Jeff Peterson, Favorite Entertainer of the Year Nominee

Favorite Entertainer of the Year Jeff Peterson

Congratulations are in order! Hawaiian slack key guitarist Jeff Peterson has been nominated for the 2010 Na Hoku Hanohano "Favorite Entertainer of the Year." by the Hawai'i Academy of Recording Arts. Please click here to vote for Jeff and please tell your friends and family to vote too!

Don't miss Jeff Peterson's return to the Lord of the Strings acoustic guitar series this Friday in Dana Point and Saturday in Mission Viejo! Lord Of The Strings is a guitar series that has been bringing the finest musicians in the world to Southern California since 2003. The Orange County Register called President & Founder Tim Johnson the "Guitar Hero" and it's his guitar series after which I've modeled my own Wood & Wire Acoustic Guitar Showcase in El Segundo (June 6 artist: Jim "Kimo" West). Click here for tickets and directions to Lord Of The Strings.

Seattle Slack Key Festival

Had a blast up in Seattle at the 1st Annual Seattle Slack Key Festival organized by Cyril and Chelle Pahinui November 21-22. It was definitely nice to not have to worry about anything personally and just sit back and enjoy the sweet sounds of Hawaiian music as played by the masters of slack key!

They followed the format of the Southern California Slack Key Festival and held a dinner reception the night before the show and featured the artists jammin' together - Leabert Lindsey, Donald Kaulia and Kunia Galdeira jammed together in one of many different configurations that night. Makana and Jeff Peterson played together with Cyril on bass and that was a blast too! They had a great time and decided to work out something together for the show the next day which turned out to be a huge highlight of the Festival!
You can see photos of the event here - hope more people can make it out next time, please be sure to let your friends and family know what they missed! Photographer was a nice guy and the pictures turned out great! That's me in pic #200 and that's Aya dancing for Dennis Kamakahi at the dinner reception - the only one that got up to dance an impromptu hula to Uncle D's "Pua Hone".

Many of the artists that were there in Seattle will be returning for the 3rd Annual Southern California Slack Key Festival: Cyril and his band which will probably be Sonny Lim, Kunia, Peter Moon Jr and Greg Sardinha, Jeff Peterson, Makana. And this year will also feature Ledward Kaapana and John Cruz. More news and info to come!

Hawaiian music e-newsletters now archived and accessible

Just figured out how to set up an archive for past e-newsletters for those who read this blog but might not be sure if you'd like to sign up on the email list. Please click on this link to view past e-newsletters and if you have any ideas, suggestions or comments on what you'd like to see, be sure to let me know!

Newsletters contain info on upcoming events covering not only the Hawaiian community but the Redondo Beach and South Bay areas as well. Subscribe to read about new events, stores, restaurants, enter to win cool prizes, try some delicious island recipes...from time to time you can also enjoy interviews with some of Hawaii's top performing and recording artists who appear in various Kala Koa Entertainment events such as Cyril Pahinui, Jeff Peterson, Makana, Jim "Kimo" West, Owana Salazar, Dennis Kamakahi, Bobby Moderow, John Keawe and many more!

Pictured L to R: Jeff Peterson, Torie Brown (our #1 fan!), Steven Espaniola

Review of the 2009 Aloha Falsetto Festival by Andrea Ruse, Easy Reader

Lovers of Hawaii celebrated the Aloha Spirit last Saturday at the 2nd Annual Aloha Falsetto Festival, held at the Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center and featuring a headlining performance by falsetto legend Uncle Richard Ho’opi’i. An enthusiastic and heartfelt audience embraced the smooth, island sounds of Ho’opi’i and other top falsetto musicians Pomaika’i Keawe Lyman, Weldon Kekauoha, Kekaimoku Yoshikawa, and Leokane Pryor, straight from the Hawaiian Islands.

