Hawaiian Touch
This is the first album ever recorded of duets between Hawaiian acoustic steel and slack-key guitars. Isaacs, whose professional career began in 1948, cut electric steel duets in the '50s with his brother Atta and with Gabby Pahinui. He usually serves up a very quiet kind of reverie; even his "hot" playing, on songs like this CD's "Hula Blues," demonstrates softness and subtlety. The young Kuo's style works better as support than when he's out front. Together, they not only conjure up a bygone era in Hawaiian music, but they bring it into modern times. --John Morthland