Windward Heart: Live Solo

by Bla Pahinui

Overview

An installment in Dancing Cat's extensive slack-key guitar series. This one is from Bla Pahinui, one of the sons of legend Gabby Pahinui (and brother to co-legends Martin and Cyril Pahinui). This album collects a number of live solo performances from him. What one notices first of all is the repeated thumbnail strum that he plays rhythmically throughout his songs, something he picked up since playing a right-handed guitar upside down and backwards. Also, one might note that all of the songs are played in the same tuning, something rather rare for slack-key guitarists (it's his favorite). His sound is somewhat more informed by R&B than his family's general sound, but that is used to his credit. His voice is rather less deep and/or powerful than, say, Cyril's, which makes him a little less able to hold some of the slow, peaceful passages in the same way. Instead though, he plays more up-tempo, bouncier pieces. His technique is still outstanding, and his compositions are quite nice. For someone looking into slack-key recordings, anything connected to the Pahinui family is fair game (Cyril Pahinui, Gabby Pahinui, Martin Pahinui, Bla Pahinui, Atta Isaacs, Sonny Chillingworth), though true newcomers might do well to begin with the slightly more traditional sound of perhaps Cyril's recordings on Dancing Cat. ~ Adam Greenberg

Product Details

Release Date:	06/06/2000
Label:	Dancing Cat
UPC:	0080223805224

Tracks

1. Introduction
2. Waimanalo Blues
3. Medley
4. Gabby's Song
5. E Pili Mai
6. Pauoa Liko Ka Lehua
7. If I Give My Heart to You
8. Moonlight Lady
9. Dialogue: Memories of Gabby
10. Pua Tuberose
11. Makapu'u Beach
12. Wiamanalo Country Boy
13. May God Bless You (You'll Never Meet Another Kanaka Like Me)
14. Meleana E
15. UA (Rain)

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Bla Pahinui   Primary Artist

Technical Credits

Charles Horton   Engineer
Howard Johnston   Engineer
George Winston   Producer,Technical Assistance
Jimmy Brewster   Composer
Jimmie Crane   Composer
Carlos Andrade   Composer
Patrick Cockett   Composer
Larry Lindsey Kimura   Composer
Thor Wold   Composer
Joanie K.Y. Chan   Art Direction
Ben Churchill   Engineer
Liko Martin   Composer
Emma Bush   Composer
Kimo Kamana   Composer
Bernie Grundman   Mastering
Bla Pahinui   Composer
Emma Lahapa Bush   Composer
Howard Armstrong   Composer
Peter Moon   Composer
Frosty Horton   Engineer
Justin Lieberman   Engineer
Mark Slagle   Engineer
Al Jacobs   Composer