In both matinee and evening performances, the musicians shared their culture and love for Hawaii through falsetto, a style of singing where the voice is extended higher than its normal range. “This is the only festival of its kind, outside of Hawaii,” said Mitchell Chang, Producer/Musical & Creative Director of the festival. “These are all really big names from Hawaii and all world-class musicians.” Crooning out classics, like “Hawaiian Cowboy,” Ho’opi’i’, whose appearance at the festival was his first in Southern California, “put the audience at ease with his gracefulness and story-telling,” said guitarist Jeff Peterson. “He’s a phenomenal performer,” said Peterson of his experience playing with the living legend. “He’s so commanding when he performs, that it just becomes easy for everyone to follow.”

Another major highlight of the show was the first-ever solo performance by Pomaika’i Keawe Lyman, grandaughter of the late Aunty Genoa, also a legend of Hawaiian music and falsetto singing. Lyman performed many of her grandmother’s songs, including her signature number, “Alika,” during which Aunty Genoa was well-known for holding a single note seemingly forever “til you’d think she’d turn blue and pass out,” according to Peterson. In a comedic tribute, Lyman also held the famous note and just as it seemed about to end, her father and host of the show, Eric Keawe, appeared on stage and continued singing the note, while Lyman began chatting with the audience. “It was an honor to have Pomaika’i there,” said Chang. “It was great to see her carrying on traditions that have been passed down through generations.”

In a rather historic moment, Ho’opi’i and Pomaika’i performed together for the first time, singing songs like “Good night, Baby Good Night,” with Ho’opi’i on ukulele. Even Chang performed a few songs, accompanying veteran female falsetto singer, Aunty Geri, on the ukulele. Most musical performances were accompanied by traditional Hawaiian Hula dancing (not to be confused with the more commercialized Polynesian Hula), performed by the top three Hula dance troupes in California, according to Chang, one of which was from Kekaiulu Hula Studio in Torrance. At times, the flowing arm motions and languid hip movements of the Hula performers looked like ocean waves that flowed in exact accordance with the smooth falsetto sounds from behind. “Hula dancing is a way of transmitting history,” said Chang. “Each hand movement means something, like a lei or rain. It’s not just a pretty dance. It is a means of cultural conveyance.” “All of the artists got a “Hana Hou,” said Chang, “which literally translates to ‘Do it again’ in English.” After a particular moving piece performed by Yoshikawa’s, a single, inspired audience member was heard calling out “I love you.” Chang was pleased that the “energy and excitement between the performers and the audience was top-notch.” In addition to musical performances, the festival also featured an outdoor fair with Hawaiian food, vendors, arts, and crafts. “I wanted to do this because I want people to see that there is a real tradition and culture here that’s been going on for centuries,” said Chang. “And that the best Hawaiian music anywhere can be found right here in the South Bay.”

Do you have a review of the show you'd like to share? Post it here!

2009 Aloha Falsetto Festival part 2

Probably the thing I like to do most in my shows is getting people to work together that don't normally get the opportunity to do so even when in Hawaii. This is not done in a random let's-throw-something-together-and-see-if-it-sticks kind of method. No, it is definitely thought out. Like when I gathered together Barry Flanagan, Jeff Peterson and Jim "Kimo" West to play as a trio for the 2009 SoCal Slack Key Festival, it was definitely a first for them and while they were unsure of how it would work out, I was confident that as top notch musicians, they'd pull it off and they did and it was a big hit! When I spoke to John Cruz last night he echoed those sentiments as we talked about how he gets to play with Hapa and Ledward on the current tour and how that would probably never happen in Hawaii due to schedule conflicts.

It was no problem putting together the "house band" for the 2009 Aloha Falsetto Festival (Jeff Peterson, Bryan Tolentino, Alika-Boy Kalauli IV) to back up Pomaika'i and Uncle Richard. Jeff hadn't played with Bryan or Alika prior to this but all three had a familiarity with Pomai's and Uncle's music already or had already played for them on separate occasions. But for backing Leokane Pryor, I had an idea that he and CJ would sound really good when matched with Aunty Geri and Carole's harmonies and that suspicion proved correct when we gathered for the 1st rehearsal with the four of them at Delzano's last Thursday. I appreciated Leokane's trust in me that I knew what I was doing and I'm glad he was happy with the result as was the audience! Here's an amusing interview with him prior to coming to California and meeting his backing musicians.

