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Larry Miller
Akahai
USA
65 Posts |
 Posted - 04/15/2007 : 05:10:43 AM
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This past winter saw a return of Slack Key guitar to the Boston area with another concert at the Somerville theater. In years past. we've been priviledged to see a number of fine Hawaiian performers braving the New England winter to bring us this great music.
Here's a press release:
"HAWAIIAN MUSIC HEATS UP EAST COAST: Palm Records, who dominates (sic) Hawai`i’s instrumental acoustic guitar recordings with releases from artists like KOHALA, Sonny Lim, Jeff Peterson and more, has just wrapped up their 1st annual Palm Records’ Acoustic Guitar Showcase Tour. The tour, which made stops at The Cedar Cultural Center in Minneapolis, The Barns at Wolf Trap in Virginia, and the Somerville Theatre in Somerville, MA, was a great success, with full houses at every venue and lines after the show to meet the artists. Award-winning artists like Charles Michael Brotman with KOHALA, Sonny Lim, Jeff Peterson and Keoki Kahumoku warmed up the crowds, and represented a diversity of acoustic guitar styles that ranged from traditional to contemporary, and showed that slack key guitar, with its roots in Hawaiian tradition, is an evolving art form."
This all well and good; the 3 performers who opened the show all did a fine job of playing and singing. The problem came after the intermission, when Brotman came out with the group KOHALA. The music he and his two fellow musicians played was just fine, if you like jazzy, latin-flavored bland lounge music. But, IT WASN"T SLACK KEY.
I was just one of many people who got up and left after the 4th tune, which was mostly indistinguishable from the first 3 in the set. This wasn't what I paid for, and I must say that I was among those who were deeply disappointed. The whole event seemed to be little more than a promotional gimmick for Brotman's Palm records, and a chance for him to do a vanity gig. Nice that Slack Key vol. 2 got an Emmy, and it's a good cd, but not a good enough reason to subject slack-key fans to pop poop.
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Whee ha!
Larry M |
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Mika ele
Ha`aha`a
USA
1493 Posts |
Posted - 04/15/2007 : 09:56:28 AM
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| Although the Album covers look the same (same with Sonny Lim's ne CD), there is a difference between the Kohala CDs and the Slack Key CDs by Palm Records. I have both of the latter but after a listen chose not to purchase any of the former. I must be a slack key snob. |
E nana, e ho'olohe. E pa'a ka waha, e hana ka lima. |
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RJS
Ha`aha`a
1635 Posts |
Posted - 04/15/2007 : 10:52:19 AM
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| I think Kohala fills a definite need, and what they choose to do, they do well. I own their CD's because I purchase most Hawaiian CD's. I ocasionally listen to them - not often, but a couple of times a year. Often when I'm working on something that takes a lot of attention and could result in my getting pretty tense. Kohala's music helps me stay relaxed and able to focus on my work. There is, indeed, a place for this kind of music. In the classical world, it is exactly what Eric Satie said he was trying to accomplish with his music. |
Edited by - RJS on 04/15/2007 3:22:07 PM |
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RWD
`Olu`olu
USA
850 Posts |
Posted - 04/15/2007 : 2:57:29 PM
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Sorry for being off subject a bit.
But Satie was mentoned...
Yeah Raymond, I really love his music too.
I knew and played gymonopedi #1 in my mid 30's (1985).
My all time favorite--a song that I still get totally lost in--is Bachs "Sheep May Safely Graze" (arr Foster) as played by Parkening.
This may be the most beautiful song I have ever heard on guitar. I am surprised Keola didn't give it a go in his last album. Strangely enough, it is arranged in "C Wahine" tuning and is ready to go for slack key.
Once again, sorry for the diversion.
Bob |
Bob |
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Retro
Ahonui
USA
2368 Posts |
Posted - 04/15/2007 : 5:47:55 PM
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Palm puts out a lot of non-slack key material, Kohala & Ensemble Pacific being just a couple of examples. The guys in KOHALA are all excellent players, and the recordings are top quality. I don't believe they try to pass the group off as "slack key," however, which is why they called it an "Acoustic Guitar Showcase."
Was the quote you posted from a press release by Palm, or from someone's review? |
Edited by - Retro on 04/15/2007 5:48:21 PM |
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