WAIPOULI — With a name like “JUZONE,” you may think that Kauai’s very own band is only for Jewish fans.
But as they prepare for their once-a-year performance that will feature classic Jewish music and original songs alike, they want to remind the public that Jewish music is to be enjoyed by everyone. The band’s name isn’t politically correct, but that doesn’t keep the group of five from having fun with the name and breaking some cultural norms.
“We’ll be doing some classic Jewish songs that people would know,” said Ken Solin, the group’s frontman. “And then we’ll also be doing some original songs.”
Classic Jewish music is defined as the music and melodies as sung by Jewish people either religously in the synagogue, or secular music known as ‘Klezmer’ (tradition of the Ashkenazi Jews of Eastern Europe).
The band will be performing both today at Hale Chabad, located at 4531 Pouli Road, near the Foodland at Waipouli Town Center. The event is open to the public.
The night of classic Jewish songs and a few original songs will be performed, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. The cost of the event is $10 at the door, and there will be Hamantashen and drinks available.
The band has performed together once a year for the past five years, and all five members are in seperate main bands, but love to perform together at events like this one.
“It’s not a group that gets together often. We get together once a year” Solin said. “Everybody is pretty good. We’ve had some nice moments, musical moments. Those guys are pros.”
The other members of the band include Steve Dubey on trumpet, Ron Margolis on drums, Miles Greenberg on harmonic and Toby Brown on bass. Greenberg and Dubey are also doctors. It’s another dimension to the special-project band that Solin thinks allows the band to have a special healing quality.
“It will be a cool band, from trumpets and saxophones, harmonica, drums and bass and acoustic guitar,” Solin said, describing Margolis’ skills on the drums as “just awesome,” Dubey’s jazz trumpet stylings as “perfect,” and Brown’s bass stylings as punk in nature, expounded with talent considering all the different bands he works with as a bassist.
Solin himself is also in the band Island Grass, where he is also the frontman, bringing his guitar and vocal skills to his main band. Solin and Brown have played together in seperate bands as well, giving them some familiarity and muscial comfort with each other.
“I just bring the songs and those guys color it in nicely,” Solin said of the other band members’ ability to jam together in JUZONE. “They’re just pros.”
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Ryan Collins, county reporter, can be reached at 245-0424 or rcollins@thegardenisland.com.