Speaking of unique musician ensembles, you will definitely see this at the upcoming 3rd Annual Southern California Slack Key Festival! Tickets on sale now at www.socalslackkeyfest.com

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Congratulations to all Hoku award winners!

Congratulations to all the winners at last night's 32nd Na Hoku Hanohano awards - special shout out to my good friend slack key guitarist Jeff Peterson who won for Instrumental album ("Haleakala," with Riley Lee) and who is also a regular band member for Amy Hanaiali'i who took home the award for Contemporary album ("Aumakua") which many people felt should have won the GRAMMY for best Hawaiian recording earlier this year.

Was really pulling for my good friend Jim "Kimo" West to win the Hoku for his slack key Christmas CD but congratulations to Na Kama for their win - they're a wonderful sounding group who has been up to SoCal to perform a couple of times.

Group: Holunape, "Ahea? Ano!" (Roy Sakuma)
Female vocalist: Natalie Ai Kamauu, "I"
Male vocalist: Kaumakaiwa Kanakaole, "Kaumakaiwa" (Mountain Apple)
Most promising artist: Kuipaoa, "Pili O Ke Ao" (Kupaoa)
Song of the year: "Island Days," Pali T.W. Kaaihue from " … With Aloha" (PK)
Album of the year: " … With Aloha," Pali (PK); D.J. Pratt, Pali Kaaihue, producers
Compilation album: "Hawaiian Slack Key Kings Master Series Vol. II," various artists (Rhythm and Roots); Chris Lau, Milton Lau, producers
Religious album: "All For One," Del Beazley (Mountain Apple)
Anthology: "Unforgettable," Israel Kamakawiwoole and the Makaha Sons of Niihau (Poki); Tim Mathre, Kata Maduli, Lea Uyehara, producers
R&B/Hip Hop album: "Reborn," A Touch of Gold (Golden Boy)
Island music album: " … With Aloha," Pali (PK)
Hawaiian album: Holunape, "Ahea? Ano!" (Roy Sakuma)
Christmas album: "E Ola Ke Alii: The Na Kama Christmas Collection, Volume 1," Na Kama (Makani)
Jazz album: "Tropic Rhapsody, " Teresa Bright (Teresa Bright)
Rock album: "Many Classics, Kalapana Plays Their Best," Kalapana (OTB)
Hawaiian language performance: Kaumakaiwa Kanakaole for "Kaumakiwa"
Haku Mele: "Joseph Brian Badis and Kellen Paik for "Uluwehikalunaokaala" from "Pili O Ke Ao" by Kupaoa
Music video DVD: "Kamehameha Schools 2008 Song Contest," Kamehameha Schools (Mountain Apple)

Lifetime achievement: Cecilio and Kapono, The Sons of Hawaii, Keola and Kapono Beamer, the late John Piilani Watkins and the late George Jarrett Helm

Big Island Events: Kohala in Concert at Kilauea Volcano

Watch a video of Kohala playing C&K's "Highway In The Sun"

I really like this group - Kohala is a trio of acoustic guitars performing mostly Hawaiian pop hits done in a very tasteful and masterful way with no cheesiness which abounds in this genre of music. Charles Brotman was the producer of the CD "Slack Key Guitar volume 2" which won the first GRAMMY award for Hawaiian music. This CD featured a variety of artists like Jeff Peterson, John Keawe, Sonny Lim (all of whom have appeared in the Southern California Slack Key Festival) among other noteworthy island musicians.

"The beloved Big Island acoustic guitar trio Kohala is slated to play a rare concert at the KMC Theater in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. The Kilauea Volcano performance takes place on Saturday, June 13 at 7:30 p.m. and is sponsored by the Volcano Art Center.

“Kohala’s music--an acoustic blend of contemporary Hawaiian, folk, and jazz--reflects the beauty of the landscape and culture found in the Kohala region on the Big Island, where two of the acoustic guitar trio live,” notes VAC education coordinator Julie Mitchell, who is organizing the concert.

Kohala’s lead guitarist, GRAMMY® Award winning Charles Michael Brotman, is a classical guitarist who began playing contemporary jazz after completing graduate studies in music. Rupert Tripp Jr. and Charlie Recaido grew up in Hawai‘i playing island music on steel string guitars using a finger picking style. The combination of the trio’s diverse musical influences creates their own distinct sound."

