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Smash Hit Post-WWII Hawaiian Music Legends
Jesse Kalima & Richard Kauhi: Hawaii Academy
of Recording Arts Anthology of the Year Nominee

The Kalima Brothers & the Richard Kauhi Quartette transports you back in time to post-WWII Waikiki when the ukulele and the piano were combined to ignite a Hawaiian music revolution making two innovative musicians, Jesse Kalima and Richard Kauhi, Hawaiian music legends. The Kalima Brothers rambunctious sound featured solid multi-part harmonies, embellished with intricate ukulele, piano, and steel guitar solos all propelled by a rollicking katchi-katchi dance beat making them a smash hit in post-WWII Honolulu. By the summer of 1948, a new musical rage hit Honolulu in the form of the Richard Kauhi Quartette with a hybrid jazzy sound featuring flawless four-part vocals driven by intricate piano arrangements. 14 tracks by the Kalima Brothers collectively known as 1000 Pounds of Melody, and 11 tracks by the Richard Kauhi Quartette.

 

Mike Cord and Harry B. Soria Jr. inaugurate a new series celebrating the musical legacy of the territorial era with this beautiful 25-song collection of music by the Kalima Brothers and the Richard Kauhi Quartette.  Kauhi is the common denominator; he played with the Kalimas in the early 1940s before working alone.

The Kalima Brothers sextet - Jesse Kalima, his brothers Albert and Honey, cousin Daniel Junior Kalima Kaho'opi'i, and Julian Gasper - was already a highly regarded act when Kauhi replaced Henry Mucha on piano.  Jesse Kalima was a brilliant arranger and innovator, believed to be the first to amplify the 'ukulele.  His omnivorous musical interests stretched from Caucasian-American marches such as Stars & Stripes Forever and Under The Double Eagle to Hawaiian and early hapa-haole classics including E Lili'u E and Only Ashes Remain.  All four are among the gems included here.


Kauhi started playing semi-professionally before he reached his teens.  Formally trained from the age of 8, he brought a more refined and sophisticated sound to the group.  After recording for Bell Records with the Kalimas in 1946 he went on his own with Jesse's blessing.  Almost exactly a year later he returned to the Bell Studios and introduced a new style of Hawaiian-jazz fusion that was inspired by mainland jazz acts but not imitative of them.  The group was so tight that its first studio run-through was a flawless keeper.  No small feat at a time when everything was recorded live instead of track-by-track.  That recording Lei Pakalana opens the Richard Kauhi Quartette section of the album.


The incredible success of Kauhi's group established his place in the history of Hawaiian music as a talented vocalist and brilliant arranger in his own right.


As with Hana Ola's previous Vintage Hawaiian Treasures series, Soria's extensive annotation provides malihini (and residents too young to remember) all they need to know to appreciate the significance of the Kalima Brothers, Richard Kauhi, and these beautiful recordings.

John Berger  - Entertainment Editor: Honolulu Star-Bulletin, October 1996


For a quick lesson on how the masters did it, 1,000 Pounds of Melody (Hana Ola CD HOCD 27000) assembles vintage tracks by two notable acts from yesteryear, the Kalima Brothers and the Richard Kauhi Quartette.  The incomparable Kauhi performs with both groups.  The Kalimas, headed by the late ukulele great Jesse, sashay from authentic Hawaiian E Lili'u E to uke standards Stars and Stripes Forever, from hapa-haole delights Moonlight in Hawaii to adaptations Only Ashes Remain.

Wayne Harada - Island Sounds: The Honolulu Advertiser, March 1997  


'Ukulele players alert: Michael Cord has done it again - The Kalima Brothers & The Richard Kauhi Quartette 1,000 Pounds of Melody.  Two-for-one of some of the greatest vintage Hawaiian sounds on record.  Ukulele legend Jesse Kalima (and brothers) are joined by Julian Gasper on steel.  Richard Kauhi called The Father of Modern Hawaiian Music fills out his famous Quartette with Johnny Costello, Jimmy Kaku, Sonny Kamaka, with vocalist and steel artist Lovey Lui.  This is FUN music, and a lot to go to school on, if you're enlarging your 'ukulele repertoire. As always Hana Ola records has restored the audio and digitally remastered the 25 tracks in this recording from original sources.  The sound quality is great and these performers are truly vintage Hawaiian legends.

