A More Strum-ey Approach

Jeff Au Hoy · From: Honolulu, Hawai'i

Here is some interesting backup work done by Joe Custino (deceased 1992) on the F13 tuning (take the C13, drop the high E to a D, G to an F, E to Eb and so forth). Uncle Boyce Rodrigues says that Joe and Jules Ah See were probably of the same tree... that is, they both had a relatively slow vibrato and tended to strum/pick more chords. In another thread, Rick Aiello pointed out this shift toward a more chordal approach with the later Hawaiian players.

The tune is Kalamaula, sung by Nina Keali'iwahamana sometime in the 1960's. Benny Kalama plays 'ukulele, Jimmy Kaopuiki bass, and Sonny Kamahele guitar. Joe primarily used C13, B11, and E13 so this is somewhat of a unique recording.

[This message was edited by Jeff Au Hoy on 05 March 2005 at 04:31 AM.]

Jeff Strouse · From: Jacksonville, Florida, USA

Kalamaula has always been one of my all-time favorites, Jeff. I enter a dreamy trance every time I hear it! Thanks a bunch for posting it!

Todd Weger · From: Safety Harbor, FLAUSA

Thanks for posting that, Jeff. So, with this F13, the 6th is on top, huh? Weird... but sounds great with Joe C playing it.

My friend Dick Sanft plays in a very chordal style, too, which is where I picked it up. I'm going to find out if either/both Jules Ah See or Joe Custino influenced him in that.

Mahalo,
TJW

Travis Bernhardt · From: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Wow, that's beautiful. To me, that's exactly what it should sound like.

-Travis

Bill Leff · From: Santa Cruz, CA, USA

That's the most beautiful vocal I've heard in a long, long time. Wow.

Don Kona Woods · From: Hawaiian Kama'aina

Nina would make any song sound “out of this world”.
She is terrific in recordings but there is nothing like hearing her in person. The beauty and grace in which she communicates her song will electrify any room and charge it.
Then you will have had AN EXPERIENCE OF IMPACT.

In fact when Nina and Boyce Rodriquez, her brother, would sing duets, I would feel sorry for Boyce because with her gift she just outshines most anyone she sings with.

I also have thought that Joe Custino and Jules Ah See came to have very similar styles. They appeared to me to use some of the same Hawaiian vamps also.

I have had discussions with others concerning Joe Custino changing his playing style toward that of Jules Ah See.

In Joe Custino’s playing in the 1940’s he appeared to have a more simple style and then in later recordings he moved to strumming and picking more chords.

I thought that maybe Jules Ah See had influenced Joe Custino toward more strumming. I do not know this of course to be a fact.

You can hear Joe Custino background playing in Waltah Clark’s Beach Boy Party album recorded in 1963 and it is also reminiscent of Jules Ah See.

It is always so cool to talk about these great players.

Aloha to you,
Don

[This message was edited by Don Kona Woods on 05 March 2005 at 11:17 PM.]

Billy Wilson · From: El Cerrito, California, USA

Can you get a whole album of that somewhere? That style of Hawaiian music is perfect for my taste; very chordal lush steel playing with amazingly beautiful singing. More please!!

Derrick Mau · From: Honolulu, Hawaii, USA

Cord International has released this into CD. Check their website.

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