Hawaiian Evolution Party

Rick Aiello · From: Berryville, VA USA

Since movin' to the Blue Ridge 3 yrs ago I have had trouble findin' anyone interested in playin' Hawaiian music. I have played dobro with some local bluegrass pickers but when I try to get them to play hawaiian stuff....

Last night I had 'em over for a lesson on hawaiian steel - NO, not from me - but from the GREATS. While the venison was cookin' and the beer was flowin' they were treated to the following playlist (in order):



1) Sol Hoopii (pre-electric 20's)


2) Andy Iona (early 30's electric)


3) Dick McIntire (late 30's electric)


4) Jerry Byrd

It was a fun night and I don't think I'll be gettin' too many of those Don Ho jokes thrown at me anymore. The look on the banjo player's face when Sol H. layed into Palolo ...priceless. Dick M.'s Tomi Tomi 'bout killed him.

Thanks to Bruce Clarke for those Andy I. and Dick M. CD's. They really rounded out my collection.

Brad Bechtel · From: San Francisco, CA

Frank Novicki of the Waikiki Steel Works has had a couple of parties where we all sit around and play old Hawaiian tunes. It's a ton of fun. He's got a great music room decorated Hawaiian style. Only trouble is he lives in the fog belt of San Francisco. It's hard to feel like you're in Waikiki when it's foggy out.
He and his musical partner Ben Bonham have a very good CD in this style. I'd recommend it for any fans of old time Hawaiian music.

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Brad's Page of Steel
A web site devoted to acoustic & electric lap steel guitars

Bob Stone · From: Gainesville, FL, USA

Rick--I take it you are enjoying the Andy Iona CDs from Bruce Clarke. Could you post a quick review? Do you prefer one CD over the other?

Mahalo,

Bob

PS--A few months back I recorded a Tongan family group that included banjo on some numbers--plectrum, not 5-string. Brownlees Wolfgramm, the banjoist, also plays Hawaiian steel at Disneyworld. They said banjo was really popular in Tonga before they had electricity because it's so loud. Look out, here come the banjo jokes! Hey, maybe we can slip those bluegrassers some kava and get the tempos slowed down to island speed.

[This message was edited by Bob Stone on 05 November 2001 at 02:43 PM.]

Rick Aiello · From: Berryville, VA USA

Hi Bob - Both the Andy I.'s are worth the $20.00 but I'll try and describe the differences.

Vol 1 (At Night, By the Ocean) contains tunes from 1934 - 38. Andy simply plays the $&!@ out of the steel on these. He does stuff on Tahu-wahu-wai that is amazing - 1st a harmonic chorus - followed by a bass run and then what I quess is a run where he picks BEHIND the bar to produce an eerie overtone passage. I saw Bob Brozman do it on his video but that was just one gliss - this is an entire passage. I'll tell ya - his vibrato is quick and for me to say that.... but it is very effective. Only a few songs on this one are "big band soundin' - the rest just gutsy, fast hawaiian.

The other one, South Sea Lullabies is alittle more "era music". Big band tunes, even three with Louis Armstrong singin'. Apparently Andy I. is playin' saxophone and the steel is Sam Koki on them and a couple others. This one is more "light hearted"

It took awhile for these to get here from Australia - all the postal problems - but well worth the wait!!!

If you made me just pick one - I'd go with Vol 1.

Frank Novicki · From: San Francisco, CA

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Actually, Brad, I have never let the crummy weather in my neighborhood stop me from trying to create an Island feeling. You just have to get into that spirit of aloha. It doesn't matter where you live. I learned how to play Hawaiian steel in a freezing cold rehearsal space underneath a freeway. The guy who built my Weissenborn-type steel says that he has sold a bunch of his guitars to people who live in the Arctic Circle! Hawaiian steel is bigger in Japan than it is in the Islands.

It's nice to have the tropical climate and all, but the music and the feeling is what it's all about. That's what inspires me!

Bob Stone · From: Gainesville, FL, USA

Thanks for the review, Rick. Sounds like I've gt to have Volume 1. And to think, Iona played all that great stuff with no thumb on his right hand (see the photo in Da Book)!

Thanks again,

Bob

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