The artist behind Facing Future, the top-selling Hawaiian album of all time, the late Israel "IZ" Kamakawiwo'ole was possessed of a voice so sweet, so tender, and so lovely that it continues to deeply stir those who hear it long after he died. Lovingly assembled and notated by producer Jon de Mello, Alone in IZ World is comprised of both alternate versions of Kamakawio'ole's best-loved songs as well as tracks never before heard by the public. The latter category includes versions of "Hanohano No Na Cowboy," the playfully incomplete opening on "Mona Lisa," and "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star," on which IZ takes a rare turn at harmonizing with himself. In light of his premature passing, devastatingly beautiful alternate cuts of "Starting All Over Again" and "In This Life" are especially poignant. And "Over the Rainbow"--IZ's renditions were heard in Meet Joe Black and Finding Forrester--may never again sound so pure. --Paige La Grone

new songs * enhanced arrangements * unplugged performances * on a cd-rom featuring photo gallery, bio, national and local press coverage, IZ sightings, screen saver and catalog

This man has an abosolutly amazing voice, one that allows you to sit down, relax and drift into a world of thought.

This is a wonderful album. Since I moved to Hawaii, its the only singer and album that I listen to. He has the voice of an angel. Too bad he didn't live long enough to hear the praises of all the people that love his music.

As someone with a professional background in the neurosciences, particularly the neuroscience of emotion, I have struggled, without success, to explain to myself how such a simple remake of a simple Hollywood tune, which in its original form didn't have half the power of Iz's haunting version, could have such universal appeal and power. The hundreds of comments on this website are obvious testimony to this. Many people, myself included, consider it one of the most moving pieces of music they have ever heard. When pressed for details, people often describe a bittersweet sadness and joy, but even more than that, a reverence for the fragile state - life - that we are in, that our brief moment in the sun, full of so much promise, and also so much pain, lasts for such a short time, and then, it is gone. How Iz recast this Hollywood tune, (which originally was perhaps just a bit too saccharine to be emotionally powerful), in a minor chord to accomplish all that this tender song conveys is still a mystery to me. Iz clearly must have had some real genius, and he saw something in that tune, thru the lens of his talent, and he changed it, and us, for the better. What a gift to give to the rest of us in his far too short life. . . .Thank you Iz, where ever you are!

I love the music on this tape. We used Over the rainbow at my mom's funeral, and it was lovely.

I had not heard of this artist until he was gone. His voice is just incredible and his music is wonderfully evocative of the Hawaiian soul.