| Visit Our Catalog at SteelGuitarShopper.com |

Post new topic Lion Kobayashi
Reply to topic
Author Topic:  Lion Kobayashi
Rick Collins

 

From:
Claremont , CA USA
Post  Posted 27 Feb 2012 9:53 am    
Reply with quote

Does anyone know Lion Kobayashi __ very formidable Hawaiian player?
His playing is impressive. Does he reside in Hawaii or Japan?
Many thanks!

Edited by Brad Bechtel to correct the spelling of his last name.
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
Brad Bechtel


From:
San Francisco, CA
Post  Posted 27 Feb 2012 10:02 am    
Reply with quote

http://www.kt.rim.or.jp/~k_lion_k/ would seem to indicate he's in Japan, but I couldn't tell where. He's an excellent player.
_________________
Brad’s Page of Steel
A web site devoted to acoustic & electric lap steel guitars
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website
Rick Collins

 

From:
Claremont , CA USA
Post  Posted 27 Feb 2012 10:12 am    
Reply with quote

Yes, thanks for that correction, Brad.
Kobayashi has a good style. He's the kind of player I would like to see and hear in person.
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
Jeff Strouse


From:
Jacksonville, Florida, USA
Post  Posted 27 Feb 2012 1:58 pm    
Reply with quote

Yes, Lion is from Japan...he's one of my favorite players. He has a very jazzy style. In fact, he's also a jazz pianist...
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
Ron Simpson

 

From:
Illinois, USA
Post  Posted 27 Feb 2012 4:12 pm    
Reply with quote

The best bet to hear Lion in person is at the Hawaiian Steel Guitar Association Honolulu Convention held every other year.
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
Toma Masaoka

 

From:
Yokohama, Japan
Post  Posted 27 Feb 2012 10:11 pm     Lion Kobayashi
Reply with quote

Yes,Lion Kiyoshi Kobayashi is in Tokyo, Japan.
He still plays in the Live House, gives Lessons,
and every year visits Hawai.
This year April, he plans to visit Holland before Hawai to join and play steel guitar in the convention of European steel guitar association.
Amazing is his dedication to the music and especially to the steel guitar.He plays very much
jazy style .I used to take lessons several years ago with him which was so eye-opener to me.

Toma Masaoka,Yokohama,japan
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
Don Kona Woods


From:
Hawaiian Kama'aina
Post  Posted 27 Feb 2012 11:50 pm    
Reply with quote

Here are a few Hawaiian Steel Guitar numbers by LION KOBAYASHI.

Hilo March

Sunny Shores of Waikiki

Ku'u Pua I Paoakalani an old traditional Hawaiian song with some video of Waikiki.

Aloha, Smile
Don


Last edited by Don Kona Woods on 28 Feb 2012 10:19 pm; edited 1 time in total
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
Jimmy Douglas

 

From:
Raceview, Queensland, Australia
Post  Posted 28 Feb 2012 5:57 pm    
Reply with quote

Lion, Is a great all round musician, arranger, transcriber, player and teacher. Nice guy to boot!

JD
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
Bill Creller

 

From:
Saginaw, Michigan, USA (deceased)
Post  Posted 28 Feb 2012 6:12 pm    
Reply with quote

Kuu Pua I Paoakalani is a tune written by the last queen of Hawaii, Queen Liliuokalani, and she wrote it while imprisoned in the Palace. She wrote over 250 songs, and there's a song book available with 250 of her songs.
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
Jack Aldrich

 

From:
Washington, USA
Post  Posted 29 Feb 2012 3:20 pm    
Reply with quote

Lion will be at the Henry Kaleialoha Allen Steel Guitar Festival in Ka'anapali in April. This is a good festival if you're a player. Great jams and the opportunity to hang with the featured artists: Lion, Alan Akaka, Henry, Duke Ching, Greg Sardinha and others. I'll be there, too. - JACK
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
Ted Kuwabara

 

From:
California, USA
Post  Posted 2 Mar 2012 10:36 pm    
Reply with quote

Hi, my friends,
I am one of his students living in Los Angeles, still learning steel guitar from him since I was a toddler 6 years ago. I have attended the Steel Guitar Conventions in Hawaii twice in the past.

I believe he is the only one steel guitarist in Japan formally learned and mastered Jazz music theory. I heard once that he became a professional musician from ordinary salaried man. With some limited amount of severance benefit, he knocked the door of “Berkley College of Music” where he met Legendary Alto-saxophonist , “Mr. Sadao Watanabe” and learned Jazz music theory from him for two years without getting any fixed income for that period.

He burned the bridges behind him, shut off the emergency exit and placed himself on only one way road toward his musical goals.

Now, there are more than 150 Simbas and Nalas out from his private music school. His musical goals were almost accomplished. The only one left is who is going to take over his torch. Of course that’s not me, sure.
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
Ron Whitfield

 

From:
Kaaawa, Hawaii, USA
Post  Posted 2 Mar 2012 11:23 pm     For great tone and Hawaiian style...
Reply with quote

Toma Masaoka wrote:
Toma Masaoka,Yokohama,japan
This is the guy you really want to hear!
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website
Kay Das


From:
Los Angeles CA
Post  Posted 3 Mar 2012 1:00 am    
Reply with quote

Not often that one sees a steel guitar player accompanied by a full orchestra....give or take a few pedals.. Lion is a very highly accomplished musician, I have seen and heard him play many times.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTBABEVyp_k
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
HowardR


From:
N.Y.C.-Fire Island-Asheville
Post  Posted 3 Mar 2012 8:41 pm    
Reply with quote

Ted Kuwabara wrote:
I heard once that he became a professional musician from ordinary salaried man. With some limited amount of severance benefit,




I thought that he is of the Kobayashi family who own Lion Corporation, founded in 1918(a manufacturer & distributor of toothpaste, shampoo, toiletries and also a chemical engineering company).....a publically traded company on the Japanese stock exchange.....
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
Ted Kuwabara

 

From:
California, USA
Post  Posted 4 Mar 2012 8:22 am    
Reply with quote

I don’t mean to be offensive to #13’s comment.

But, yes he is a scion of Kobayashi family although he was not on a main stream. I heard that his grand grandfather was the founder of the company, but his father was the second son of the grandfather. Before the world war, most of the family estates went to their oldest sons in Japan simply because they take over and keep the family name.

Please let me close his private family issue now, and I will leave it to each sincere member’s judgment about the truth since I gave enough clues to lead the conclusion.
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
HowardR


From:
N.Y.C.-Fire Island-Asheville
Post  Posted 4 Mar 2012 4:39 pm    
Reply with quote

We have steels guitarists from all walks of life here on The Steel Guitar Forum and I find it fascinating.....we even have a steel guitar playing astronaut......

Anyhow, I have had the great opportunity to see Lion play at the HSGA in Joliet....both on stage and in the jam sessions......I admire his playing and I also admire the fact that he has taught so many students.....
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail

All times are GMT - 8 Hours
Jump to:  
Please review our Forum Rules and Policies
Our Online Catalog
Strings, CDs, instruction, and steel guitar accessories
www.SteelGuitarShopper.com

The Steel Guitar Forum
148 S. Cloverdale Blvd.
Cloverdale, CA 95425 USA

Click Here to Send a Donation

Email SteelGuitarForum@gmail.com for technical support.


BIAB Styles
Ray Price Shuffles for Band-in-a-Box
by Jim Baron