Aloha Joe - Aloha Joe's Steel Guitar Hour: Hawaiian Steel Guitar Association


This CD features 14 tracks by the Kalima Brothers and 11 tracks by the Richard Kauhi Quartette originally issued in the mid to late 1940s on Bill Fredlund's Bell Records label. The Kalima Brothers were quite popular in postwar Honolulu on record as well as in the local club scene. They have a sound typical of Hawaiian music of the time, with multipart harmonies, syrupy steel guitar solos, piano, uke, and bass. The highlights of the album are Jesse Kalima's ukulele solos of non-Hawaiian material like Stars and Stripes Forever and Under the Double Eagle - two marches he had originally learned on the saxophone as a child in the school band in Kalihi. Richard Kauhi studied piano as a child and joined the Kalimas in 1942 at the age of 13. While their former pianist had pounded out chords in a more traditional, solid rhythm, Kauhi brought a more modern, "advanced" jazzy style. By 1947 Richard had tired of his backup role in the band and formed his own group, whose recordings of 1948 are featured here. They have less of a traditional sound, influenced by the King Cole Trio, Merry Macs, and George Shearing.

Melissa Axelrod


At the edge of Waikiki, the ukulele and the piano ware combined to ignite a Hawaiian music revolution. Two innovative Hawaiian musicians, Jesse Kalima and Richard Kauhi, became Hawaiian music legends.

Jesse Kaleihia Andre Kalima was born in Honolulu on October 31, 1920. Jesse was the oldest of three brothers and a sister born to a Hawaiian Portuguese named Jesse Andre, and his pure Hawaiian wife Amy Pakiko.  Jesse Andre died while all of his children were still quite young. Amy remarried, and she and all of her children became Kalima's.

Jesse's mother Amy often performed with the great Hawaiian vocalist Lena Machado, so at the age of six her young Sonny was taught to dance the hula and play the ukulele. His first performances were from the back of a truck at Territorial political rallies.

The boys first learned marches in the local American Legion Drum and Bugle Corps. Later, at Farrington High School, Jesse played the saxophone in the Kalihi area school band. He enjoyed playing Stars and Stripes Forever, Under the Double Eagle,  and other marches.  Soon, Jesse was transferring these melodies to his ukulele - making the four strings sound like six.


Jesse Kalima burst upon the Hawaiian music scene at age 15 when he entered and won The Hawaii Amateur Ukulele Championship in 1935. He had taught his brother Albert to accompany him on a stand-up bass while he performed his own arrangement of Stars and Stripes Forever on his ukulele. The victory in 1935 landed Jesse a professional gig at the Princess Theatre Potluck Show.


Jesse soon taught his youngest brother Willard Honey to play the guitar, and by 1939 the Kalima Brothers  were a musical group. Their cousin, Daniel Junior Kaho'opi'i, was recruited to sing and play maracas. He was dubbed Junior Kalima, and became another Kalima Brother. Steel guitarist Julian Gasper and pianist Henry Mucha rounded out the Kalima Brothers group. As all of the band members began to add considerable weight to their large frames, they were eventually nicknamed 1,000 Pounds of Melody.

In 1942, the Kalima Brothers had built a solid following around Honolulu. Jesse and his bride, Dorothy, purchased a home at 256 Wai Nani Way in Waikiki. The 2-bedroom home at the end of the little lane near Kapi'olani Park served as the practice studio and home base for the Kalima Brothers, as well as the residence for another generation of six Kalima children. As Honolulu's wartime population soared in 1942, the band was in demand and so were able bodied young men. When Henry Mucha was drafted into military service the Kalima Brothers needed a new piano player.

Meanwhile, in the neighboring community of Kapahulu, nestled at the foot of fabled Diamond Head, Richard Kapapanuihanaumoko Kauhi was at a turning point: in his own life. Kauhi was born in Honolulu to English Hawaiian Susie Nani Hussey and pure Hawaiian Joseph Kauhi on May 21, 1929. At the age of 8, Richard began taking piano lessons every Wednesday afternoon from Vernon Waldo Thompson at Punahou School. When he was 10 years old, Richard entered and won the Tuesday night Territorial Amateur Hour Contest on KGMB radio, gaining recognition as a gifted young pianist. His mother died soon after of diabetes, and his father was hospitalized with tuberculosis, so the ample-bodied pre-teen quit school and masqueraded as an older man.

