Category Archives: Live

LIVE 110 • Punahoa Special

Live, Slack Keyblue sky guitar, fingerstyle guitar, fred punahoa, fred punahou, Hawaii, ki ho’alu, mauna loa tuning, Neumann TLM 102, nick borho, peaceful guitar, relaxing guitar, Slack Key, taylor 414ce-NR, taylor classical guitar, Taylor guitars, taylor nylon

Today’s song is the joyful “Punahoa Special,” a signature showpiece of legendary slack key master Fred Punahoa. This is a song I was fortunate enough to learn directly from Led Ka’apana, one that Led had in turn learned directly from Fred himself. Though Fred Punahoa never made a full album under his own name, he did make a notable appearance on the Waimea Music Festival album in addition to fostering amazing talents of the next generation such as Led and Sonny Lim. “Punahoa Special” is an often covered song in the slack key canon, and might also be the most popular song in Mauna Loa slack key tuning. Hope you enjoy.

Recorded with a Taylor 414ce-NR (Rosewood/Spruce grand auditorium nylon string) and a Neumann TLM 102 microphone.

LIVE 105 • Hilo Rag (alt take)

Live, Slack Keyacoustic guitar, dennis kamakahi, ear trumpet labs, edwina, fingerstyle guitar, Hawaii, ki ho’alu, mauna loa tuning, open tunings, peaceful guitar, relaxing guitar, Slack Key, sons of hawaii, taylor 414ce-NR, taylor classical guitar, taylor nylon

Here is an alternate take of Dennis Kamakahi’s song, “Hilo Rag.” This is a super fun song to play and one of my favorites from Dennis Kamakahi’s oeuvre. Better known for lyrical songs like Koke’e, Hilo Rag makes me wish I heard more of Dennis’s instrumental work. Hope you enjoy.

Recorded with a Taylor 414ce-NR (Rosewood/Spruce grand auditorium nylon string) and an Ear Trumpet Labs “Edwina” microphone.

LIVE 109 • Banyan (Alternate Take)

Live, Slack Keyacoustic guitar, banyans, banyans surf spot, blue sky guitar, fingerstyle guitar, Hawaii, kailua kona, ki ho’alu, kona, mauna loa tuning, nahenahe, Neumann TLM 102, nick borho, open tunings, peaceful guitar, relaxing guitar, Slack Key, taylor 414ce-NR, taylor classical guitar, taylor nylon

Here is an alternate take of my song “Banyan” (a/k/a “Banyans,” or “Banyan Tree Slack Key”), a slack key style song I wrote years ago on nylon string guitar. I used to play my gut string ‘beach’ guitar (an old Ibanez) around beaches and surf spots in Kona like Magic Sands, Banyans, and Old Airport. So I guess this song is partially named after the surf spot, but also after some banyan trees near Magic Sands – some of which have since been cut down – or even majestic banyan trees in general. Hope you enjoy.

Recorded with a Taylor 414ce-NR (Rosewood/Spruce grand auditorium nylon string) and a Neumann TLM 102 microphone.

LIVE 102 • Momentum (K22ce)

Liveblue sky guitar, fingerstyle guitar, Hawaiian koa, koa taylor, momentum, Neumann TLM 102, nick borho, taylor grand concert, Taylor k22ce

Momentum is an original I’ve been playing for a while. Over the years, I have added different bridges and changed the intro at times, but at its core the song remains the same. This version has a new bridge and was recorded on my Taylor K22ce.

Recorded with a Taylor K22ce (solid koa grand concert with Elixir Nanoweb Phosphor Bronze HD gauge set) and a Neumann TLM 102 microphone.

LIVE 106 • Bach Cello Suite #1 Prelude (BWV 1007)

LiveBach Cello, baroque guitar, blue sky guitar, BWV 1007, classical guitar, Neumann TLM 102, nick borho, peaceful guitar, prelude, relaxing guitar, steel string, Taylor 912ce, taylor grand concert

I fell in love with the Pablo Casals recordings of the Bach cello suites a few years back. The prelude to the first suite is oft adapted for guitar, but it’s still a great piece to play. Hope you enjoy.

Recorded with a Taylor 912ce (Rosewood/Spruce, with Elixir Nanoweb Phosphor Bronze HD Light strings) and a Neumann TLM 102 microphone.