The above info was taken from this blog - please visit them for more info.

Jeff Peterson, Slack Key Guitarist and So Much More

It was a weekend of wonderful and inspiring performances by Jeff Peterson here in SoCal. What an incredibly diverse repertoire - he played everything from original slack key guitar - "ki ho'alu" in Hawaiian - arrangements of standard Hawaiian tunes like "Koke'e", "Hawaii Aloha" and "Kaimana Hila", slack key renditions of jazz songs like "Don't Get Around Much Anymore", "Begin the Beguine" and "Blue Hawaii", original compositions like his "Kukui Nut Run", "Kahealani" and "Let's Ride" and even pop tunes like "Every Breath You Take" by the Police.

Don't hesitate to checkout out one of the most diverse guitarists you'll ever hear - Jeff can do it all! Jazz, classical, pop and, of course, slack key guitar. Everyone's anxiously waiting for his next CD to come out which should include beautiful new tunes he wrote, which he previewed for everyone over the weekend - watch this video of his new tune "Lilinoe" - some Facebook comments from fans: "Just watching you play the instrument is something to behold", "Beautiful! Jeff is truly gifted! Mahalo for sharing this!"

Be sure to catch Jeff Peterson as he performs in the house band for the upcoming Aloha Falsetto Festival this July in Redondo Beach and, of course, in the 2010 Southern California Slack Key Festival.

Let us know what you think of his music!

This weekend in Malibu and Redondo Beach

I am so looking forward to Jeff Peterson's "Slack Key Jazz" performances this weekend! Not only will everyone really enjoy his music but there are some "value adds" with this event - delicious food on the waterfront (at both places) at sunset!

After the Darlene Ahuna concert the other day in Torrance, I stopped by Delzano's By The Sea at the Redondo Beach Boardwalk next to the pier. I talked with Chef Rafael Solorzano about the menu and it sounds absolutely delicious! Included in the $40 admission price will be a rotating buffet mix of fresh fruits, cheeses and veggies, teriyaki salmon, baked macadamia nut crusted mahi mahi, ahi tuna spring rolls, chicken satay, tamarind chipotle filet mignon skewers, roasted pork tenderloin with pineapple bbq sauce and more!

And that's not all - at the Saturday night event at Duke's Malibu in the Moana Room, the same cheap price of 40 bucks gets you Babyback Pork Ribs in Sweet Mango BBQ Sauce, Hawaiian Style Poke, Korean Style Marinated BBQ Sirloin Beef Satay, Thai Chicken Pizza, Moana Sushi Rolls, Primo Beer specials & More!!



Is that a great deal or what! Beautiful live Hawaiian music, a mouth watering buffet, gorgeous waterfront views of the sunset...I hope to see all of you folks there - it'll be a really fun time, I promise.

www.kalakoaconcerts.com to reserve your seat (space is limited)

What is "Slack Key Jazz"? pt 2

Who are some of your jazz influences?

Jeff: I am influenced by many jazz guitarists including Joe Pass, Wes Montgomery, Tuck Andress, Pat Metheny, and Larry Koonse. There are many other artists I enjoy including John Coltrane, Keith Jarrett, Miles Davis, Bill Evans, Roy Haynes, Ray Brown, and Ella Fitzgerald. Jazz music has left an incredible legacy of innovative artists. The music continuously evolves and covers a tremendous range of sound and style from Blues to Dixieland to Swing to Bebop to fusion. I am particularly found of jazz from the 50s and early 60s.

Why does slack key guitar and jazz sound so good together?

Jeff: Swing and jazz music had an impact on Hawaiian music during the big band era in the 20s, 30s and 40s. Hawaiian musicians took the swing feel and harmony and adapted it to their own music. You can hear it in many hula classics and hapa haole songs like Puamana, Sophisticated Hula, Alika, Hula Blues, and Little Grass Shack. The swing feel is there and the chords progressions follow
patterns and cycles that were common in jazz at the time. Slack key guitarists play these songs and use the same chord progressions. What makes slack key guitar playing unique is not just the tunings but the feel and phrasing of the music. Although it is not exactly like swing music, it uses similar scales, syncopation, and chromatic notes.
A very important link is also improvising. Playing in the moment is the heart of jazz and is very common is slack key. You play how you feel. It keeps the music fresh and exciting.

