Tag Archives: Hawaii

LIVE 176 • Home Abroad (Slide Guitar, Low Reverb Mix)

Liveacoustic guitar, awake again, big island, blue sky guitar, blues guitar, Elixir Polyweb, fingerstyle guitar, guitar instrumental, Hawaii, Holualoa, kailua kona, kona coffee, ksm141, nick borho, Open D, open tunings, relaxing guitar, sapele tone, shure, Slide Guitar, taylor 310ce

Here is a remix of “Home Abroad,” a slide guitar song which was recorded as part of my Awake Again album project. While revisiting that project and remixing the album (a playlist of the full album is also available on the ‘index’ page), I had two different ideas for how I wanted to approach the mix for this song – basically a ‘wet’ mix which is featured on the remixed album, and a more ‘dry mix’ with a little less reverb that I decided to release here as a bonus track of sorts. Though the wet mix was a better fit for the album, I also like the directness of the dry mix.

LIVE 175 • Straight Ahead Blues (310ce)

Liveacoustic blues, acoustic fingerstyle blues, acoustic guitar, big island, blue sky guitar, Elixir Polyweb, fingerstyle guitar, guitar instrumental, Hawaii, Holualoa, kona coffee, kona coffee farm, ksm141, nick borho, peaceful guitar, relaxing guitar, sapele tone, shure, taylor 310ce

Here is another take of “Straight Ahead Blues,” also known as “New Blues,” which was recorded as part of my Awake Again album project. While revisiting that project and remixing the album (a playlist of the full album is also available on the ‘index’ page), I came across some alternate takes of a couple of songs that I thought it would be fun to publish; this is one of those songs. At the time I recorded this song, I was listening to the Clapton Unplugged album quite a bit, and experimenting with various blues ideas. Hope you enjoy.

LIVE 174 • Naupaka Slack Key ~ Early Take

Live, Slack Keyacoustic guitar, beach naupaka, big island, blue sky guitar, guitar instrumental, half flowers, Hawaii, hawaiian guitar, kailua kona, Kamakahonu beach, ki ho’alu, King Kamehameha Hotel, Kohala beaches, Kona beaches, Kona pier, KTA grocery, lilikoi man, Line Audio CM4, mountain naupaka, nahenahe, Naupaka, nick borho, ohana and friends, open tunings, passionfruit, peaceful guitar, relaxing guitar, sapele tone, Slack Key, Taylor 312ce, white berries

Here is an early take of Naupaka Slack Key, a song that pays tribute to ‘beach’ naupaka, a cheerful bush that can be found near many beaches in Hawai’i. While the story of separated lovers embodied in the ‘half flowers’ of beach and ‘mountain’ naupaka is poignant, I often think of the little white berries bobbing around in the water at such places as Kamakahonu beach near the King Kamehameha Hotel in Kailua-Kona where I used to swim as a keiki. Not long ago, an old friend reminded me of the ‘lilikoi man’ who used to walk by the beach there selling passionfruit from a KTA shopping bag for a quarter. As kids, we would build sand castles, explore the nearby pier, and take small fishing nets to catch little minnow-sized fish for our beach bucket filled with seawater (which we would return to the ocean not long after). Anyway, the naupaka plant was often nearby during those childhood hours (small kid time, as they say) spent at various Kona and Kohala beaches – mellow and relaxing days with ohana and friends. Hope you enjoy.

Recorded with a Taylor 312ce (Sapele/Spruce, with Elixir Nanoweb Phosphor Bronze HD gauge set) and a Line Audio CM4 small diaphragm condenser microphone.

LIVE 159 • Punahele – Ray Kane Slack Key Cover (Longer Version)

Live, Slack Keyacoustic guitar, blue sky guitar, Elixir HD Light, Fred Kelly thumbpicks, g wahine tuning, Hawaii, hawaiian guitar, ki ho’alu, nahenahe, nanakuli, Neumann TLM 102, nick borho, old style slack key, open tunings, peaceful guitar music, punahele, Ray Kane, Raymond Kane, real old style, relaxing guitar, relaxing music, Slack Key, Taylor 412ce-R, taylor grand concert, tranquil song

Here is another, slightly longer version I recorded of the classic Ray Kane slack key song “Punahele.” According to the Dancing Cat liner notes, Punahele (“favorite” or “pet”) came to Ray “one night in 1938 at Zablan’s Beach in Nanakuli. ‘Back in those days there were no cars, it was pitch black. So I sit there in the dark in the nice cool breeze and I hear the waves bouncing on the sand and see the moonlight flicker on the water. It inspired me, something so nice. So mellow. That’s what gave me my inspiration.’” Hope you enjoy.

Recorded with a Taylor 412ce LTD (Rosewood/Spruce, Gotoh 510 tuners, strings are Elixir Nanoweb Phosphor Bronze HD gauge set) and a Neumann TLM 102 microphone.

