Last Updated March 16th, 2008 and tagged in WAITIKI General Info, bios, shows, waitiki special guests

The WAITIKI Septet is a special project making its international debut at the 2008 WASSERMUSIK FESTIVAL in Berlin, Germany. Modeled on the great live groups of Martin Denny, Arthur Lyman, Gene Rains, and their contemporaries, the WAITIKI Septet strives to connect classic exotica with modern Latin jazz.

Led by group co-founder Randy Wong, the WAITIKI Septet performs original arrangements of tiki tunes that made the genre famous. Unique to the Septet however (and unlike bands of the 50s), improvisation plays a significant part in the group’s collaborative musicianship, and its all-star lineup of musicians make the show an unbelievable presentation of talent, lyricism, ideas, and excitement.

Group members are: Tim Mayer, Abe Lagrimas Jr., Zaccai Curtis, Helen Liu, Lopaka Colon, Mike Connors, and Randy Wong.

Tim Mayer (winds)

Known to WAITIKI fans as “The Mayor of Exotica,” Tim Mayer performs regularly as a sideman to Eguie Castrillo, Horacio “El Negro” Hernandez, Giovanni Hidalgo, and Danilo Perez, and has successfully led the Afro-Cuban jazz group Los 5LMN2 (with Aruan Ortiz, Francisco Mela, and others) since 2005. Since 2001, Mr. Mayer has been on the faculty at Berklee College of Music (Boston, MA). Recent engagements have included performances at the Heineken Jazz Festival, North Sea Jazz Festival, and tours to Mexico, Key West, and Cape Verde. Mr. Mayer has been a member of WAITIKI since 2005.
More info about Tim Mayer >

Abe Lagrimas Jr. (vibraphone)

WAITIKI co-founder and vibraphonist Abe Lagrimas Jr. is known internationally as a sophisticated multi-instrumentalist whose credits span recordings on SonyBMG (Asia), Universal, and Pass Out Records labels. A professional jazz drummer since age 10, Mr. Lagrimas has performed with Eric Marienthal, Larry Coryell, and a number of other musicians in the Los Angeles area. Born in Guam and raised in Hawai’i, Mr. Lagrimas has been Grand Prize Winner of a competition by Modern Drummer magazine, and is an artist-endorser for Paiste cymbals, Vic Firth sticks, and Ko’olau ukuleles. His start in exotica came at age 16, when he became drummer (and later vibraphonist) for the Hawaii-based group Don Tiki. Mr. Lagrimas co-founded WAITIKI with Randy Wong in 2003.
More info about Abe Lagrimas Jr. >

Zaccai Curtis (piano)

Zaccai Curtis is a recognized composer and pianist in jazz and Latin jazz circles. Originally from Hartford, Connecticut, Mr. Curtis is in high demand as a sideman, having performed with jazz greats Ralph Peterson, Bill Saxton, Christian Scott, Brian Lynch, Sean Jones, Jimmy Greene, Jerry Gonzalez and the Fort Apache Band, Papo Vasquez, Kendrick Oliver and the New Life Orchestra, and the Donald Harrison Quintet. Mr. Curtis leads his own Latin jazz groups, the septet Insight and quartet Rhythmic Prophecies (with brother Luques on bass, Richie Barshay on drums, and Reinaldo de Jesus on congas). He has also won several ASCAP awards for his original Latin jazz compositions. Mr. Curtis is a graduate of New England Conservatory where he studied with Danilo Perez, Jerry Bergonzi, Steve Lacy, Charlie Banacos and Michael Cain.
More info about Zaccai Curtis >

Helen Liu (violin)

Dr. Helen Liu received her doctoral degree in violin performance from SUNY Stonybrook in 2007. An honors graduate of New England Conservatory and the University of Maryland, Dr. Liu is a respected chamber musician and solo violinist, having collaborated with Philip Setzer, the Emerson String Quartet, James Buswell, Carol Ou, Angel Lam, Carol Rodland, and others. A champion of contemporary music, she was featured soloist with the Miami, FL-based Project Copernicus chamber orchestra, and can be heard on both of WAITIKI’s self-released albums. Dr. Liu was been praised for her “sure technique and brilliant sound” by the Palm Beach Post and has been performing with WAITIKI since 2004.
More info about Helen Liu >

Lopaka Colon (Latin percussion & birdcalls)

Hawaii-born percussionist Lopaka Colon defines the sound of exotica percussion. Performing worldwide since his days as one-third of the trio Pure Heart (with Jon Yamasato and Jake Shimabukuro), Mr. Colon carries on the legacy and tradition of exotica (and its bird calls!) once performed by his father Augie Colon in the original Martin Denny band. A key member of the exotica show group DON TIKI, Mr. Colon also performs frequently with Henry Kapono, the Swampa ZZ Collective, Deshannon Higa, and leads his own exotica group Intoxica. Lopaka Colon makes his debut with WAITIKI in 2008 with several shows, including the WASSERMUSIK Festival of Berlin (Germany) and a performance for the 500th Broadcast of Kansas Public Radio’s Retro Cocktail Hour.

Mike Connors (drums)

Drummer Mike Connors tours worldwide with several Broadway shows, including Bye Bye Birdie and Anything Goes. Known in the tiki/exotica scene as drummer and vibraphonist for Combustible Edison, Connors joined WAITIKI in 2006. When not on tour, Mr. Connors can be heard leading his own band, Funk House. As a jazz drummer he has been sideman to vibraphonist Gary Burton and guitarist Mike Stern, among others.
More info about Mike Connors >

Randy Wong (double bass)

Randy Wong is bassist, composer, co-founder, and director of WAITIKI. A classical double bassist and educational researcher by training, Mr. Wong studied at New England Conservatory and Harvard University. His arrangements of hapa-haole and exotica tunes (once made famous by Arthur Lyman, Alfred Apaka, and Martin Denny) appear on both WAITIKI albums and “Paradise Lost & Found,” a compilation released in late 2007 by Flea Market Music. Mr. Wong’s dedication to restoring exotica as a familiar/mainstream musical genre, coupled with his vision of ensuring high-quality musicianship in exotica performances are cornerstones of the WAITIKI philosophy.
More info about Randy Wong >