Ray Kane’s ‘Wa‘ahila’
is a must-haveWa'ahila: Ray Kane (Dancing Cat)
RAY Kane's second album in Dancing Cat's Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar Masters series beautifully displays his stature as a vocalist as well as a master guitarist. Kane also welcomes his wife, Elodia, as his vocal partner on "Aloha Ka Manini." The album is a perfect introduction to the man, his music, and the traditions of Hawaiian slack key.
A 16-page booklet adds fascinating biographical information, an overview of each song and information on the techniques and tunings of slack key. "Wa'ahila" belongs in all collections of modern Hawaiian music.
In the Hawaiian Style: Agnes Kimura (Island Viking)
JAPANESE recording artist Agnes Kimura made a shrewd decision in enlisting Keith Haugen as her producer and mentor when she recorded this album of Hawaiian music.
Haugen produced "In the Hawaiian Style," released it on his record label, wrote Hawaiian lyrics for Kimura's two original songs, assembled an all-star squad of local musicians and vocalists to support her in the studio, and now serves as her publicist.
Kimura and her studio musicians do a beautiful job with her favorite Hawaiian standards. Four solo instrumentals add variety, but the two songs she co-wrote with Haugen are most interesting of all. Kimura has a pleasant voice and proves worthy of Haugen's efforts.
A single Japanese song recorded with synthetic bass and flute is an anomaly that breaks with the acoustic "Hawaiian style" format.
East West: Kerry Moy (Noteworthy)
COMPOSER/guitarist Kerry Moy teamed up with Michael Paulo and three members of Hiroshima to complete this polished potpourri of original light jazz, rock and "New Age" music.
Koto player June Kuramoto contributes to the nominal cross-cultural theme on a song titled "The Nikkei."
Vocalist Kimaya Seward adds hints of human warmth elsewhere, but Moy's guitars, Paulo's reeds and synthesizers, and a bassist (producer Paulo used several), are the core of most of Paulo's arrangements. Paulo fans won't be disappointed.
See Record Reviews for some of John Berger's past reviews.
See Aloha Worldwide for locals living away.
John Berger, who has covered the local
entertainment scene since 1972, writes reviews of recordings
produced by Hawaii artists. See the Star-Bulletin's Home Zone
section on Fridays for the latest reviews.