Don't forget to join us for three wonderful evenings in Dana Point, Malibu and Redondo Beach with one of Hawaii’s most gifted and respected musicians! From Hawaiian slack key guitar to classical to jazz, Jeff Peterson’s versatility makes him an artist highly sought after by Hawaii’s top recording and touring artists!

Jeff Peterson has performed at a variety of venues from Symphony Space in New York City to the National Folk Festival in Canberra, Australia. He appeared on Slack Key Guitar, Volume 2 which won the first ever Grammy Award for best Hawaiian recording in 2005. Jeff was a featured artist in the 2008 and 2009 annual Southern California Slack Key Festival in January 2008 which included Cyril Pahinui, Dennis Kamakahi, George Kahumoku Jr, Ozzie Kotani, Owana Salazar, Makana, Kimo West and Steven Espaniola.

What is "Slack Key Jazz"?

Jeff Peterson answers some questions about the relationship between Hawaiian and jazz music and what is behind his unique blending of the two.

Has anyone combined ki ho'alu (slack key) guitar and jazz tunes together before?
Jeff: Leonard Kwan played in many different slack key tunings on archtop jazz guitars and was definitely influenced by swing music. Gabby Pahinui and Atta Isaacs both loved jazz and played songs in a jazz style like "I'm-A-Livin'-On-A-Easy". Many early slack key guitarist who recorded had a strong ragtime and swing feel like Tommy Solomon and William Namahoe.

How did you come to develop this style?
Jeff: I took this concept a little further by arranging songs by Duke Ellington, Dave Brubeck, Cole Porter, Glen Miller, Miles Davis, and other jazz greats in slack key tunings with phrasing from both Hawaiian music
and jazz.

to be continued.......for audio samples of Slack Key Jazz, click HERE

Hawaiian Jazz Nights with Jeff Peterson

Tickets available now for three wonderful evenings with one of Hawaii’s most gifted and respected musicians! From Hawaiian slack key guitar to classical to jazz, Jeff Peterson’s versatility makes him an artist highly sought after by Hawaii’s top recording and touring artists!

Coming up next week Friday through Sunday (May 15-17), Jeff Peterson will be performing his unique brand of "slack key jazz" as the featured artist in Kala Koa's Hawaiian Jazz Nights Series! Friday May 15 he will be performing at Lord of the Strings in Dana Point, Duke's Malibu in the Moana Room on Saturday night and on Sunday evening at Delzano's By The Sea in Redondo Beach.

The Lord of the Strings concert series features the best guitarists from around the world and focuses on acoustic styles. Past performers include Muriel Anderson, Andrew York, Laurence Juber and Ledward Kaapana.

The performance at Duke's will include an awesome appetizer reception with ono (delicious) food like Babyback Pork Ribs in Sweet Mango BBQ Sauce, Hawaiian Style Poke, Korean Style Marinated BBQ Sirloin Beef Satay, Thai Chicken Pizza, Moana Sushi Rolls, Primo Beer specials & More!

At Delzano's you get to enjoy great music and the price of admission here also includes award-winning cuisine prepared by Chef Rafael Solorzano with a gorgeous sunset oceanview from the Redondo Beach Boardwalk.

Jeff Peterson has performed at a variety of venues from Symphony Space in New York City to the National Folk Festival in Canberra, Australia. He appeared on Slack Key Guitar, Volume 2 which won the first ever Grammy Award for best Hawaiian recording in 2005. Jeff was a featured artist in the 2008 and 2009 annual Southern California Slack Key Festival in January 2008 which included Cyril Pahinui, Dennis Kamakahi, George Kahumoku Jr, Ozzie Kotani, Owana Salazar, Makana, Kimo West and Steven Espaniola.

