2011 06:39:30 -0800

Wow, it's 2011 already.... In fact, it's been 2011 for almost 3 weeks. I have a few exciting projects in the works for this year, among them are percussion workshops, two recording projects, and putting together a live show.

But I thought that I would like to start out the year by recommending several percussionists for you to listen to. There are so many great percussionist, but these are especially important to me, and easy for you to find. Listen to them play!

Alex Acuna

Airto Moreira

Luis Conte

Lenny Castro

Ralph MacDonald

Ray Barretto

Nana Vasconcelos

Don Alias

Paulinho Da Costa

IZ and I pt 14.....Aloha, my friend

Sun, 07 Mar 2010 16:03:53 -0800

I remember rehearsing with Israel and the band for what turned out to be Israel’s last Waikiki Shell performance in March of ”˜97. We were getting ready to begin the rehearsal, setting up our gear and catching up with each other. Israel was sitting in his chair facing us. An older lady walked up to Israel and introduced her husband. I don’t know who the couple was, but I remember the husband’s name. It was Howard. I’m terrible with names, but I remember Howard. The lady said, “IZ, this is my husband Howard”, and Israel replied, without missing a beat, “Howard be thy name”. That is classic Israel.

Well, he loved his people, and gave it all to them on that last performance. This show was difficult for Israel. It took a lot out of him. Not long after returning home to the Owens Valley, I had learned that Israel was back in the Hospital. This time he would not be coming out.

What I will tell you now is strange, but it’s true. I don’t remember telling Gaylord about this, but Mel knows and so does Del.

On June 26th in the early morning hours I was awakened from a deep sleep by a tremendous crashing sound. It was loud and sudden and sharp. I bolted straight up in bed, listening intently to see what the sound was. My wife was sleeping next to me and the house was still. I could hear my heart beat, but nothing else. Not a sound.

I settled back down to try to sleep. The next sound I heard was the phone ringing. A sense of dread came over me. The answering machine was on. I heard Gaylord’s voice on the other end. He was calling from the hospital. I sat in bed and listened as he left me the sad news. I could not bring myself to pick up the phone. Israel was gone.

After some time later in the morning I called Mel Amina. There was no answer. I knew that it would be difficult to speak”¦. “Leave a message after the tone”. I started to say something, but could not hold back the emotion. I just managed to say I got Gaylord’s call, told them I loved them (Mel and his wife, Leialoha) and hung up.

Marlene, Israel’s wife, sent me a ticket for the funeral service. My father-in-law drove me to the State Capitol Rotunda were Israel lay in state. Flags flew at half staff. There were thousands of mourners and the feeling was that of the passing of an Ali’i, a great Hawaiian chief of old.

I remember seeing my friend Del Beazley in the huge crowd first. He led me towards Israel and his family.

Marlene sat with dignity next to Israel as he lay in a Koa wood casket surrounded by family and huge wreaths of flowers and Kahili’s, which is a feathered standard, symbolic of royalty. I was later told that the wood for the casket was brought from each of the Hawaiian Islands.

Israel’s family asked that I stay with them. I think they could see that I felt like I should not be with the family for more than a few minutes. This was his family, and I felt that it was important to give them some sense of privacy, as odd as that may seem at such a public ceremony. I did stay for a time and gave my Aloha to Israel and his family.

Afterward I went to look for Gaylord, who was busy seeing to so many details. There were musicians from all over the Islands playing music for Israel. Gaylord was handling all of that. I noticed Henry Kapono singing. It was a strange mix of very personal and public grief. It’s estimated that 10,000 people came to pay their respects. The Governor had issued a proclamation. Israel is one of only three public figures to be honored by a funeral service at the Hawaii State Capitol.

Gaylord, Mel, Analu and I played for Israel and his family later on in the evening. A family friend loaned me the use of a drum. At first it felt wrong to play, but memories of our playing those songs together filled my mind. It was good to play in remembrance of Israel. I remember how good it was that Mel and Ana (Analu) could hold it together for our friend on this sad day. They had to sing Israel’s songs. Imagine trying to do that, on this of all days. When we were finished, Ana, a big Hawaiian man who is so filled with the Aloha spirit, hung his head and wept.

