Solo performer: Keola Beamer (acoustic guitar).
Engineers include: Howard Johnston, Justin Lieberman, Mark Slagle.
Includes liner notes by Corrina Burnley.
Keola Beamer is a master of the slack key guitar, a standard acoustic guitar with the strings tuned lower--literally slackened--to create a sound unique to Hawaiian music. The slack key guitar's history goes back to the early 1800s, and its lazy, resonant picking can be heard in most traditional island music. Beamer is descended from a distinguished musical family and has proven his mastery of early Hawaiian music on many of his previous albums, including the classic 1973 album, HAWAIIAN SLACK KEY GUITAR IN THE REAL OLD STYLE. On SOLILOQUY: KA LEO O LOKO, Beamer performs solo on 15 instrumentals that exemplify the slack key style. "Kapaula Bay" is a beautiful track that evokes island sunsets and quiet nights. "Na Hala O Naue" is a duet between Beamer and co-producer George Winston, who is best known for his best-selling piano recordings. Winston plays the steel string guitar on this track and the interplay between these two old friends and musical masters is playful and heartfelt. Beamer is also a respected teacher and many of these songs can be found in his instruction books. The liner notes feature the tunings and chord progressions for each track and resources for those interested in learning to play in Beamer's style.
