"Slack & Steel" (Liko Records CD LRCD 2002) reintroduces Ken Emerson, in an acoustic treat. As the title implies, Emerson immerses style and soul into slack-key and steel guitar, and what a soothing excursion this is.
Still remembered, from his '70s-'80s. stint with brother Phil as The Emerson Brothers, Ken Emerson is back with a very relaxing and resourceful sampler of Hawaiian standards reminiscent of the early 19OO's.
There are hints of a jazz and blues inspiration here and there; the repertoire is a flashback to the time when the steel would "sing" where normally there were lyrics. The motif and manner are very much in the "dated" 78 rpm style, but with all the modern clarity that technology now provides. Emerson also experiments, creating what he calls "slack/steel," applying ki ho'alu techniques to steel guitar.
Result: an oldie-sounding newie that's a real hoot, a stroll down memory lane for some, an avenue of discovery for others.
From a jaunty "Hanalei Medley" that alludes to the joy of Kauai, to the knock-'em-dead blues imprint on "Hula Blues," this is a very affectionate performance of a much-admired time, when plain was better than fancy, and a good instrumental lick was all that mattered.
Naturally, there are some lovely standards, like Leonard Kwan's "Moana Chimes," and the beloved Sol Ho'opi'i classic, "Radio Blues." Happily, Emerson writes songs with that nostalgia bent that seems to have leaped up from eight or nine decades ago, including "Hotel Street Blues," "Wai Lehua" and "Ua Kea," all with another-time, another-place nuances. Plain, precise, powerful stuff here.