That was almost 13 years ago. After Israel died I did not listen to his music for some time. I think it was three years or so, but when my family and I moved into a new place, my wife put on some Hawaiian music. It was ”˜Facing Future’. I heard La ”˜Elima. Memories filled the room. Ipo and I listened. Israel had a voice like no other. We listened and again, tears came. For me these were tears of another kind. Sorrow yes, but mingled with gratitude and a feeling of something more beautiful waiting ahead.

I am very grateful for those days with Israel and my friends; for so many wonderful memories. I will tell you though, that I do have regrets. I wish that I would have lived those days differently in so many respects. I wish I would have been a better friend, husband, father, brother, and son. So much time wasted, so many things not understood. I am still sorting through what those years really meant, but it seems to me that the older I get, the more I realize that I’m probably going to get it wrong.

There is this though: Israel was my friend, and for that, I am grateful.

IZ and I pt 13....... In Dis Life

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 16:03:14 -0800

By mid 1995 Israel was beginning to have greater difficulty with his health. It seemed as though he was canceling appearances more often than he had during the previous year. We continued to work, but I could see that Israel was having difficulty.

We all cared deeply for Israel and were pulling for his health to improve, but it was a struggle. It may sound strange, but not only was Israel my friend, I worked for him. When he could not work, the band could not work. I was able to make up for some of the lost work by doing sessions and teaching drums. I worked with my friend, Del Beazley, on his gigs. I also worked with Teresa Bright, Brother Noland and Glenn Medeiros. But still, I could see that I was going to have to make some difficult decisions as far as work was concerned.

Recording in Hawaii started to lean heavily toward the "Jawaiian" sound. As far as I know, Brother Noland may have coined that term. It's a mix of Hawaiian music and Reggae. In ”˜95 it seemed as though every session call I got was to do a Jawaiian thing. I didn't really like it. I remember actually saying to myself during a session, "someone should write a song called ”˜Please Not Another Jawaiian Tune’”.

I should mention that I did the percussion tracks on Bruddah Waltah's CD, ”˜Hawaiian Reggae’, years before. It was a good project and it took off as far as sales and awards went. Brother Noland had his thing going on from way back in the eighties. These guys had their own thing going on, but there were a lot of guys piling on that did not have the talent or sound to pull it off.

Hawaiian Style Band released ”˜Vanishing Treasures’. They had some of that sound too, but the arrangements and musicianship are outstanding. I was fortunate to play percussion on that CD as well as John Cruz’ CD, ”˜Acoustic Soul’ with its reggae tinged Shine On. I'm not bashing the music, but lots of groups were doing the Jawaiian thing and I needed to explore other avenues.

Up to that point, the pursuit of music was at the very center of my existence-to the point where it was actually unhealthy. I needed to refocus attention on my family, and do some serious re-prioritizing.

I spoke to Israel and told him that I was seriously considering leaving the Island, but that I would be happy to fly out to any gigs he needed me for. He understood, and my last gig with Israel before moving to California was November 17th on Maui.

I did fly back to Hawaii to do more gigs with Israel, and in October of’ 96 we played at the Marin Civic Center in the Bay area of California. It was a huge sellout crowd, and Israel signed autographs for hours following the show. I flew back to Hawaii to record on the ”˜In Dis Life’ CD. It was only Gaylord and I in the studio. Israel was not well, and the session was booked late at night. I recorded a few tracks, and then came the title track. It was very moving. When Gaylord and I were listening to the playback we both knew that Israel was saying goodbye.
My last gig with Israel was at the Waikiki Shell in March of ’97.

Sadly Israel passed away in June of that same year.

