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Historically,
most recordings have included the Hawaiian slack key guitar
sound only as accompaniment in a group setting. On Dancing Cat
Records' Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar Masters Series, producer
George Winston brings the solo guitar to the forefront,
showcasing the stylings of the greatest solo guitarists in the
islands. Combs was born in San Diego but took lessons from slack
key master Keola Beamer in the early '70s and became part of the
Hawaiian musical renaissance that took place during that decade.
Though she's won various contests and recorded one previous
album, this marks the Kauai resident's most accomplished set to
date. Though the casual fan or curious listener might not catch
all the nuances of this acoustic guitar-based style -- the best
instrumentals like "Makani 'Ula'uala" and "Ke
Welina" sound to the uneducated ear like simple, sweet
folksy ballads with a lot of colorful improvisational noodling
-- there are subtleties galore that make this a strong addition
to the genre. Brief but engaging solo gems like "Wahine 'Ilikea"
display a powerful mastery of the genre. The collection features
two originals and ten Hawaiian standards that make for
passionate coffeehouse listening. While it's interesting to hear
her husky voice tackle the handful of Hawaiian language vocals,
it's clear that she's more a guitarist who sings than vice
versa. Extensive liner notes detail the origin and chord
progression of each song on a recording that could easily
function as a primer on this unique niche genre.
~ Jonathan Widran, All Music Guide |
