Phil Dirt - Reverb Central - PO Box 1609, Felton, CA 95018-1609 USA The Blue Hawaiians - Christmas On Big Island
 | A Blue Hawaiian Yule is a mix of surf guitar, surf riffs, reverb, Hawaiian guitar, Don Ho-isms, dinner at Martin Denny's, and a nap in a little grass shack populated with hula dancers. It contains both vocals & instros, recorded with the laid-back precise stylings the Blue Hawaiians always supplies. This is a necessary addition to your holiday CD stash. The sound is clean and crisp. Vocal tracks include "Jingle Jangle," and "White Christmas." |
Picks: Christmas Time Is Here, White Christmas, Jingle Bells, Have Yourself A Quiet Little Christmas, We Four Kings, Enchanted Xmas
Track by Track Review
Christmas Surf (Instrumental)
A slow and shiny holiday instro version of the standard, pretty, measured, deliberate and flowing. It features a mighty nice dribbling double picked melody in the middle. Very appealing.
Christmas Surf (Instrumental)
A shimmering version of this classic, with all the flowing beauty you require, and all the delicacy needed as well. It's a slow and pristine performance. Nice.
Christmas Surf (Instrumental)
Tribal tom toms and a lap steel lead drenched in Waikiki-isms... so very cool. Not like Santo and Johnny, but much more Hawaiian and much more infectious. Very cool. The George Of The Jungle rhythms are perfect! What a great concept.
Have Yourself A Quiet Little Christmas Christmas Surf (Instrumental)
Martin Denny lives in this brilliant blending of Hawaiian lounge exotica and Hawaiian steel guitar. The melody is a delivered by a duet between a guitar and vibes. It's a very unusual and pretty arrangement.
Christmas Surf (Instrumental)
Crashing waves, surf whammy chords, and the most imaginative and natural merger of "Penetration" and "We Three Kings" yields a brilliant track. This is very infectious, and very unusual. I love this!
Christmas Surf (Instrumental)
A slow and sinewy steel guitar number with exotica bongos and a fifties slow dance rhythm. The lead guitar is vibrato laden and smooth, and accompanied by coral "oohs." It's very pretty and moody in a sad romantic way. Quite nice.