Featuring four of the best-known and most respected slack-key guitar players in Hawaii,
Dennis Kamakahi, David Kamakahi,
George Kuo, and Martin Pahnui,
Hui Aloha manages to take great strides toward pulling slack-key guitar music out of the hands of the new age genre that has co-opted it, and placing it firmly back within its historical context. Sweetly supported by bass, ukulele, and vocals, the songs deal with historical and cultural themes without entirely dwelling in the past. The musicians' creativity allows for several tributes to modern music, including a distinct Latin influence on one song, and an introduction on another which follows the melody of
the Rolling Stones' "Satisfaction." Part of a general resurgence of recordings from slack-key artists, this album does a fine job of documenting their traditions and innovations.