Not long into Kauhi's masquerade, Jesse and Dorothy Kalima drove down Kapahulu Avenue to the Kapahulu Theatre where 13 year old Richard spent much of his time playing the organ. They persuaded the youngster to fill the vacant slot as pianist for the Kalima Brothers. Initially, the other band members disagreed with the choice - after all, Henry Mucha had pounded out chords on the piano – while young Richard played a more refined classical style that featured intricate arrangements of tinkling keys. Founder and leader Jesse prevailed and the new sound soon exploded onto Honolulu's Hawaiian music scene.

Outdoor evening Jam Sessions were a popular way for musicians to earn money in the 1940s. The Kalima Brothers regular spot was under the banyan tree at Kuhio Beach on Kalakaua Avenue. The gathered crowd would be urged to donate cash into a strategically placed bucket. Jesse would say, “Let's hear the flutter of leaves (currency), not the tinkle of Abraham's (Lincoln pennies)”. The bands popularity continued to grow.

During World War II, Bill Fredlund began recording Hawaiian music on his new record label, Bell Records of Hawaii. Bell Records was part of his new musical enterprise which he called Leo Kupina'i Studios, meaning Voice That Goes Out And Comes Back. As a result, the original Bell Records catalog numbers incorporated the initials LKS.

The Bell Records Studio was a former military warehouse in an area known as Base Yard 6, located at Date & Laau Streets, across the Ala Wai Canal from Waikiki. Local electronics genius Young O. Kang served as Bell's recording engineer. The crafty Kang defeated any possible echo by baffling the warehouse walls and he reduced audible noise by using just two Altec 639 microphones. With his years of experience, Kang knew that both the Hawaiian musicians and their audience preferred a solid bottom end of bass on their music. And so, the Korean audio technician genius provided it on the Bell catalog of 78 rpm records.

Between 1944 and 1950, Bell Records of Hawaii recorded and released an enormous catalog of Hawaiian music. The label assembled a star-studded stable of Hawaii's professional musicians and entertainers - the absolute cream of the industry! Practically every star, of every showroom, lounge, and nightclub in the Waikiki showbiz scene recorded on Bell. The Kalima Brothers became Bell recording artists in 1946.

The recorded Kalima Brothers became a smash hit in post-war Honolulu, and were in great demand in the local club scene. The rambunctious 1,000 Pounds of Melody sound featured solid multi-part harmonies, embellished with intricate ukulele, piano, and steel guitar solos, and was propelled by a rollicking katchi - katchi danceable beat. Cyril Gabby Gomes often joined them as Emcee/Comedian when they played clubs all over town. Honolulu flocked to see them at Felix's Florentine Gardens (at Fisherman's Wharf - Kewalo Basin), Seaside Gardens (on Ala Moana) and at Lou Yee Chai, Queen's Surf, and Waikiki Sands (all in Waikiki).

By 1947, 19 year old Richard Kauhi wanted to do something new. His mentor of six years, Jesse Kalima, realized that young Richard wanted to be more than a non-singing sideman and supported his decision to leave the group. Sonny Waiau was asked to take over the Kalima's keyboards, and King Richard returned to Kapahulu to pursue his dream.

For the next eleven months, Richard developed his new group with their new sound at the Kauhi Family home at 3378 Campbell Avenue in Kapahulu. Childhood friend Johnny Costello, of 723 6th Avenue, became bassist. Another pal, Jimmy Kaku from Brokaw Street played the cocktail drums (brushes on a snare drum, and mallets on a tom-tom). Mark Sonny Kamaka, a talented young man from Maui, was recruited to play guitar and sing in the high end of the harmonies.

The Richard Kauhi Quartette recorded for Bell Records in the summer of 1948. The hybrid jazzy sound featured flawless four-part vocals driven by intricate piano arrangements. It was Hawaiian music influenced by the likes of the King Cole Trio, the Page Cavanaugh Trio, the Merry Macs, and George Shearing. When the group opened an engagement at Felix’s Florentine Gardens in September of 1948, it seemed as if all of young Honolulu turned out to see them.

As the new musical rage of Honolulu, the Richard Kauhi Quartette toured the Honolulu nightclub circuit. They were featured at Queen's Surf, Lou Yee Chai, Pago Pago, Zebra Room, and at the Ginza. Along the way, the group's personnel began to change and Richard began to look toward the mainland. Richard had married Betty Rapozo in 1951 and began a series of trips to the West Coast. Those trips finally resulted in Richard and Betty relocating to Hollywood.

Jesse Kalima kept performing and recording. He became the first entertainer to amplify his ukulele, and was the first musical performer on live television in Hawaii. He was featured regularly in television commercials, played nightclub gigs, and recorded Hawaiian music with his children. Jesse would always tell his audiences, “Live your life like it was your last day on earth, but treat everyone else like it's their last day on earth.”