IZ and I pt 12..... Recording

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 16:02:25 -0800

Recording has always been challenging. It’s a challenge to capture a meaningful performance on tape in the very unmusical environment of the recording studio. Most of the time a percussionist is overdubbing parts. There is no interaction going on between players. Generally, when you do percussion parts, or any part for that matter, you are listening for problems when you go back into the control room. Everyone has a particular take on what is working and what isn’t.
The choice of sounds and combinations of textures are limitless, and generally the producer has the final say about what is working and what is not.
During one session for Kapono, everything I played just fell into place. I was really pleased with my performance, and came back into the control room to listen to the playback. When I entered the room Henry (Kapono) and Jim Linkner were not at all happy with the take. Jim said, “Mike, let’s do another one. I think you need to relax a bit and maybe play less”. I said, “Can I listen to it?”
They played the track back and it sounded awful! The performance was good, but Jim had the volume on the percussion up very loud. I had actually played the parts with my fingers to create a percolating undercurrent, but the volume levels were so high in the mix that it sounded as if I was playing with baseball bats.
I said, “Oh, this is what I was hearing as I played this”, and I turned the percussion tracks down on the mixing console to the right level. Both Henry and Jim smiled, and Jim said, “That’s it!” They kept the track.
Recording in a studio is expensive, and so pressure to get good parts quickly is the norm. Israel’s recordings were no different. I think I spent 4 hours total on the Facing Future recording.
I ended up doing two more studio recordings with Israel; E Ala E, and, In Dis Life. Of those two I enjoyed the In Dis Life session the most. That would be the last time I would record with Israel and I knew it. I should say record in the studio. There is a live recording that was compiled using live performances from 1993-1997 titled IZ: The Man and His Music.

IZ and I... pt 11 (and Karen Keawehawaii)

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 08:11:21 -0800

Everyone who knew Israel knew this; at any time he might say something totally unexpected. He had a quick wit and was very funny, but could have an edge too. Two events stand out in my mind. One occasion took place while we were playing for the CEO of Aloha Airlines. Israel was doing his set and the CEO requested a tune. Israel told this CEO it would cost him a dollar. Folks chuckled. We played the tune, and then Israel wanted his dollar. The guy laughed, and there was a bit of tension in the air. Then Israel said, “I’m serious. Give me the dollar”. The CEO walked up to the stage and handed Israel the dollar. It was very tense. We went on to finish up the show and no one said anything about it. Another time - and this was in the book - we played a gig and Karen Keawehawaii was also appearing with us. Karen is a fine entertainer and folks loved what she was doing. The thing is, some weeks before our gig she was in the papers and local news because she was busted for shop lifting some lipstick at Longs Drugs. I’m sure it was on peoples’ minds, but no one would mention something like that, right? Wrong. Right after a tune Israel turns to Karen and says, “So, Auntie, been to Long’s lately?“ There was a gasp, and then nervous laughter from the crowd. First Karen was shocked and gasps. Then it was hands on hips, and she said, “I thought you were my friend!” Then, “OK, Bruddah, I’m from Kalihi, you like go tit for tat?” Israel said, “That’s Ok, Auntie”. Everyone was laughing, and we continued on with the show. We were all surprised that day. You never knew what Israel was going to say. Karen held her ground though!

IZ and I... pt 10: Ready, Set, Stop!

Sat, 20 Feb 2010 16:01:07 -0800

Let me share a funny experience with you. One night, we played a concert on Kauai. As usual, Israel was seated center stage with Mel and Analu at his right and left. Gaylord and I were on risers behind the front line.

The theatre lights were turned down. It was very dark and the MC announced Israel. The theatre curtains slowly rose as we played an opening segue. The music was building and building when the MC says, “Ladies and Gentlemen”¦..please welcome Israel Kamakawiwo’ole!” We could hear the audience cheering and clapping as the music continued to build, and then the curtain rises.

At that point we segue into a tune, the stage lights come on, and Israel begins to sing. That was what usually happened anyway. This time, however, there is no vocal. When the stage lights came up we realized why. All of the mic stands had been caught up in the curtain high above the stage. After a period of several seconds the audience realized what had happened. All of us were laughing.
The curtain was lowered and the mic stands replaced. We did the whole thing over again. It worked perfectly.

Later on after the show we were talking about the incident. I mentioned that I had never seen that happen before. I was surprised when one of the guys standing there said that he had seen that happen once before. I asked, “ Really? Where?” The man replied, “ Right here......about two weeks ago”.

I kid you not!

IZ and I ...pt. 9

Thu, 18 Feb 2010 18:08:03 -0800

The first year with Israel (1993) was very busy. He was highly sought after and we worked a lot.

He was working on his health, swimming in the pool at his apartment everyday and seemed to be enjoying the way this new phase of life was going. It must have been scary at times. A lot was riding on this whole enterprise, but I could see that his health was improving and Israel was confident in the direction he was heading in.
Up until January 1st of 1994 I had managed to hold onto Israel’s gig and my regular gig with the Pagan Babies. I knew that I would not be able to do so for much longer. The Pagan’s last CD, Carnival Knowledge, was not selling well. We had a very strong local following but not enough to sustain us. I could not continue doing both gigs due to scheduling conflicts; and so on January 1st 1994 I played my last gig with the Pagan Babies. To this day I still believe that the music is worth listening to.

