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‘From Paradise’
Norton Buffalo and George Kahumoku Jr. (Moon Valley Music)
An eight-minute rendition of "Amazing Grace," sung in Hawaiian and English, is one of the musical gems in this amazing collaboration by slack-key master George Kahumoku Jr. and harmonica wizard Norton Buffalo.
The guitar work and blues harmonica blend beautifully through a random selection of Hawaiian classics, hapa-haole standards and songs of more recent vintage. The duo’s voices mix and match nicely as well.
Buffalo’s playing adds a pleasant retro feel to "Waikiki Hula," while Jeff Peterson contributes his slack-key expertise to an imaginative arrangement of "Waipahe‘e" that redefines the song as acoustic blues. Herb Ohta Jr., Dennis Kamakahi and Keoki Kahumoku sit in on other pieces.
Buffalo died in 2009, and this album is an excellent retrospective of one facet of his work.
George Kahumoku Jr., Da Ukulele Boys and Sterling Seaton (No label)
George Kahumoku’s weekly slack-key concerts, currently known as "The Slack Key Show — Masters of Hawaiian Music," have showcased many of Hawaii’s masters of the genre and their peers in other genres of traditional Hawaiian music.
The shows have also been a platform for his young protégés Sterling Seaton, Garrett Probst and Peter deAquino. All three earn their place in this DVD anthology of recent shows.
Kahumoku serves as narrator, introducing each performance, while the "boys" talk about their experiences as his students and on stage.
Camera work here is simple but effective. The interaction between deAquino and guest artist Herb Ohta Jr. on "Body Surfing" is a highlight; while the trio talks extensively about playing with master musicians, the song shows it happening.
"The Best of The Slack Key Show Volume 1" is available at www.kahumoku.com.
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An eight-minute rendition of "Amazing Grace," sung in Hawaiian and English, is one of the musical gems in this amazing collaboration by slack-key master George Kahumoku Jr. and harmonica wizard Norton Buffalo.