I’ve been either too busy or too lazy to update the site since Led left back in February which is a shame because we captured four pretty nice video clips while he was here. They’ve been up on YouTube for a while and I’m finally getting around to adding them to this site. (more…)
Led has been traveling the country with George Kahumoku and Kawika Kahiapo, bringing the sweet sounds to the eastern states and the midwest. Now George and Kawika have headed home and it’s our turn here in Northern Cali to enjoy some of that Led Kaapana magic. I’ll be opening for Led at these shows, I hope we’re doing one near you.
Wednesday, Feb 5, we’ll be in Soquel, CA, at Michael’s on Main. The show is at 7:30 pm. Led has lots of friends in the Santa Cruz area and there are plenty of folks who cherish their connections to Hawai`i. Led loves bringing a touch of the islands to his friends and fans.
Saturday, Feb 8, the show will be presented at the Old Steeple in Ferndale, CA at 7:30 PM. The great folks at the Ferndale Music Company really make us feel at home and the town and people of Ferndale are great to visit.
Thursday, Feb 20, we are back in the Bay Area for a show at Throckmorton Theatre in Mill Valley, CA. This show is also at 7:30 PM. Once again a spot where we connect with lots of friends, and of course a visit to Mill Valley is always a treat.
Friday, Feb 21, we are off to Winters, CA to play at the Palms Playhouse at 7:30 PM. Winters is another charming town with a street of historic buildings, set in the middle of apricot orchards.
Saturday, Feb 22, the show is at The Cue in Concord, CA. The show is at 6:45. Carol Davis and her crew provide such a welcoming environment for Hawaiian music and it’s just around the corner from home, so our travel is a cinch!
Sunday, Feb 23, we cross the Bay for a show at Pacifica Performances, Pacifica, CA at 4 PM. We always look forward to the ocean views and seafood treats before the show along with the warm welcome from staff and the members of the audience.
I hope Led and I will be able to come up with some new videos while he’s here. It’s going to be a little challenging, because there has been some remodeling around here leaving the Brass Toucan Studio piled in the corner. I have plenty of measuring and wiring and adjusting before we’re ready to record again. In fact I should be up there working right now …
Yes, I’m a ridiculously lucky person, I cannot deny. Lucky to have found a terrific life partner, Lynn, who found us a terrific home in a terrific town where we are able to host terrific parties and offer hospitality to terrific guests. The result can be seen here with one of our terrific guests sharing some beautiful music on our terrific backyard deck on a terrific late summer afternoon: (more…)
Led Kaapana is covering some ground on the mainland and part of that will include some dates around the Northern California area. I will be joining him for those shows. You can keep up with Led’s schedule at his website, ledkaapana.com and you can see Led and I playing duets in various locations in this YouTube playlist.
Those YouTube duets have been a lot of fun over the years and inspired Led and I to try a duet recording session. I’m thrilled to say that we have completed a CD, Kaleponi & Kalapana, which we will be offering for sale at these upcoming shows. I’m sorry to say that the CD is not available for on-line sale or streaming yet due to some paperwork issues, but hopefully we will soon get things straightened out and be able to make the music more widely available.
In the meantime we will have CDs for sale at these upcoming shows:
August 17 – Patrick Landeza’s House of Hawaiian Music
Oddfellows Lodge, 20598 Homestead Rd., Cupertino, CA
Showtime 7 PM
August 23 – Patrick Landeza’s House of Hawaiian Music
The Cue, 1835 Colfax Street, Concord, CA
Showtime 7 PM
August 30 – The Melon Ball
Watermelon Music, 1970 Lake Blvd Ste 1, Davis, CA
Doors open 7:30 PM, Showtime 8 PM
September 3 – Michael’s on Main
2591 Main St, Soquel, CA
Showtime 7:30 PM
We hope to see you at one of these venues, thanks for supporting live Hawaiian music!
I love playing slack key in Kaleponi but somehow it’s just a little sweeter when we are in Hawai`i. While friends enjoy our home back on the mainland we’re enjoying our stay on the windward side of O’ahu. We try to pack light for these trips but I always have a bag of sound recording gear and cameras (and lenses and batteries and filters and adapters!) (more…)
We’re back in Hawai’i for a visit so I set out to find a new location for our video adventures. Since we were staying in Kane’ohe I looked there and found Kane’ohe Beach Park. Compared to the gorgeous miles of sandy beaches in Kailua and other locations around O’ahu, the beach in Kane’ohe is not too impressive, but the tradeoff is plenty of parking and plenty of quiet. After a little experimenting we came up with a pretty nice bit of video featuring this old waltz. (more…)
Moani Ke`ala is a Hawaiian classic from the monarchy era, composed by Prince William Pitt Leleiohoku, brother of King David Kalākaua and Queen Lili’uokalani. I first heard Gabby Pahinui’s uptempo arrangement and that has been my inspiration when I’ve played the tune. I think Ledward is thinking of Gabby when he plays it as well. (more…)
Ledward says he wants to see the holiday season on the mainland this year, so he’s spending some time in Northern California. And since he loves sharing his music and stories he has booked a few shows around the area.
12/13- Flynn’s Cabaret, Felton
Show at 8:30 PM
Call 831-335-2800 for tickets
12/15- The Cue, Concord
Doors 6:45 Show 7:30
Call 925-687-4220 for tickets
12/21- The Old Steeple, Ferndale
Doors 6:30 PM Show 7:30 PM
12/26- Sweetwater Music Hall, Mill Valley
Doors 6:00 PM Show 7:00 PM
12/29- Melon Ball, Davis
Show at 8:00 PM
1/3- Michael’s on Main, Soquel
Show at 7:30 PM
1/10- Club Fox, Redwood City
Doors 7:00 PM Show 7:30 PM
I’ll be opening these shows, hope to see you there.
Hopefully you know that you can always keep up with Led’s schedule at his website. If he’s home in Kane`ohe he’ll be playing most Saturday evenings at Honey’s at the Ko`olau Golf Course. First Wednesday of the month he usually headlines George Kahumoku’s Slack Key Show on Maui. On the first Thursday he heads to the Big Island of Hawai`i and the Kona side, where he plays at Don’s Mai Tai Bar at the Royal Kona Resort. (more…)
When we talk about influential slack key players the late Leonard Kwan is sure to be part of the discussion. From my earliest days of trying to learn slack key I was told to listen to Uncle Leonard. His compositions are standards, his licks are savored, his recordings are cherished, he even has a tuning that bears his name – Leonard’s C is a common term for the drop C version of C wahine. We call this tuning “Drop C” because it’s a single string away from taropatch open G, and that string, the sixth or lowest pitched string on the guitar, is dropped from D to C to create the new tuning. (more…)
I have recorded a CD called Kaleponi, all solo acoustic slack key instrumentals, mostly traditional pieces, a few originals.
You an buy a copy of the CD or download the tracks at CD Baby.
If you prefer, you can download individual tracks or the whole album from iTunes as well.
The complete liner notes and back cover notes of Kaleponi are available here.