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Julie H
Ha`aha`a
USA
1206 Posts |
 Posted - 07/23/2008 : 9:30:05 PM
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Aloha,
My father, who was a Symphony musician as well as many other things, used to tell me that you KNEW when music was really good by the hair on the back of your neck. If it all stood up and gave you chicken skin neck, it was fantastic!!!
There was one night at Aloha Music Camp that was so special that it is difficult to describe. After the evening formal activities had come to an end, I was wandering around the hotel and came upon the bar (fancy that!) It was closed.
But there in the dark, in a very unobtrusive way, was a small group of musicians playing gently and softly in the late night. I pulled up a chair, and it became obvious why none of the other campers already sitting there had their instruments out to join the jam. It was a very magical combination, one of those rare occurrences when everyone seemed to know and feel what everyone else was playing. The players: Kevin Brown, Sonny Lim, Uncle Matt (last name?), the bass player from a local band who had played the bar earlier in the night, Ikaika from Kalapana, Robyn joined in, Mark joined in, Owana Salazar as well, and several others whose names slip my mind.
If you can picture your two hands seamlessly folding together with each finger in place, that's a lot like how this group of musicians blended together. I felt like I was in old Hawai'i, coming upon a backyard lu'au, and sitting down like a privileged visitor, drinking in not only the music but the aloha between all the people there. The wind was sighing in the coco palms, the ocean was swishing to shore. We just sat there and listened for what seemed like too short a time, but I know it was very late when the group finally broke up.
Yes, the hair on the back of my neck did stand up. I would say that was worth the price of admission!
Sigh...
Julie
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Mark
Ha`aha`a
USA
1628 Posts |
Posted - 07/25/2008 : 07:03:00 AM
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You are right, Julie. That was one of those musical moments that makes me happy to be alive.
There were some heavy hitters in that circle: Geri Valdriz, Kevin Brown, Brada Matt Manewa, Sonny Lim, the bass player whose name I never got, Ikaika Marzo from Kalapana... and later Owana, Chris Yeaton and Robyn joined in. I think Danny Ane was hanging in there, too.
When Ikaika and Sonny lit into "Punahou Special" everybody but the bass player put down their instruments and listened. Holy ^%$ @ #!!! Two absolute masters, trading licks, burning up the fretboards and laughing all the time.
As it turns out, I was carrying around a recorder for one of my reviews, and I got some audio clips of that jam. When the review goes live next week I'll post a link so you can all hear it.
There's a photo of Ikaika wearing a big hat and a bigger smile on the Aloha Camp webpage. He is part of the Led Ka`apana-Fred Punahou lineage, and it shows. He's also in a great little reggae band, the K-Pana Boyz.
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Edited by - Mark on 07/26/2008 07:55:56 AM |
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rendesvous1840
Ha`aha`a
USA
1055 Posts |
Posted - 07/25/2008 : 12:57:08 PM
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Wow.
Paul |
"A master banjo player isn't the person who can pick the most notes.It's the person who can touch the most hearts." Patrick Costello |
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Mark
Ha`aha`a
USA
1628 Posts |
Posted - 08/11/2008 : 1:27:56 PM
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Just a note: If you want to hear an audio clip of Ikaika & Sonny playing "Punahou Special" at the jam session on the last night of camp, go the my review of the M-Audio and Edirol recorders here:
http://digitalmedia.oreilly.com/2007/08/04/r-09-hr-microtrack-2-review.html
Navigate to the second page, and click on the audio file named "Slack Key Jam" next to the photo of Ikaika. Pure chicken skin, you betcha.
There are also clips of Robyn Kneubuhl & KonaBob, & Kevin Brown.
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marzullo
`Olu`olu
USA
923 Posts |
Posted - 08/11/2008 : 1:58:01 PM
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hey, when did you record that lesson of Kaulana Na Pua? i don't remember you doing that! the remote feature is nice...
thanks for including these clips - they're all great.
aloha,
keith
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Camp "Chicken Skin" moments...
