Hawaiian Slack Key Christmas
Hawaiian Slack Key Christmasis genre melding of the best sort: incredible guitar playing in the Hawaiian tradition dominates the disc, but the material is mostly familiar holiday carols. The result is a truly original and refreshingly low-key take on Christmas music.Keola Beamer's version of "Away in a Manger" is filled with jazzy bass touches;Led KaapanaandBob Brozman's "Jingle Bells" is a hard-driving and virtuosic showpiece, with Brozman seemingly working the entire fretboard; andBla Pahanui's arrangement of "O Come All Ye Faithful" is gorgeous and creative.Ozzie Kotani's "First Noel" is understated but a touch too sentimental and the three vocal tracks--byDennis Kamakahi,Leonard Kwan, and Joanie & Ruth Komatsu--seem out of place amid all these lush guitar textures. That said, this is still a great album and a wonderful alternative for guitar lovers who've worn out their copies of John Fahey'slegendary Christmas album.--Jason Verlinde