I just came backfrom eight days on Kauai, Maui and Lanai. I have honestly fallen in love with the islands, the people, their culture and, of course their music. As a beginner at this, I know this will seem like the beginner's take it is. It will either be "of course, but there is so much more" or "I thought Hawaiian music was all steel guitars and ukuleles." Or perhaps "you have it all wrong."
I'll let you research the history of these no longer obscure styles of music. I will say that it all sounds damn good to me! I purchased three CDs to start me off and they are all quite different. I don't even know if these are representative, but I know they are good.
Keali'i Reichel - Collection Two- KAMALEI must be closer to the pop music end of these styles and the vocals are the star. He has an intoxicating voice, perfectly suited to tell these stories. Vocals in slack key songs are mostly in Hawaiian. Hawaiian has to be one of the most beautiful spoken languages in the world. This CD has more production than I like to hear, but it doesn't hurt anything. While it would be at home on a Las Vegas stage, the music comes through.
Classic Hawaiian Hulas Vol 2 by George Kahumoku, Jr and Daniel Ho. George is a very famous practitioner of slack key guitar and vocals. His voice is straightforward and honest. His playing is earthshaking in its deep, ringing tones and its lyrical, melodic nature. Slack key uses a guitar tuned down to (usually) yield an open chord and is played with thumb bass lines and fingered melody - but it sounds nothing like American steel string open tunings. The effect is much more lilting in overall feel, like Gaelic vs. English. While slack key can be played on any guitar, acoustic or electric, he plays a guitar that is at least dreadnaught sized. Mr. Ho rounds out the sound with spare ukulele, a good idea as you will hear. The whole sounds deceptively simple but must be murder to master.
Speaking of Master, Maui On My Mind by Jeff Peterson is vocal-free picking by a man who reminds me of a more lyrical, lilting version of early Windham Hill guitar artists. Also like Robbie Basho. To go outside the label, think John Fahey or even Leo Kottke. (Not surprisingly, George Winston, who also plays guitar, tirelessly champions slack key with his Dancing Cat label. His history page is very good http://www.dancingcat.com/skbook1-history.php/ and at the bottom is an excellent section listing the great acoustic guitar styles of the World and the most noted practitioners.) At any rate, Jeff Peterson has complete command of the instrument. With the tunings of slack key both hands own the fingerboard if that is what you want to do. Check this out, please - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ykwTx...eature=related For fun: the second piece, "Kukui Nut Run," is a show stopper. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwACjESOeGA&NR=1
Speaking of two hands on the fingerboard, at the art fair in the park with the huge banyon tree in Lahaina, I heard a local master of the Chapman stick holding forth at his sale table. I tell you, spend some time walking around the islands and meeting people at your own risk. You won't want to leave. At an upscale place called the Hula Grill at Whaler's Village in Ka'anapali I heard a group of no reputation called Oversized Production. They were very good and had a dancer help tell the stories on some of the numbers. The pool of talent is very deep on the islands.
I may get tired of Keali'i Reichel, but I am going to dig more deeply. Next stop is an instruction book I bought at Borders on Maui by Keola Beamer, who a local told me is no slouch at this.
Clark
Reply With Quote
Originally Posted by Ducatista47
...thx