Richard Kauhi remained on the mainland for 16 years. He was featured in prestigious clubs from Beverly Hills to Palm Springs, and he recorded two albums. Finally, in 1969, Richard came home to Hawaii. As he raised his young son in the Islands, Richard shared a wish for Hawaii's young musicians to be “free to do what they want to do... express themselves”.

Once again, Hawaii could enjoy either the ukulele styling of Jesse Kalima or the piano artistry of Richard Kauhi as each continued their performances through the 1970s. Sadly though, the old gang was leaving us one by one.

Albert Kalima died in 1971. Honey Kalima passed on in 1981. Both Johnny Costello and Jimmy Kaku also passed away.


On a Super Bowl Sunday, January 21, 1979, King Richard -  Richard Kapapanuihanaumoku Kauhi - succumbed to lung cancer, at his home with his wife Betty at his side. He was only 49 years old.

The following year, on a Sunday morning,  July 13, 1980, Jesse Kaleihia Andre Kalima died in his sleep, with his wife Dorothy at his side. He was only 59 years old.

The two innovative legends of Hawaiian music are gone but not forgotten - their music remains to pay tribute. With a Voice That Goes Out And Comes Back, Hana Ola Records shares with you the very best of 1,000 Pounds of Melody. The 25 selections represent the major body of work recorded on Bell Records of Hawaii by both ensembles. 14 tracks by the Kalima Brothers, and 11 tracks by the Richard Kauhi Quartette. These performers are truly Vintage Hawaiian Legends.  

 
THE KALIMA BROTHERS - 1,000 POUNDS OF MELODY

STARS & STRIPES FOREVER
John Philip Souza The March King lived from 1854 to 1932.  The Washington D.C. bandmaster's The Stars And Stripes Forever written in 1896 is one of the most stirring and most famous marches in the world.  It was Jesse Kalima's ukulele arrangement of this famous march that propelled him to early fame in the Hawaiian Islands.  Fittingly, it was the first recording made by the Kalima Brothers.

GONE WITH THE WIND
While journeying from Hawaii to Johnson Island on a tugboat in 1938, Junior Kalima collaborated with shipmates Indian Pete, Lee, and Improvise on new lyrics for an old fox trot melody Flowers For Madame. Upon his return to Hawaii Junior took their new song Gone With The Wind to Jesse to be arranged for the Kalima Brothers.  Junior sings the lead while Jesse and Honey take vocal parts.  Young Richard Kauhi dramatically joins the Kalima Brothers with a flourish embellished by Julian Gasper's weeping fade away steel guitar solo.

E LILI'U E
E Lili'u E honors the physical beauty and royal bearing of the last of the rulers of the Kingdom of Hawaii, Queen Lydia Kamaka'eha Lili'uokalani (1839-1917), originally composed for Queen Kapi'olani then modified for dedication to Lili'uokalani, the traditional Hawaiian chant is also known as the Queen's Hula.  The Kalima Brothers recall the original chant of John Kaulia and Antone Kao'o with Junior on the pahu drum before taking off on another zesty romp.

ONLY ASHES REMAIN
Originally a slow ballad by Andrew Kealoha Andy Cummings (1913-1995) Only Ashes Remain was given new life by the Kalima Brothers with a rewritten introduction and a faster tempo.  Honey Kalima's voice is featured on the solo introduction.  This Bell 78-rpm recording was later immortalized as the ultimate irony in local Hawaiian lore when a disc survived a nightclub blaze in mid-play on the turntable of the club's jukebox.

KAULANA O HILO HANAKAHI
Lena Machado Hawaii's Song Bird (1903-1974) composed Kaulana O Hilo Hanakahi or Famous is Hilo For Her Scenic Beauty for the Crescent City on the Big Island of Hawaii in 1946. The Kalima Brothers version became an early recorded favorite.  Junior, Jesse and Honey sing vocal parts - with each taking a chorus.

KU'UIPO I KA HE'E PU'E ONE
The haunting love song Ku'uipo I Ka He'e Pu'e One or My Sweetheart In The Rippling Hills of Sand is perhaps the most famous composition credited to Princess Miriam Likelike (1851-1887).  Junior handles lead vocals on the song he would dedicate to his daughter Ku'uipo while Jesse and Honey both sing parts in support.

