REVIEW: Jack Johnson & Friends - Best Of Kokua Festival

When Jack Johnson assembles an all-star lineup for his Kokua Festival he often includes his friends, many of which appear on this album. He also makes sure to include a lot of other incredibly talented musicians that all share the same vision of music as a unifier and a provider. The Kokua Festival, which Johnson created, exists to support a charitable organization that helps the youth and educational efforts in his home state of Hawaii. In fact, the sale of this album also does just that. The album features a familiar cast of characters that Jack has performed with in the past, such as Ben Harper, G. Love, & Zach Gill. However, the highlights of the album are the performances with Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds and a surprise appearance at the festival by Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley. Each and ever inclusion in this mix must have taken a very long time to pick as there are so many great performances that have come from previous Kokua Festivals. Songs on the album are Johnson originals, familiar cover songs, and some of his guests' music, all of which feature Jack lending his talents. Live music is supposed to be fun, even if it's slow and mellow, and Jack Johnson and friends deliver one of the most fun live compilation ever released.