FRIDAY-SUNDAY
>> Dave Koz gives jazz his own funky feel
Chart-topping jazz saxophonist Dave Koz stops by Blue Note Hawaii for a three-night gig.
Koz has garnered nine Grammy Award nominations, and nine of his albums have reached the Top 10 on Billboard’s Contemporary Jazz charts, with two of them, 2010’s “Hello Tomorrow” and 2015’s “Collaborations,” climbing to No. 1. “He has become the leading light in smooth jazz, its sharpest custodian and most reliable brand,” wrote The New York Times’ Nate Chinen in a 2012 review.
A native of Southern California, Koz has said he was inspired to play saxophone as a youngster after buying “Back to Oakland,” by Tower of Power, and hearing its sax player, Lenny Pickett (now leader of the “Saturday Night Live” band). Perhaps that accounts for the funky feel of many of his tunes.
DAVE KOZ
With opening act Javier Colon
>> Where: Blue Note Hawaii, Outrigger Waikiki Beach Resort, 2335 Kalakaua Ave.
>> When: 6:30 and 9 p.m. Friday through Sunday
>> Cost: $47-$75
>> Info: 777-4890, bluenotehawaii.com
>> Note: No kamaaina discounts for 6:30 p.m. shows; ticket prices start at $55
Koz has been a major promoter of jazz, starting the record label Rendezvous Entertainment, establishing a cruise where guests can mingle with the performers, and hosting several jazz-themed radio and television shows broadcast in the Los Angeles area. His playing has been featured on television programs including “General Hospital,” for which he wrote the theme song “Faces of the Heart.” His contributions were recognized when he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2009.
He’ll be featuring “acoustic soul” singer Javier Colon, far left, winner of Season 1 of “The Voice,” who has toured with Koz occasionally over the last few years.
FRIDAY
>> Clinton Fearon’s reggae numbers are smooth and heartfelt
The easy vibe of reggae seems perfect for the beaches of Jamaica — and Hawaii — but Clinton Fearon has made it work wherever he is.
CLINTON FEARON
With local openers Mike Love and the Full Circle
>> Where: Hawaiian Brian’s
>> When: 8 p.m. Friday
>> Cost: $15-$30
>> Info: eventbrite.com
The native of Jamaica has been living in the Pacific Northwest since 1987, gaining a following with his heartfelt lyrics and easy-listening sound – he often performs to the accompaniment of acoustic guitar. He was frontman for the Gladiators in Jamaica between 1969 and 1987, playing bass as well as singing hits like “Richman Poorman” and “Chatty Chatty Mouth” for the popular reggae group.
With his Boogie Brown band — Boogie Brown is a made-up character who has become a kind of alter ego for Fearon — he’s continued to produce innovative, popular tunes, starting with the 1995 debut album, “Disturb the Devil.” He followed that up with “Mystic Whisper,” highly praised by reggae critics, and 10 more albums. His most recent album was 2016’s “This Morning,” which includes the song “No Justice,” which refers to a police shooting of an innocent young man.
Reggae artists Mike Love and the Full Circle open the show.
SATURDAY
>> Museum event teaches care of old images
History buffs can head to the Pacific Aviation Museum on Saturday for Living History Day, including a lesson on how to bring history back to life through film.
LIVING HISTORY DAY
Presented by the Pacific Avaiation Museum
>> Where: 319 Lexington Blvd.
>> When: 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Saturday; “Finding Kukan” screens at 2:30 p.m.
>> Cost: Free
>> Info: 441-1000, pacificaviationmuseum.org
This year’s program includes a screening of “Finding Kukan,” filmmaker Robin Lung’s documentary about Li Ling-Ai, a Hawaii resident who produced a 1941 Oscar-winning film about World War II in China but was never recognized for it until now. Lung, a resident of Hawaii, will be on hand to discuss the film, which screens at 2:30 p.m.
Visitors can learn to preserve their historical photos, as well as how to colorize black-and-white photographs. Canon USA will be on hand to lend cameras and offer photography workshops.
The museum will realize history through costumed characters, such as WWII-era pilots and swing dancers. Take a lesson and join in on the dance.
The event is part of Smithsonian Magazine’s Museum Day Live! event. Entry to Iolani Palace will also be free that day. Visit Smithsonianmag.com for a ticket to ensure entry.
SATURDAY
>> Continue Kaimana’s legacy at a monk seal celebration
The birth of a monk seal and its six-week stay in Waikiki were causes for celebration this summer, when Kaimana enthralled crowds by frolicking in the waters and sunning herself on the beach with her mother, Rocky. Now you can continue the fun at “An Evening With Monk Seals” at the Waikiki Aquarium on Saturday.
“AN EVENING WITH MONK SEALS”
Featuring the debut of a special release beer by Lanikai Brewing Co.
>> Where: Waikiki Aquarium
>> When: 5:30-8:30 p.m. Saturday
>> Cost: $5-$10
>> Info: eventbrite.com
The aquarium is inviting visitors to bring a picnic dinner and wash it down with a new beer created by Oahu-based Lanikai Brewing Co. to celebrate Kaimana. The beer is the first in a line that Lanikai Brewing is creating to raise funding and awareness for Hawaii Marine Animal Response, a division of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration that is dedicated to protecting monk seals and other marine mammals.
Local singer-songwriter Kamuela Kahoano will provide live entertainment, and the aquarium will screen short films about monk seals. The aquarium’s monk seal exhibit will be open, and a panel of experts will be on hand to discuss current efforts to assist monk seals, an endangered species whose population has not yet stabilized.
Visitors can bring blankets or low stadium chairs (no lawn chairs) to take in the evening’s entertainment on the aquarium’s beachfront lawn.