RECORD producer Noelani Keanoho Mahoe added four songs from an Isaacs solo album to create this new 16-song collection of classic recordings by two late slack-key masters, Gabby Pahinui and Atta Isaacs.
The disc opens with a definitive rendition of "A-Livin' On-A-Easy" and maintains that relaxed feeling throughout.
Anyone with a knowledge of slack key will want a copy; malihini will find a wealth of information about the artists and the selections, and an account of the origins of slack key, in the liner notes. (The annotation is read most easily with a magnifying glass but is well worth reading.)
JOHN Valentine enlisted nine fellow guitarists in compiling this 10-song instrumental anthology. The roster includes some of Hawaii's foremost session players. The selections reflect their personal interests rather than what they play to pay the bills.
A majority of the tunes here can be conveniently categorized as "jazzy pop" but steel guitar, mandolin, cuatro, ukulele and slack-key guitar add other ethnic textures. Many of the guests accompany themselves in multi-track performances using several favorite vintage instruments from their personal collections; Valentine and other musicians provide additional support as needed.
Nine tunes are original; Valentine's intriguing reworking of "Life's Been Good" is the exception. He uses ukulele, assorted percussion, a "cheap 12-string" and homemade steel guitar in exploring the Joe Walsh song. Sure, Valentine can do anything he wants because this is his project, but his interpretation would deserve a spot on any local compilation.
Todd Adamski, Stanley Mokihana Albrecht, Chris Bovard, Gordon Freitas, Jimmy Funai, Bobby Ingano, Danny Otholt and Joe Rios each earn their spots as well. The diversity is impressive without ever sounded forced.
Funai's "Day Dreams" should already be getting play on local "beautiful music" radio stations.
Serious fans and students of the guitar will be most interested in the listings of the instruments used on each track, but this is a solid collection if judged solely for "listenability."
ERNEST James Franklin Jr. is one of several Hawaii-based composers who have come forward recently with albums of original soft rock that aren't strictly Hawaiian in style, but which reflect a laidback island lifestyle.
"Molokai High" specifically celebrates the peaceful exhilaration of sailing interisland; "Maui on my Mind" and "I'll be Free at Last" also suggest the perspective of a seafarer.
Franklin and his trio wisely kept the instrumentation acoustic for the most part. Keyboards add melodic detail in a couple of songs, but the natural textures of guitars, bass and percussion generally suffice. Additional instrumentation would only dilute the essence of Franklin's compositions. It's easy to imagine the quartet playing these songs aboard a catamaran off a secluded beach.