Track Listing

1. Jingle Bell Rock [Instrumental] - Ozzie Kotani
2. Joy to the World [Instrumental] - Moses Kahumkou
3. Silver Bells [Instrumental]
4. Away in a Manger [Instrumental] - Keola Beamer
5. Mele Kalikimaka la Oe [Merry Christmas to You][Instrumental] - George Kuo
6. My Hawaiian Christmas [Vocal Version] - Dennis Kamakahi
7. Jingle Bells [Instrumental] - Bob Brozman,
8. Winter Wonderland [Instrumental] - Cindy Combs
9. First Noel [Instrumental] - Ozzie Kotani
10. O Come All Ye Faithful [Instrumental] - James Bla Pahinui
11. Holy, Holy, Holy [Instrumental] - George Kahumoku
12. We Wish You Merry Christmas [Vocal Version] - Leonard Kwan
13. O Holy Night [Vocal Version] - Joanie Komatsu
14. Auld Lang Syne [Instrumental] - Bob Brozman, Cyril Pahinui

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #102849 in Music
• Released on: 2000-09-26
• Number of discs: 1

Amazon.com
Hawaiian Slack Key Christmas is genre melding of the best sort: incredible guitar playing in the Hawaiian tradition dominates the disc, but the material is mostly familiar holiday carols. The result is a truly original and refreshingly low-key take on Christmas music. Keola Beamer's version of "Away in a Manger" is filled with jazzy bass touches; Led Kaapana and Bob Brozman's "Jingle Bells" is a hard-driving and virtuosic showpiece, with Brozman seemingly working the entire fretboard; and Bla Pahanui's arrangement of "O Come All Ye Faithful" is gorgeous and creative. Ozzie Kotani's "First Noel" is understated but a touch too sentimental and the three vocal tracks--by Dennis Kamakahi, Leonard Kwan, and Joanie & Ruth Komatsu--seem out of place amid all these lush guitar textures. That said, this is still a great album and a wonderful alternative for guitar lovers who've worn out their copies of John Fahey's legendary Christmas album. --Jason Verlinde

From Rhythm Magazine
When the holidays approach and you want to get in the Christmas mood, you don't usually think of Hawaii or slack key guitars. But after listening to Hawaiian Slack Key Christmas, you will. This fine follow-up to the award winning 1996 release KiHo'alu Christmas features the finest guitarists in Hawaii trying their hand at these old classics. Where other compilations merely slap a certain style on top of the songs, this collection allows these guitar masters to find the shadings, nuances, and harmonics of the classics, making them both traditional and new at the same time. The fourteen tracks are divided into three vocals and eleven instrumentals, allowing the beautiful slack key styling to take the spotlight. Mahalo to all the guitarists, Dancing Cat, and producer George Winston, for breathing much needed freshness and fun into these oh so familiar Christmas carols. -James Rodgers

Customer Reviews

Christmas in Hawaii, warm and mellow!
This is a great follow-up to Dancing Cat's award winning Ki ho'alu Christmas CD from 1996. This new CD features many of Hawaii's top slack key players performing original and traditional holiday favorites in the slack key style. Also includes the last recordings of slack key master Loeonard Kwan who just passed away in August. We all can't go to Hawaii this Christmas but this is the next best thing! BEN...

Kauai Meets Christmas - Best of Both!
My family and I travel to Kauai each year, and we love Hawaiian slack key guitar music. Since we have gathered a pretty extensive collection of traditional Christmas music, we were looking for something different, but NOT "cheezy" or over-commercialized, and this CD fit the bill perfectly. Great combination of reflective Christmas music, with a soothing slack key presentation style. Wonderful!

Refreshing Christmas music, island-style
This album is a refreshing take on the Christmas classics and is a perfect gift at holiday time. High quality recording; mostly guitar with a couple of vocal numbers. The only downside of this album is that it makes me long for the islands. Mele Kelikimaka!