“Love Will Find a Way”

Mike Love

(Love Not War)

The timing of Mike Love’s new album couldn’t be better. Love does not come across as confrontational, but a song titled “You Can’t Take It With You” is a forceful comment on the commercialism and greed that is particularly prominent in America during the holiday season.

Bob Dylan will appreciate the royalties he’ll receive for Love’s use of “The Times They Are A-Changin’” as the intro to “Step Lightly,” a cry against the continued exploitation of the planet and its resources. Everything else is original.

Most of the songs are testaments of Love’s Rastafari faith. Others address secular concerns. Love’s liner notes provide the song lyrics and the long list of guests who joined in this beautifully crafted project.

Visit mikelovemusic.com.

“Buddy Nowhere”

Rich Crandall

(Music Formats)

Pianist Rich Crandall has been a significant player on the Honolulu music scene since the mid-1970s, when he and vocalist Anna Lea headlined Bagwell’s 2424 in the Hyatt Regency Waikiki. Lea and Bagwell’s are long gone but Crandall has continued to contribute as a musician and as a promoter of jazz in Honolulu. He has not recorded often over the years, making this solo project especially noteworthy.

The songs come from the 1930s. Fans of what is now called “the Great American Songbook” may compare Crandall’s original instrumental arrangements with older versions. The melodies may be new to others. If so, Crandall introduces them in engaging style. His artistry deserves attentive listening.

A single original tune slips in smoothly among the standards.

Crandall is dedicating “Buddy Nowhere” to his father, the late Robert “Bob” Crandall, who is shown playing piano in the album art. It is a project to make any father of a working musician proud.

Visit music-formats.com.