Masters of Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar Vol. 1
The winner of the 2006 Grammy Award for Hawaiian Music was “Masters of Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar, Volume 1” (Daniel Ho Creations, DHC80007, www.SlackKey.com). Recorded during the first year of concerts at the Masters of Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar Concert Series at The Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua on Maui, the CD has 11 slack key guitar tracks, some with vocals, and one ‘ukulele instrumental. George Kahumoku Jr., Cyril Pahinui, Ozzie Kotani, Keoki Kahumoku, and Daniel Ho, who co-produced the album, are each featured on two tracks. Ledward Ka‘apana plays a short and sweet piece that shows off his fast finger picking.

Slack Key Guitar: The Artistry of Sonny Lim
Produced by last year’s Hawaiian Grammy Award winner Charles Michael Brotman, “Slack Key Guitar: The Artistry of Sonny Lim” (Palm Records, PALM4023, PalmRecords.com) earned this Big Island-based company another Grammy nomination. One of the Big Island’s renown Lim family, Sonny Lim was born and raised in paniolo (Hawaiian cowboy) country where ki ho‘alu (slack key guitar} originated in the mid-1800s. Spanish and Mexican cowboys, brought to Hawai‘i when cattle ranching began, introduced the guitar to Hawaiians who developed their own style of tuning and sound by loosening the strings. On these 11 tracks of solo acoustic guitar, Lim combines the traditional sound with his own style to produce soothing and easy-listening music.

Kiho‘alu - Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar
Ledward Ka‘apana’s “Kiho‘alu: Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar” (Rhythm & Roots Records, RR-0307, (808) 479-1573), is another all-instrumental Grammy-nominated CD featuring slack key guitar. But unlike Lim”s solo guitar effort, Ka‘apana also plays ‘ukulele and uses engineer Chris Lau on bass guitar and producer Milton Lau on keyboards and bass guitar for a full-bodied and livelier sound. Of the 15 tracks, 12 have Hawaiian origins, including four by Ledward Ka‘apana and one written by his twin brother, Nedward. Pop music fans will appreciate Ka‘apana's renditions of “Killing Me Softly,” “Love is Blue” and “San Antonio Rose.” (Note: Milton Lau also produces free slack key guitar festivals on the major islands. For upcoming dates, see HawaiianSlackKeyGuitarFestivals.com.)