New York, NY (Top40 Charts) RockBeat Records' forthcoming four-CD compilation of vintage Hawaiian music, Hulaland: The Golden Age of Hawaiian Music, highlights both the beautiful music and stunning vintage art from the tropical islands. Many of these recordings have been circulating with collectors over the years. With this box set, due out October 30, 2015, Hawaiian music from the 1920s to the '70s shares space with the newer performers carrying on the tradition and hopefully serves as an introduction to the genre.
The cover art, created by Robert Armstrong, takes the form of a hardbound, 100-page, 9 x 12" book packed with classic Hawaiian sheet music from the 1920s and 1930s, and filled with exhaustive information on the artists and the rise of the slack-key guitar, melodies and ethnic songs of the islands. The four CDs feature an eclectic mix, blended for maximum enjoyment for the average listener who might be planning a luau.
You won't hear Don Ho or Lawrence Welk (not that there is anything wrong with those artists) but instead, a cross section of Hawaiian music, from lap-steel great Sol Hoopii to Ella Fitzgerald, with a large helping of slack-key guitar, lush instrumentals, gorgeous singing and melodic masterpieces, some once buried in the vinyl landfill and resurrected here for the first time.
Disc 1, "From Hollywood to Honolulu 1931-1957" covers the early popularization of island music by native Hawaiians such as Andy Iona, who blended island melodies with swing, as well as performers one might not expect to see in this context: Louis Armstrong, Ethel Merman, Slim Whitman, Jo Stafford and Max Fleischer's Betty Boop are among those who put their spin on Hawaiian music.
The second disc, "Splendor in the Grass Shack, 1958-1974," finds Ukuele Ike, The Ventures, Arthur Lyman, and
Martin Denny all capitalizing on the Tiki craze in the late 1950s. The set's foray into '60s Tiki and exotica includes a Hawaiian version of the 1968
Fleetwood Mac song "Albatross." And to add a little modern day nostalgia, the themes from Hawaii Five-O and Hawaiian Eye are here too.
"Disc #3: Hawaiian Classics" largely puts the spotlight on native Hawaiian musicians from the '20s and '30s, such as Kalama's Quartet, King Nawahi, Sol Hoopii, and
Clara Inter, better known as Hilo Hattie.
The fourth disc, "Contemporary Hawaiian Music," was assembled by Robert and features his fine guitar playing and along with other collaborators strumming their way to paradise in a contemporary fashion that gives a nod to the great music you hear on the first three discs. Featured are the cool sounds of the Coconut Trio, the Sweet Hollywaiians, Ken and Bob (Ken Emerson & Robert Armstrong) and the Joy Buzzards to name a few.
Mastering was overseen by Randy Perry, who kept the sound of the early classics in tact and sonically enjoyable — quite a feat for music that was made more than 80 years ago. Robert Armstrong is an historian on Hawaiian music especially the background on Hawaiian guitar. He along with
James Allen provide exhaustive annotation on many of the artists that are in this collection.
Whatever the method of enjoyment or distribution to friends, we hope this opens the grass shack portal to more Hawaiian discoveries.
Hulaland was produced by
James Allen and
James Austin is a loving tribute in sight and sound of yesteryear, Hawaiian style.