LIVE 104 • Ki Ho’alu

Live, Slack Keyblue sky guitar, Gabby Pahinui, Hawaii, kailua kona, ki ho’alu, mauna loa tuning, Neumann TLM 102, nick borho, open tunings, Ozzie Kotani, peaceful guitar, Pure Gabby, relaxing guitar, Slack Key, taylor 414ce-NR, taylor classical guitar, taylor nylon

Here’s my take on Gabby Pahinui’s classic instrumental simply and appropriately titled “Ki Ho’alu,” which is course is the Hawaiian term for “slack key.” I probably first heard this song on the stellar “Pure Gabby” album – a must own – although it has appeared on other compilations and been covered by numerous slack key artists, including Ozzie Kotani’s excellent version. My version is inspired by Gabby, Ozzie, and also Dennis Kamakahi who was prolific in the Mauna Loa tuning.

Recorded with a Taylor 414ce-NR (Rosewood/Spruce grand auditorium nylon string) and a Neumann TLM 102 microphone.

LIVE 103 • Bron-Yr-Aur (912ce)

Acoustic, Classic Rock, Fingerstyle, Liveacoustic guitar, blue sky guitar, fingerstyle guitar, Jimmy Page, Neumann TLM 102, nick borho, open C6, peaceful guitar, Physical Graffiti, relaxing guitar, Taylor 912ce, taylor grand concert, Welsh Countryside

Bron-Yr-Aur is probably my favorite Led Zeppelin acoustic song. Written about a tranquil cottage in the Welsh countryside, the song is meditative and bucolic; it always puts me in a different place whenever I hear it or play it. This version was recorded on my Taylor 912ce.

Recorded with a Taylor 912ce (Rosewood/Spruce, with Elixir Nanoweb Phosphor Bronze HD Light strings) and a Neumann TLM 102 microphone.

LIVE 098 • Iris (912ce)

Fingerstyle, Liveacoustic guitar, blue sky guitar, nick borho, open tunings, original fingerstyle, peaceful guitar, relaxing guitar, rosewood taylor, Taylor 912ce, taylor grand concert

Here’s a version of my song Iris recorded on the 912ce. Iris has a lot of harmonics, which creates a light, chimey atmosphere. The 912 has a lot of resonance, echo and bloom (even moreso than the 412ce I previously recorded this with) which I thought would pair well with the cascade of harmonics in this song. Hope you enjoy.

Recorded with a Taylor 912ce (Rosewood/Spruce, with Elixir Nanoweb Phosphor Bronze HD Light strings) and a Neumann TLM 102 microphone.

LIVE 094 • Gabby Style Hula Medley

Live, Slack Keybig island, blue sky guitar, Elixir Polyweb, Gabby Pahinui, Hawaii, Holualoa, Hula Medley, kailua kona, Ki Ho'alu, kona coffee, ksm141, nick borho, peaceful guitar, Pure Gabby, relaxing guitar, shure, Slack Key, taylor 310ce, Taylor Dreadnaught

Today’s post is a performance of “Hula Medley,” which pays tribute to Gabby Pahinui’s hugely influential recordings of the same name (both the early solo verision, and the version found on Pure Gabby). Many have covered this over the years, with one of my favorite versions appearing on Sonny Chilingworth’s Sonny Solo album. Per below, my recording of the medley here includes a slightly different lineup of songs. Hope you enjoy.

Medley:
Intro / Nani Wale Li’hue
Wai’alae
U’lili E
Aloha ‘Oe

Recorded with a Taylor 310ce (Elixir Polyweb 80/20 Bronze) and a matched stereo pair of Shure KSM141 microphones in Holualoa, Hawai’i, in fall of 2007.

LIVE 091 • Fronds in the Wind at Wai’alae Beach Park in Kahala

Live, Slack Keyblue sky guitar, diamond head, east oahu, Hawaii, kahala, kaimuki, Ki Ho'alu, nick borho, open G, peaceful guitar, relaxing guitar, relaxing music, rosewood taylor, Slack Key, Taro Patch, Taylor 412ce-R, taylor grand concert, waialae beach park

Here’s a recording of my slack key song Fronds in the Wind at Wai’alae Beach Park in Kahala. Appropriately, it was a windy day, but nice and the park was not super crowded. Hope you enjoy.

Recorded with a Taylor 412ce LTD (Rosewood/Spruce, with Elixir strings, ES1) direct through a Boss DD-2 delay pedal, in Honolulu, Hawaii.

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Slack Key and Fingerstyle Guitar

Category Archives: Live

LIVE 110 • Punahoa Special

LIVE 105 • Hilo Rag (alt take)

LIVE 109 • Banyan (Alternate Take)

LIVE 102 • Momentum (K22ce)

LIVE 106 • Bach Cello Suite #1 Prelude (BWV 1007)

LIVE 104 • Ki Ho’alu

LIVE 103 • Bron-Yr-Aur (912ce)

LIVE 098 • Iris (912ce)

LIVE 094 • Gabby Style Hula Medley

LIVE 091 • Fronds in the Wind at Wai’alae Beach Park in Kahala