Soliloquy: Ka Leo O Loko Review
For over thirty years, Keola Beamer s artistry has helped breathe new life into Slack Key guitar music while remaining true to the soul of its deeply Hawaiian roots. On tis instrumental album, his his fifth Dancing Cat release, Keola offers nine original compositions, the most he has ever recorded on a single album, and six Hawaiian classics. All are played in his unique style, which combines his own innovations with traditional Slack Key. Eight of the songs are played as solo instrumentals to express ka leo o loko (the voice within) and the feeling of solitude. Read more...
Soliloquy: Ka Leo O Loko Specifications
Of the slack-key guitarists that pianist George Winston has brought to light from Hawaii, the most eloquent and forward-looking is Keola Beamer, which is ironic given that Beamer's first album in 1973 was called Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar in the Real Old Style. There's nothing old about the music on Soliloquy. Unlike most of his brethren, Beamer rarely sings, and that seems to free him from the sometimes clichéd phrasing and melodies identified with Hawaiian music. Even without those signposts, however, Beamer's music is distinctly Hawaiian, beginning with the slack-key guitar. It's a standard acoustic guitar, but the strings are tuned lower--literally, slacker--than normal. It gives the guitar a lazy, wistful sound just shy of yearning. Soliloquy mixes Beamer's original compositions with traditional songs in unique arrangements, including some for two acoustic guitars. A bit more low key than his previous albums, and featuring more nylon than steel string, Soliloquy is a quiet meditation born from the idyllic environment of Hawaii. --John Diliberto
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