The son of a Paniolo (Hawaiian cowboy), Jeff grew up on Haleakala Ranch on Maui. His fluency in a variety of guitar styles, including jazz and classical, has distinguished him as a prominent young artist with his own personal approach to slack key.

Peterson has performed with Eric Clapton, James Galway, Michael Feinstein, the Honolulu Symphony, Ledward Kaapana, Dennis Kamakahi, Hawaii Opera Theatre, jazz bassist Rufus Reid, shakuhachi master Riley Lee, and soprano Dana Hanchard. He has appeared in Europe, Asia, Australia and the US at countless venues, including the Symphony Space in New York City, and has also performed privately for Bill and Hilary Clinton.

Jeff Peterson has studied with David Russell, Carlos Barbosa Lima, Benjamin Verdery, Ozzie Kotani, Larry Koonse, and Joe Diorio, and has performed in master classes for Scott Tennant, Antigoni Goni, Ricardo Cobo, and Dusan Bogdonovic. Jeff currently lives in Honolulu with his wife, Kahealani.

Jeff Peterson Reflects on 2008 Aloha Falsetto Festival

With the 2nd Annual Aloha Falsetto Festival coming up in Redondo Beach this July, I wanted to share some of my experiences from the first concert.

I had a wonderful time performing in the "house band" with featured artists including Steven Espaniola, Gary Haleamau and Raiatea Helm. Each artist had their own unique style and dynamic on stage and the music felt very fresh and exciting because each group was essentially playing together for the first time. We were already familiar with the songs and had rehearsed on our own, but putting it all together backstage then sharing the music with such a receptive audience was amazing. I had already toured with Steven and Raiatea but it was my first show with Gary. What an incredible musician - a fantastic singer and a great guitarist whose talent really inspired the band to open up at let loose - what a rush!

I also enjoyed many of the spontaneous moments like the groove we broke into with Steven Espaniola on his original song "Hokulani" that got everyone dancing in their seats and Raiatea's idea to do "At Last" extra slow and bluesy. The energy of the crowd can really influence a performance and the reception we got pushed us to play our best.

I have to say that after being a part of both the Southern California Slack Key and Aloha Falsetto Festivals, the audiences have always been outstanding, the Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center is the perfect venue for these festivals with its phenomenal sound in the theater. The performers get the chance to meet the audience at each show in the huge lobby during intermissions and it seems the Hawaiian community in the area really supports each other and the artists who come up from Hawaii to perform. We also have had wonderful receptions before each festival at Duke's in Malibu or at the theater where the musicians can kani ka pila and talk story with the guests. That has been one of the highlights for me: just being together with so many of my friends and peers up there has been great.

I look forward to many more festivals at the Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center - it's like a home away from home for musicians here in Hawaii.

Mahalo nui loa to all those who have supported the concerts and have given their kokua.

A hui ho,

Jeff Peterson

To view a photo slideshow of the 2008 Aloha Falsetto Festival, please click here.

2009 Festival Video Highlights

I have been so lucky to continually have the opportunities to meet the most wonderful people in the world. After last year's Aloha Falsetto Festival, Jeff Peterson stayed a few extra days in town so he told me about a new friend he'd met just a couple months prior and how, if we have time, we should go hang out with Steffanie Borges. He explained to me that she was really cool and is the daughter of jazz crooner Jimmy Borges who's been entertaining in Hawaii for like, forever. Jeff met her when he was invited to perform at the Romance Festival that I think Matt Catingub is heavily involved in and said she also works as a videographer with her husband Randy.

So we decided to combine a trip to Spazzio's, a great jazz restaurant in the valley, with dinner with Steff and Randy. As we ate and enjoyed great music by John Pisano, we all hit it off and they have since turned into the most wonderful friends anyone could have. Back in the day, Steff and Randy used to play in rock bands and it's through them that I met the guys in Tesla (almost got to see WAR) and attended a fundraiser that featured artists such as Kevin Cronin, the lead singer from Three Dog Night, drummer Greg Bissonette and even had guitar lessons with Carlos Cavazo as a silent auction prize. I "won" Doug Marks' Metal Method, something I've read about in heavy metal guitar magazines like Circus since I was a kid - funny huh?

