Legends of Hawaii Slack Key Guitar – Live from Maui
Daniel Ho Productions
www.danielho.com

From the first track of the latest compilation album, Legends of Hawaii Slack Key Guitar, recorded live at the Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua, a Ledward Kaapana instrumental titled `Ophihi Moemoe, the proper tone is set and the listener knows they are in for a real treat of some of the finest slack key guitar music from Hawaii’s top musicians. The three-minute song is a prime example of slack key picking.

As the CD cover notes, “More than any other music, Hawaiian slack key guitar takes you to a tranquil evening where a warm and gentle breeze blows, and calm waves lap soothingly on a quiet island shore.” Listeners can definitely picture this scene while enjoyingthis album.

The majority of the tracks include Hawaiian language vocals and all of the tracks are soothing and show masterful technique.

Recorded live, this is the second album produced by Daniel Ho from the weekly concert series held at the grand resort on Maui. The recording is perfectly clear and every guitar note is easily heard making for a hypnotizing effect on the instrumental tracks.

Musicians will find the linear notes fascinating and appreciate the fact that the chords and tuning are provided for each track, along with info of the song’s history and performer profiles. This is a nice touch for an album that truly celebrates the art of slack key guitar.

Musicians included on this album include George Kahumoku, Jr., Cyril Pahinui, Dennis Kamakahi, Martin Pahinui, Keoki Kahumoku, Daniel Ho, Ozzie Kotani, and the aforementioned Led Kaapana. Special appearances include Richard Ho`opi`I, Booby Ingano, and Da `Ukulele Boyz.

For anyone who enjoys slack key guitar this CD should become a standard for your collection. It is filled with prime cuts and some of the best Hawaii has to offer.