Iz in Concert

by Adam Greenberg

A collection of live recordings from the great "Jawaiian" (Hawaiian reggae) artist Israel Kamakawiwo'ole, this album has tracks culled from various tours between 1993 and 1997, mostly songs on the slower side of the spectrum for Iz. The tone is mellow, emitting the friendly vibe that so characterized the great singer. The album starts out with some light, slow numbers to set the mood, and after a few songs kicks up to a full-fledged bit of Jawaiian reggae with "Margarita," complete with some keyboard hits to stand in for an organ. A couple of spoken bits from concerts follow, leading into "E Ala E" and a quite happy rendition of "Hene Hene Kou Aka." The tempo drops again for a number of love songs, before eventually returning to "Maui Hawaiian Sup'pa Man." The album finishes with a pair of light numbers, including "Hawai'i Aloha" as a closing farewell song. For a nice overview of Iz's versatility, this isn't a bad album, but for a better look at the typical forms of Jawaiian music, other albums such as E Ala E or N Dis Life might be better choices.