“Ukulele What?”

Ka‘imi Hanano‘eau

(no label)

Multi-instrumentalist Ka‘imi Hanano‘eau made a splash in 2014 as guitarist and lead vocalist of HiRiz, a reggae/rock/Jawaiian group whose debut album was a finalist in the reggae category at the 2015 Na Hoku Hanohano Awards. He has since taken off as a solo artist.

Hanano‘eau’s first release for 2016 is this four-song instrumental EP. Ukulele is spotlighted on arrangements that also utilize acoustic guitar, bass and percussion. Production credits are not included, but three of the songs are originals. All three display his range as a musician and composer in convincing style. For instance, on “G — Dorian Rock” he juxtaposes the crisp clarity of an acoustic ukulele with the snarling distortion of electric guitar.

Hanano‘eau’s arrangement of “Europa,” a song written by Carlos Santana that’s been popular in Hawaii since the 1970s, demonstrates his instrumental technique and his talent as an interpreter of other artists’ work.

The songs are available individually at iTunes and Amazon.com. The hard-copy EP is available at his gigs.

“Tropical Swing”

Hot Steel & Cool Ukulele

(Schlimmer Twins)

Hot Steel & Cool Ukulele is veteran recording artist Erich Sylvester (ukulele, vocals) plus musicians he brings in for a particular project. His collaborators on “Tropical Swing” are Greg Sardinha (steel guitar), Sonny Silva (guitar), Steven Strauss (acoustic bass) and Duane Padilla (violin and mandolin).

Almost all the songs are from the first half of the 20th century — “The Hukilau Song,” “My Little Grass Shack” and “On the Beach at Waikiki,” to name three — and the arrangements fit the era. Violin and mandolin were more prominent in island music a century ago, so when Padilla plays either instrument, he takes the sound back to the early days of hapa haole music.

Some things haven’t changed that much. It’s been more than 100 years since Albert “Sonny” Cunha wrote “My Honolulu Tomboy,” and the dream of finding romance in Hawaii never gets old. “On the Beach at Waikiki” isn’t quite as old, but it too evokes thoughts of a seemingly more innocent time in the islands.

Sylvester breaks format with “Moloka‘i Slide,” a Jawaiian song written in 1988 that became a local hit for Ehukai in 1996. It doesn’t fit here, lyrically or rhythmically. However, if and when Sylvester decides to do an entire album of contemporary island songs in the old-time style, it will be a good choice.

Visit cdbaby.com/artist/hotsteelcoolukulele.