Bailey Matsuda is a wonderful arranger, composer, and keyboard player. Chris Planas is a great song writer and solid guitarist and singer. Craig Okino could play the wildest syncopation on bass while singing lead on afrobeat tunes. Elyse Tajima sang lead and played keyboard. Bill Danos played drums. The band had a live vibe that had to be experienced.

In the end we all have to make choices and I chose to go with Israel. It was the right choice, but a difficult one none the less.
1994 was a busy year. I was working with several artists from Japan and Hawaii, mostly in the studio. I was involved in a very interesting project called CABASEKE lead by Bailey Matsuda. We ended up going to Japan and playing several great concerts there. All of this was done around Israel’s gigs. He was my priority as far as work went.

One particular joy was playing a concert at the Diamond Head Theatre. Moe Keale played with us. Moe is Israel’s uncle. He is also an important figure in Hawaiian music history. During that time a band called Hawaiian Style Band had a reggae inspired version of a Hawaiian tune called No Ke Ano Ahiahi. Moe sang the traditional version with Israel and the band. It was amazing! Someone must have a bootlegged recording of that show. It was one of the most satisfying musical experiences of my life.

IZ and I ....pt. 8

Mon, 15 Feb 2010 11:20:05 -0800

I have added a couple of clips from live performances of Israel and the band. One of those is 'Living In A Sovereign Land'. This song addresses an injustice done unfortunately with the support of The United States. The Nation of Hawaii was overthrown, it's lawful ruler placed under arrest and a territorial government put in place of the Hawaiian Monarchy.

I do not have time to go into the details here but I would recommend reading the book 'Hawaii's Story: By Hawaii's Queen' written by Liliuokalani. Liliuokalani was the lawful ruler who was jailed and who's rule was stripped away for the sole purpose of wealthy men gaining more land and power. This remains a dark moment in our history.

This is a very sore subject among many Native Hawaiian people to this day.
Israel would often times speak about the issue during performances. I would some times feel a little uncomfortable being the only haole in a band of Hawaiians when this came up. There was never any tension between Israel, Mel, Analu, Gaylord and I, but some folks would have preferred that this conversation take place without any haoles present. I can understand that.

Israel felt deeply about Hawaiian issues and spoke about them. It just so happens that I was a part of his band and if we are performing songs that deal with subjects that are less universal and more particular, there is going to be a haole guy playing drums.

Israel used to introduce me from stage as a "Hawaiian man trapped in a haole man's body". You have to understand the spirit in which that was given. The first time he said that was at the Waikiki Shell in front of a huge crowd. I got down off of my drum riser and walked up to him and planted a big kiss on his cheek. We all just laughed, crowd included.

Music clips for IZ and I.

Sat, 13 Feb 2010 13:13:56 -0800

I thought it would be a good idea to include relevant music clips for those who may be following along, and it appears that there are quite a few of you. I do thank you for that!

If you would like, click on my music page to find clips that will help fill out the story. I have included a couple of short clips from the Four Queens gig in Vegas (Check out Keyhole Hula). Also included is some of the music from the Pagan Babies... I was a member of that group when I first met Israel, and left when I could no longer keep up with both gigs.

Del Beazley wrote some of the tunes Israel recorded, so I have added some of his music which I played on. The title of his CD is Worlds Got to Choose. Enjoy!

IZ and I ...pt. 7

Fri, 12 Feb 2010 16:45:54 -0800

I remember the night we played at The Four Queens in Vegas. The house was packed for our performance. The band was really on that night and as it turned out, one or two tunes from that show were included on the CD ”˜In Dis Life’.

I was kind of curious to see what the sound guys would have to say about our performance. Those guys work all kinds of shows, but we were playing music that was unfamiliar to most people on the mainland. As I was packing up my gear after the show, the sound engineer came up and told me how much he enjoyed the show. He was stunned by the quality of Israel’s voice. He had been making phone calls to friends at the casino to come by and listen to the music. He was very appreciative and went on about a “real singer playing real music with a real band”. Israel believed in what he was doing, and he did it very well.