LIVE 170 • Hualalai Sunrise (Slack Key Guitar)

Live, Slack Keyacoustic guitar instrumental, big island, blue sky guitar, Hawaii, hawaiian guitar, Holualoa, hualalai, kailua kona, ki ho’alu, kona coffee, nahenahe, nick borho, open tunings, peaceful guitar, relaxing guitar, Slack Key, taylor 414ce-NR, taylor classical guitar, taylor nylon, Telefunken M60

“Hualalai Sunrise” was inspired by the morning sunrises in Kailua-Kona on the Big Island of Hawai’i. Much of North Kona – from Kalaoa where I spent much of my early childhood to Holualoa where I later lived – can see the sun shining over the top ridges of Hualalai in the morning, bathing its warm light over the slopes from the summit to the ocean.

Recorded with a Taylor 414ce-NR (Rosewood/Spruce grand auditorium nylon string) and a Telefunken M60 small diaphragm condenser microphone.

LIVE 163 • Acacia Improv (K22ce)

Liveacoustic guitar, blue sky guitar, fingerstyle guitar, Hawaii, hawaiian guitar, Hawaiian koa, ki ho’alu, koa taylor, nahenahe, Neumann TLM 103, nick borho, open G, open tunings, original fingerstyle, peaceful guitar, relaxing guitar, Slack Key, Taro Patch, taylor grand concert, Taylor k22ce

Acacia Improv is an outtake of some improvisation done one day while I was recording “Acacia Just Noticed.” That song as well as this short little improv were meant to highlight the koa guitar’s warm low-mid tone with a touch of sparkle in the treble register, to bring out the characteristic warmth and sweetness of the wood. Hope you enjoy.

Recorded with a Taylor K22ce (solid koa grand concert with Elixir Nanoweb Phosphor Bronze HD gauge set) and a Neumann TLM 103 microphone.

LIVE 161 • Glass Ball Slack Key (Kamaka HF-3D)

Live, Ukuleleblue sky guitar, chicken in the straw ukulele, fingerstyle ukulele, Hawaii, Kamaka HF-3D, Kamaka Koa Deluxe Tenor, ki ho’alu, nick borho, Slack Key, slack key ukulele, Telefunken M60

Glass Ball Slack Key is a favorite chestnut (or perhaps kukui nut) of uke players in Hawai’i; it’s a fun little ditty that is sure to please aunty or uncle. I learned this song watching and listening to the great Led Ka’apana over the years. A recorded version can be found on the classic Led Live album. Many other ukulele players have covered the song over the years as well. Hope you enjoy.

Recorded with a Kamaka Koa Deluxe Tenor ukulele (Kamaka HF-3D, high G with either Uke Logic Soft Tension or Ko’olau Aho strings, and a Thomastik-Infeld CF-27 flat wound third string) and a Telefunken M60 small diaphragm condenser microphone.

LIVE 135 • Keiki Slack Key (412ce)

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Here is another version of the Ray Kane classic “Keiki Slack Key” I recorded on my Taylor 412ce-R steel string guitar. Keiki Slack Key (not to be confused with the Sonny Chillingworth song of the same name) is one of the first slack key songs I transcribed, and has stayed on my setlists ever since. To me, Ray Kane is probably the best example of an ‘old style’ slack key player, and his tracks are always nahenahe. Hope you enjoy.

Recorded with a Taylor 412ce LTD (Rosewood/Spruce, with Elixir Nanoweb Phosphor Bronze HD gauge set) a Neumann TLM 102 microphone in Honolulu, Hawai’i.

LIVE 127 • Ki Ho’alu (Gabby Pahinui Slack Key Cover, Taylor Nylon Guitar)

Live, Slack Keyacoustic guitar, blue sky guitar, dennis kamakahi, 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 an alternate version of my take on Gabby Pahinui’s classic instrumental simply and appropriately titled “Ki Ho’alu,” which of course is the Hawaiian term for “slack key.” I probably first heard this song on the stellar “Pure Gabby” album, 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 153 • Crossing the Field (Original Fingerstyle)

Fingerstyle, Liveacoustic guitar, blue sky guitar, crossing the field, Elixir Polyweb, fingerstyle guitar, Hawaii, Holualoa, kona coffee, ksm141, nick borho, peaceful guitar, relaxing guitar, shure, Shure KSM141, taylor 310ce, Taylor Dreadnaught

Here’s another take of “Crossing the Field,” a song from my “Awake Again” album. “Crossing the Field” was recorded as part of a pair of songs (along with its companion song, “Moment in the Sun”) to set the stage for the second half of the album. Following the dramatic strumming of “Make” that closed the first half of the album, “Moment” & “Field” framed the mellower vibe of the album’s remaining songs. Hope you enjoy.

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

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