JALOUSIE
The ukulele was developed in 1879 from the Portuguese stringed instrument the braguinha by three Portuguese immigrants: Manuel Nunes, Augustine Dias, and Joan Fernandes.  For this instrumental arrangement of the Danish composer Jacob Gade's 1925 tango Jalousie Jesse Kalima injected a Latin beat into a song that was popular during his emergence at the Princess Theatre Potluck shows.

KAULANA KA INOA O KAUA'I
Kauai the Garden Isle is 33 miles long and 25 miles wide and lies to the west of O'ahu.  Kaulana Ka Inoa O Kaua'i credited to Hanohano praises the islands Lei Mokihana, prized for its beautiful scent, and the 5080-foot tall Mount Wai'ale'ale known as The Wettest Spot on Earth because of the high levels of rainfall there.  Junior, Honey, and Jesse all take vocal parts, with each alternating at lead vocal.  This is an excellent example of the wide open style upon which the Kalima Brothers built their popularity.

DARK EYES
Jesse Kalima took a classic traditional 1800s Russian folksong ballad Ochichyornye and once again worked his ukulele magic with an arrangement he dubbed Dark Eyes.  The instrumental conjures up visions of gypsy dance in the heart of Waikiki.

KIU' KIU'
Katchi-Katchi in Hawaiian music originally referred to fun and danceable music imported by immigrant sugar workers and described specifically by Japanese workers as katchi-katchi because of the scratchy sound made by the Guiro,  an open ended hollow gourd percussion instrument. Eventually the Latin-flavored musical beat found increasing favor in war-time Hawaii, a reflection of the cultural melting pot produced by Plantation-Era immigration labor. Young residents were drawn to a mix of Puerto Rican, Cuban, Mexican, Portuguese and Brazilian danceable tempos and would often incorporated them into original Hawaiian songs. The Kalima Brothers performance of their Carmen Miranda-esque Kiu Kiu takes Katchi-Katchi to another level with different customized local verses.  Junior leads the lusty chorus of whistles and yells.

PALOLO
Nestled against the Koolau range, Palolo Valley can be viewed from Waikiki.  Charles E. King (1874-1950) composed this spirited place-name hula Palolo in 1917.  Junior and Honey trade lead vocals with the trio.  The Hawaiian lyric translates my love returns to Palolo, where gentle rains are ever descending softly.

DANCING UNDER THE STARS
Young Richard Kauhi chose Dancing Under The Stars for his first instrumental recording.  Julian Gasper's delicate steel guitar imitates a violin while King Richard has his way with the ivories.  Harry Owens (1902-1986) introduced his composition in 1936 as the "new radio theme song of Harry Owens and His Royal Hawaiian Hotel Orchestra".  It soon became a favorite last dance of the evening on most island dance floors.

UNDER THE DOUBLE EAGLE
The 1895 Austrian march by J.F. Wagner Under The Double Eagle was often played by the Royal Hawaiian Band at the Kapi'olani Park Bandstand in Waikiki.  The Kalima Brothers would sometimes gather at the bandstand to listen to their cousin Solomon Kalima play first trumpet in the band.  This instrumental version represents yet another innovative arrangement by the ukulele wizard Jesse Kalima.

MOONLIGHT IN HAWAII
During World War II, Hawaii observed strict nighttime blackout regulations while under martial law.  Jesse and Dorothy Kalima would often spend evenings sitting out on the curb in front of her family home while her mother patrolled the neighborhood as block warden.  Jesse and his family eventually created Blackout In Hawaii while singing in the darkness.  After the war ended, the title lyric was updated to Moonlight In Hawaii.  Appropriately, it was the last recording made for the Bell label by the Kalima Brothers.

THE RICHARD KAUHI QUARTETTE

LEI PAKALANA
This recording really is the very first made by the Richard Kauhi Quartette.  It is truly a testament to the young groups endless rehearsals for the previous eleven months.  Once the equipment was set up at their first recording date, Bell engineer Y.O. Kang decided to cut a test recording.  So, without any warm-up, the boys ran through their first scheduled tune the traditional Hawaiian standard Lei Pakalana.  All in attendance were appropriately shocked when this flawless performance resulted in a rare first take of the first song.  The pakalana is the Hawaiian name for the flower from a slender vine native to Southern Asia introduced to Hawaii by the Chinese immigrants who arrived in the mid-1800s.  The lei pakalana of fragrant yellow-green blossoms is worn in many strands and is associated with love and lovemaking by the Hawaiians.