Randy and Steff shot the Festival from 2 handheld cameras while their friend Louis operated the jib which is that big boom arm with the camera attached at the end which allows for those wide sweeping shots and extreme closeups without having to actually be on stage right in the performers' faces. Check it out and tell me what you think!

Click here to watch video highlights of the 2009 Southern California Slack Key Festival

2009 Slack Key Festival Highlights Part 2

One of the best parts of the Southern California Slack Key Festival is the reception held the night before the show that I have come to call the Concert Preview Reception. Duke's Restaurant in Malibu has been the perfect setting for this event and Josh and Brittany in catering have been wonderful supporters as well. Yes, it can be a bit of a drive depending on where you're coming from but every attendee would attest to the fact that it is so worth it! I mean, you get great food, drink and the chance to see the festival's artists up close and personal.

The artists are always so warm and full of aloha and they were greeted with the same from all the fans and that's what really makes this kind of event a success. I asked John Keawe's beautiful wife Hope to do the lei greeting as guests arrived and received, to their surprise, a goodie bag provided by Trilogy Spa.

And oh, the food. To keep costs low for the guests (and also for me) and still present a classy event, I worked on the menu with Duke's who also donated some appetizers including some of the most incredible shrimp and poke you'll ever eat. Even my friend who works in Hollywood and is exposed to vast amounts of the best food on a daily basis (her dog gets filet mignon and prime rib!) said dinner and pupus that night was amazing. Her mom was actually wondering if maybe she should have had more shrimp and poke since that was likely going to be dinner because how could it possibly get any better than that? But no, there was huli huli chicken, mahi mahi, Duke's famous hula pie and so much more. Even Primo Beer pitched in drinks, even before they were officially distributing on the mainland, just happy to be a part of the night's festivities!

Last year, Kimo West said it'd be no problem to bring his PA system in case any jammin' were to take place. I left it totally optional for the artists and to do whatever they feel. Well, George Kahumoku Jr got up and took the initiative, and so did Dennis Kamakahi, Owana Salazar, Cyril Pahinui, and they all had such wonderful stories to share. And speaking of wonderful stories, a couple days prior, Jeff Peterson and I had dropped in, unannounced, on Bill Tapia at his house in Orange County (just like how we do it in Hawaii!) and invited him to the reception where he also got up with his ukulele to jam on a few tunes with George, Jeff Peterson, and Kimo, as well as share his as-usual amusing anecdotes from his 90-year musical career (he is now 101!). He'd claimed he'd known Gabby Pahinui so I mainly invited him so he could come meet Gabby's son Cyril.

It's so magical how everything is just go with the flow....to see Makana jammin' with Peter Moon Jr and Lehua (Ledward Kaapana's sister) and Sonny Lim and Bruce Spencer from Maunalua - these artists never get together like this even in Hawaii but that's exactly what happened at this year's reception. Ever seen Cyril get up to do an impromptu hula followed by Bobby Moderow hamming it up? You probably never will again, either!

The photos under the heading Reception at Duke's capture just a fraction of the aloha that filled the room that night but that picture of Makana and Bobby Moderow sharing the mic is itself worth a thousand words.

Stay tuned for info about the Concert Preview Reception for the upcoming Aloha Falsetto Festival in July!

2009 Grammy Awards Hawaiian Night

For the first time since the Hawaiian music category was introduced in 2005, slack key guitar wasn't on the winning ballot for the Grammy award. That's OK, the genre has received plenty of attention through the years and there are so many other facets to Hawaiian music that deserve a listen as well.

What was most fun - for me, anyway - were the events leading up to the awards show: Friday night there was an intimate gathering of the nominees from the islands over at the Grammy museum in the brand spankin' new downtown L.A. Live area in one of the theatres. Daniel Ho and Tia Carrere started things off then came Paul Togioka on solo slack key and Bobby Moderow (of Maunalua) singing for his beautiful hula dancing wife Pua, then LT Smooth and Don Kaulia jammin' with Milton and Chris Lau on bass and percussion, respectively. I think the evening was Milton's idea, it seems he coordinated the whole thing. Milton has been producing the Slack Key Festivals in the Hawaiian Islands for the past 26 years, an incredible run.

