”;Slack-Key Guitar”;

Agnes Kimura
(JP-International)

Japanese recording artist Agnes Kimura has been playing slack key for so long that she's as “;local”; as a nonresident can be and as worthy of the title as many expatriates. “;Slack-Key Guitar”; was released in Japan last month, but resourceful Hawaii residents can probably find ways to buy it online.

Although most all the annotation is in Japanese, Kimura's instrumental arrangements of 11 Hawaiian and hapa-haole standards transcend the language barrier. Her imaginative take on “;Blue Hawaii”; shows her insights as an arranger. “;My Etude”; adds an original to the collection.

  ”;Blue Hawaii”;
”;Ku'u Ipo Oneona”;
”;Puamana”;

”;Hawaiian Slack Key Kings: Master Series Vol. II”;

Various artists
(Rhythm & Roots)

Slack-key compilations have won the Grammy every year there has been a “;Best Hawaiian Music Album”; category, and so producer Milton Lau's second such project seems a likely finalist next spring. Like its predecessor, it includes guitarists who aren't often thought of as slack-key artists and others who have not yet reached the status of being “;kings”; of the genre.

The “;kings”; here are Ledward Kaapana and “;Uncle Bobby”; Moderow of Maunalua and Makana. Other notables include David “;Kawika”; Kahiapo, Nathan Aweau and Kamuela Kimokeo of Pilioha. Some of the others are not as well known, but each earns their place in Lau's representative cross-section of the slack-key scene as he sees it.

And give Lau credit for spelling Kaapana's name correctly this time - without the modern 'okina!

The album lacks basic information about the artists, the slack-key tunings they use and the history of songs, but the liner notes include Lau's e-mail address and an invitation to contact him directly for that information.

.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

”;Maunaloa”;
”;Kaneohe”;
”;Moe's Lullaby”;

”;Let's Luau: Hawaii Luau Music”;

Various artists
(Hula)

People outside Hawaii sometimes throw theme parties re-creating the good times they enjoyed as visitors.

They go to the store for canned pineapple and ham, get their brightly colored “;aloha wear”; and plastic leis out of the storage closet, play their souvenir Hawaiian records or CDs, and then do their best to remember the “;hula hula”; dance they saw at the tourist show they attended.

With visitor numbers still dropping, Hula Records President “;Flip”; McDiarmid III went deep into the archives to assemble this assortment of local favorites and tourist luau staples for their convenience.

Connoisseurs will appreciate Genoa Keawe's rendition of “;I Ali'i No 'Oe,”; the Kahauanu Lake Trio's version of “;One Paddle, Two Paddle,”; and the old-style harmonies of 'Elua Kane and Hema Pa'a. Newbies probably won't notice that McDiarmid used Nathan Aweau's remake of “;Just Hang Loose”; rather than the original hit by Ron Tish.

Give him credit, however, for including a little information about the songs and the artists - and some recipe suggestions, as well.

www.hularecords.com

”;You're At A Lu'au Now”;
”;I Ali'i No 'Oe”;
”;One Paddle, Two Paddle”;