MY YELLOW GINGER LEI
John Keawehawai'i (1920-1987), father of contemporary entertainer Karen Keawehawai'i, composed the timeless hapa-haole classic My Yellow Ginger Lei in the 1940s. The song gives a revealing glimpse of the importance of a cherished flower lei in the Hawaiian culture.  Richard Kauhi's tender rendition features falsetto vocal solos by Richard, Sonny, and Johnny between harmony parts.

GOODNIGHT BABY, GOODNIGHT
Richard Kauhi sings the introduction of Goodnight Baby, Goodnight then all the boys chime in with their trademark four-part harmonies.  The parts were always arranged by Richard, the only group member who could read and write music.  Richard's arrangements sought to utilize each voice as effectively as possible so it was not uncommon for the boys to trade parts at various phrases within the same song.  Sonny Kamaka takes the high solo part at the close of this first of two Parker Cummings, Jr. (1914-1969) compositions.

KISS ME LOVE
John Kameaaloha Almeida the beloved Dean of Hawaiian Music wrote most of his large body of work in the Hawaiian language.  Kiss Me Love is one of the few hapa-haole creations of the legendary blind composer who lived from November 28, 1897 to October 9, 1985. JKA never published any of his compositions.  Ever adapting Richard Kauhi is heard here on the low vocal part of the harmony arrangement.

TAHITIAN LULLABY
Richard Kauhi steps away from his trademark piano on this one.  The 1938 tune Tahitian Lullaby also known as Te Himene Tahiti features lyrics by L. Wolfe Gilbert and music by Roger W. Fowler.  Richard Kauhi takes over the guitar so Sonny can showcase his steel guitar work.  Jimmy works the brushes and Johnny sings the high solo vocal part.

I'LL ROAM THE ISLES FOR YOU
Back at his keyboard Richard Kauhi wrote this beautiful arrangement of I'll Roam The Isles For You to embrace the notes of Sonny Kamaka's guitar.  Richard also sings the lead vocal solo on another sultry ballad from local Hawaiian writer Parker Cummings, Jr.

NANI WAIMEA
Nani Waimea written in 1946 is probably one of the most recognizable songs in this collection.  It is reminiscent of another of Sam Koki's (1900-1968) dynamic compositions  Maui Chant.  Richard Kauhi's arrangement here has been immortalized throughout the decades by the later recordings of The Invitations, Hui Ohana, and many others.  Richard opens the selection vocally.

SOME TIMES I'M HAPPY
Some Times I'm Happy written in 1923 by Vincent Youmans and Irving Caesar best exemplifies the King Cole Trio influence on the Richard Kauhi Quartette.  Leader Richard sings the solo lead on this upbeat pop tune.  Listen closely as Richard and Sonny use the hip lingo of the day.  Richard tosses the instrumental jam to Sonny -"Take it Sonny" and Sonny responds -"Okay, Daddy-O".  When Richard's piano begins to really swing again, he is urged on with -"Go, Dickie-boy, go!".

WHEN YOU PRESS YOUR LIPS TO MINE
Elizabeth "Lovey" Lui (1924-1985) was a multi-talented Hawaiian musician and vocalist.  Most often remembered as a member of Pauline Kekahuna & her Hauoli Girls (HOCD2085), a traditional Hawaiian hula inspired combo, Lovey also was an accomplished steel guitar player.  In addition she aspired to be a pop vocalist.  Her dream was realized when Richard arranged Andy Razaf and Julian Woodworth's 1930 When You Press Your Lips To Mine for her and she joined the boys to perform it in exchange for the use of the next two songs that she had just written.

HAUNANI MINE (HULA TEMPO)
Richard's arrangement of Lovey Lui's best known composition has been covered repeatedly through the years, including a memorable version by Marlene Sai.  Once again, Sonny Kamaka shares his gorgeous steel guitar stylings.  Richard mans the rhythm guitar and the lead vocals on Haunani Mine.

WHEN I FIRST MET YOU
The Richard Kauhi Quartette concludes our compilation with another tune from Lovey Lui.  This final Bell studio work of the quartette may be the best to illustrate the clever phrase-by-phrase vocal part swapping by the boys.  The lyric also may best capture the spirit of both the Kalima Brothers and the Richard Kauhi Quartette as well as their loving families.

©Cord International 1996

kalama brothers




27000
The Kalima Brothers and the Richard Kauhi Quartette 1000 Pounds of Melody Vintage Hawaiian Legends Vol 1 HOCD27000


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