I can't remember if Ledward Kaapana with Mike Kaawa tearing it up came next or if it was Rev Dennis Kamakahi performing 3 of his classic songs "Koke'e", "Wahine Ilikea" and "Pua Hone". These songs have stood the test of time for sure, so much so that one might think they were public domain songs by now! It was sure an honor having Dennis at the first ever Southern California Slack Key Festival and I'm hoping Led & Mike will be available to come onboard for the 3rd Festival in 2010.

Amy Hanaiali'i wrapped up the evening with her incredible vocals which was so refreshing to hear. Very polished performance since she does record and perform with a regular band, all awesome musicians I kind of consider the "Hawaiian Wrecking Crew": Steve Jones on bass, Chino Montero on guitar and the ubiquitous Jeff Peterson also on guitar. Steve is highly proficient at both upright and electric bass, Hawaiian and jazz. Chino was a member of one of my favorite groups, Palolo - I can listen to their first CD, especially, over and over. Can't say enough about Jeff's classical, jazz and Hawaiian slack key guitar chops, music-arranging savvy and overall musical know-how. Amy is very lucky to have him on her side.

However, I have to admit that by far, the best part was attending the rehearsals for the Grammy show! Got to hear Coldplay run through Viva La Vida - which won Song of the Year - 3 times! Also Paul McCartney and an incredible band, which included Dave Grohl on drums, played through "I Saw Her Standing There" 3 times as well.....Jeff Peterson and I were THIS close!!! When we first arrived, the blues quarter was running through their stuff and this was just an awesome thing to witness - B.B. King, Buddy Guy, John Mayer and Keith Urban - WOW!!!

Like the beer commercial said, it doesn't get any better than this.

2009 Slack Key Festival Highlights Part 1

Just uploaded the photo slideshow on YouTube of highlights from the 2nd Annual Southern California Slack Key Festival. I tell you, it felt so nice to be able to say "2nd Annual" and I can't wait to be able to look back and say "Wow, it's been 7/10/14/whatever years!" I'm a bit like a kid in a candy store because I get to ask not only friends of mine to be a part of it but also performers I've looked up to for a long time.

For this 2nd annual show I just did, I'm still patting myself on the back (lol) for assembling the trio that opened the show: Jeff Peterson, Jim "Kimo" West and Barry Flanagan of Hapa. As awesome as the first year's show was, I wanted to avoid having solo act after solo act so I elected to go with more groups which, to me, is really how it should be anyway - you know, a bunch of people jamming together enjoying themselves is always infectious and the audience really gets into it! Another good thing about having groups is that I feel it helps highlight solo performers even more, like John Keawe and Makana. To be honest, Barry, Jeff and Kimo were all a little hesitant when I first suggested a trio and I have to admit even I wasn't quite sure how I was going to organize their set - I just knew it was something I wanted to see happen. I did know that I wanted the show to start off with Hapa's Kaopuiki Aloha which I felt really captured the feel of what I was trying to achieve and I was confident that the three of them would really gel with each other so it was really gratifying to see them really having fun up there and saying how they were all mutual admirers of one another. I also secretly relished the thought of them really hashing things out, sweating over it and getting those creative juices flowing which is what I feel is the essence of being a musician. And hey, you never know, sometimes that's how things happen and special projects and recordings often spring from these kinds of encounters. Best of all, none of it came off forced, instead it felt very natural.

What I particularly loved is how the universe can show you that the music is bigger than you. What I mean by that is, as things developed and I came up with a set list that everyone seemed to go for, I really had my heart set on them ending the set with a bluesy jam that Kimo had come up with loosely titled "All Jam Up" (or what I thought would also be good was "405 Blues") which had parts emulating cars honking on a busy L.A. freeway because I thought it was very fitting for the environment but also because I knew all three could really play the blues. Instead, what happened was they all jammed on Jeff Peterson's original tune "Let's Ride!" and for their encore "hana hou" piece they all three played through Kimo's beautiful arrangement of John Lennon's "Imagine" and I couldn't have "imagined" a more beautiful ending to their set.