Honolulu Jazz Quartet: Tenacity

Hawaii may be off the beaten path, but this disc demonstrates that Honolulu’s jazz musicians can hang with those of any city. Bassist/leader John Kolivas anchors a set of upbeat bop, hip contemporary jazz and emotive ballads with a fat, sturdy tone and occasional slipperiness in his solos, also contributing the set’s best tunes. Tim Tsukiyama brings a streetwise toughness to both tenor and soprano sax, but some overassertive filtering in the recording studio screens his playing and dampens the disc’s immediacy.

Originally Published June 1, 2007