Master of the Hawaiian Steel Guitar
Sol Hoopii will never be a household name, but his recordings--especially these tunes recorded between 1925 and 1930--had a profound impact on music, influencing both country and blues and helping launch America's burgeoning "world music" craze. A master of the steel guitar, Hoopii melded Tin Pan Alley tunes, jazz, and even gospel together with traditional Hawaiian music to create a lush blend of virtuoso showpieces at the same time as America was embracing the culture of the not-yet-fiftieth state. Working the tiki lounge circuit of Los Angeles with his trio through the '30s, Hoopii even landed the occasional stint on the big screen--includingWaikiki Weddingwith Bing Crosby and a fewCharlie Chanflicks. Hollywood aside, musically he was the John Coltrane of lap guitar (before there was a Coltrane, of course). Hoopii's performances of standards such as "Stack O'Lee" or "I Ain't Got Nobody" are like no one else's, exotic yet instantly recognizable. Eventually, country steel guitarists would copy his solos note for note (Hank Williams musician Jimmy Helms is one such example), and today his artistic influence can still be felt amid dobro players, western swing musicians, and even new age instrumentalists. Simply amazing.--Jason Verlinde