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Are you ready for the ride? It’s going to be like a rollercoaster.” Brother Noland wasn’t kidding when he said these prophetic words at the beginning of his Kahilu Theatre show Oct. 29. Little did we know it would include his guest sax player Michael Paulo taking a tumble into the front row during a wild solo. More on that in a moment.
Noland and Paulo have been friends for years, and Paulo has guested several times on Noland’s songs. Their Kahilu concert marked their third live performance. “When we perform together, the music is not really a fusion thing,” said Paulo, “It’s Hawaiian Soul!”
Paulo plays in the light jazz genre and has performed or recorded with singers Al Jarreau, James Ingram, and pianist David Benoit. At the same time, Noland is famous for his contemporary Hawaiian music.
The duo was joined by top-notch musicians Fred Shredders (guitar), Darryl Williams (bass), Garin Poliahu (drums), Michael Ruff (keyboards), and his daughter Oliva Ruff (vocals). Each took well-deserved solos throughout the show.
The Noland/Paulo performance, billed as “Together,” was divided into four separate sections. Noland opened with “Mauna Kea,” and he invited the theatre’s sound tech Paul Buckley to play the cajón on “Old Style.” The two have a regular monthly gig at Don the Beachcomber restaurant in the Royal Kona Resort.
The show’s second part featured Noland’s granddaughter Mehana performing hula on two songs, “E K’ulei” and “Tropical Baby.”
Before briefly exiting the stage, Noland invited Paulo out for three songs. In his early career in the 90s, the alto sax player was known for his high-energy shows and “aggressive funk groove,” said one promoter. At 66, that’s still evident.
During “One Passion,” Paulo found a spot mid-stage where he planned to step off and land on the armrests of an empty seat while playing a solo with his instrument strapped to his chest. The entire front row was blocked off for this exciting moment.
Two things prevented the stunt from happening gracefully – gravity and short legs. Paulo is not a tall man, and it’s about a five-foot stretch from the lip of the stage to an armrest. The house lights weren’t up to total capacity, and this maneuver wasn’t rehearsed during the two-hour sound check.
“Ouch!” I heard him say from only a few seats away. But, with remarkable resilience, Paulo was back on his feet, still playing, and running up and down the aisles while a spotlight tried to catch up with him.
“My God!” said Paulo, slightly out of breath as he returned to the stage. “I always had a nightmare of that happening one day, so, I just got that over with.”
The show resumed with Brother Noland back in control. The oddly paired medley of Donny Hathaway’s “The Ghetto” segued into an upbeat jazz shuffle for “Pua Lane.” The redeemer, however, was “Big Ship,” where Oliva Ruff did some lovely lead vocals.
Noland said he has recently finished a few shows where he decided not to play his humungous hit “Coconut Girl,” but he didn’t want to leave his hometown/community without playing it. “This might be the millionth time I’ve played the song, but it put all my kids through college,” Noland proudly announced.
The nearly two-hour show concluded with Noland performing a solo version of “Great Hawaiian Man.” He left the crowd with his thoughts on the importance of leaving a legacy and embracing the aloha spirit.
Brother Noland is working on special events next year to celebrate the 40th anniversary of “Coconut Girl.” Michael Paulo already has 18 dates booked for his 2023 tour.