The evening was billed as “Tropical Jazz: An exceptional evening of piano and vocals.” And it was. At the Maikai Lounge at the Courtyard Kaua‘i at Coconut Beach in Kapa‘a, Shelia Marie and Ben Herr performed jazz standards featuring very
The evening was billed as “Tropical Jazz: An exceptional evening of piano and vocals.”
And it was.
At the Maikai Lounge at the Courtyard Kaua‘i at Coconut Beach in Kapa‘a, Shelia Marie and Ben Herr performed jazz standards featuring very strong vocals and funky keyboard treatment.
All the fun and familiar tunes, such as “You Don’t Know Me,” “At Last” and a truly inspired jazzy rendition of “Beautiful Kaua‘i,” were played to an appreciative audience.
Marie has performed in Beach Blanket Babylon in San Francisco, as a vocalist of the Oakland Big Band, on recordings as “Sistah SHE” and for hundreds of major corporations in Hawai‘i.
Herr has played with Malo and many other notable musicians, such as Kool and the Gang and the B52s, as well as being an arranger and pianist for R&B Motown producer Harvey Fuqua at Fantasy Records.
This couple started out performing music together and now after years of having independent careers, they have decided to get back to their roots performing together and having fun on stage.
Marie’s grandfather came to Kaua‘i in the very early 1900s from Puerto Rico and made her promise as a child to come back.
After a stint in the bright lights on the Mainland, she and Herr have been back enjoying performing for upscale private, corporate functions and hotel gigs all over the Hawaiian Islands.
Herr produces the always wonderful St. Michael’s Jazz Festival.
Their next project is to make available on iTunes a collection of jazz standards produced with their signature Latin flavor.
These songs will be available as single downloads.
Their current music is available on iTunes, Amazon and Rhapsody or through Benwwww.Herr.com.
