author: By Wayne Harada, Honolulu Advertiser Entertainment Writer
Wayne Takamine's "Hawaiian Nights & Summer Dreams" (Starsong Productions SSP 1027 CD) is as auspicious debut for the Island singer-composer who could be to the '90s what Audy Kimura was to the 80s. Takamine wrote the dozen tunes - music and lyrics and he's songscape reflects a sincere appreciation of touching moments in life, weather blessed by rain or cooled by wind or warmed by the sun. His vocal style, like Kimura's, is soft and sensuous. His influences range from Kenny Loggins to James Taylor, David Gates and Michael Frank, so there's a core of gentleness to his romantic approach:
* The title song (Hawaiian Nights and Summer Dreams) is rich with lyrics that speak of the joys of an Island experience.
* Similarly, "This Moment Tonight" speaks of a precious instance in life when love matters most. Rachel Gonzales is featured on a duet.
* "Cruzin' " is a picturesque adventure: a stroll to the country, a hang-loose mood of spontaneity with a slight jawaiian flavor.
* "Through Eyes of a Child" is laced with hopes and dreams and projects a sunny disposition and a positive outlook.
* "Words That Hurt" offers a bit of pain via a bittersweet lyric.
* For variety, Takamine gets down to the Latin genre with a kachi kachi caper, "One and My Everything." With Rolando Sanchez providing the right measure of percussion.
* And there's a jazz journey on "Without Words," with Tim Tsukiyama on tenor sax.
Nice, indeed! Takamine has been playing local clubs from Ship's Tavern to Acqua, from Stuart Anderson's to Monterey Bay Canners. His style is conducive to apres-dinner gatherings.
Lovingly recorded, with an all-star support crew including Mike Muldoon, David Inamine, Lester Gantan, Blaise Sison, Donavan Egloria, Roland Davis, Joe Getsi and Tiffany Catalflano, "Hawaiian Nights & Summer Dreams" should be the disc that puts him on the map.
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