Hula Blues: Vintage Steel Guitar Instrumentals from the '30 and '40s
Editorial Reviews
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Blame it all on the Hawaii Pavilion of San Francisco's 1915 Panama Pacific Exposition. Once Americans heard the sentimental and lush sounds of Hawaiian steel guitar playing, they simply couldn't get enough. Instrument makers catered to Hawaiian playing styles, island musicians found homes in mainland clubs and Hollywood, and hundreds of now-legendary 78s were produced by instrumental virtuosos. Hula Blues collects the best of the bunch. Sol Hoopii is the undisputed master of Hawaiian guitar and he deservedly gets five tracks here (including the unforgettably weird "Train Song" and the dizzying "Twelfth Street Rag"); Jim and Bob, the Genial Hawaiians give us a lilting take on "Home on the Range"; and three tracks by vaudevillian Roy Smeck--an expert on virtually any instrument with strings--round out the set. A handful of lesser-heard masters (Pat Patterson and His Champion Rep Riders and Lemuel Turner) are included, along with detailed notes about guitar tunings on each track. The only deserving musician missing is King Bennie Nawahi, who has thankfully received his own compilation. Despite some occasionally significant surface noise, this is great music and a solid introduction to the early Hawaiian masters. --Jason Verlinde
Hula Blues: Vintage Steel Guitar Instrumentals from the '30 and '40s, Music, Various Artists, Blues, Hawaii, Hawaiian, Pacifica, Pop, Slack-Key Guitar, World Music
Hula Blues: Vintage Steel Guitar Instrumentals from the '30 and '40s
Music:
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