Ke Alahou, Volume I, Number 2, 1 December 1979 — Review PURE GABBY [ARTICLE]

Review

PURE GABBY

Pure Gabby: Hula Records, P.O. Box 2135, Honolulu, 96805• 2-record album set. Songs: Hiilawe, Ki ho'alli (Instrumental), Nanea ko Maka i ka lealea, Lihue, Lei Nani. Slack-key Medley, Wai Huihui o ke Aniani, Mauna Loa, Ahūlili, I ka pyp me ke ao, and Farewell Medley. Gabby Kunia Pahinui is considered to be a foremost guitarist* of contemporary Hawaiian slack-key music and the validity of such praise and accomplishment is to be found in the recent on the Hula label. "I resolved that if I ever had the money and Gabby were still playing, to trv to make a "straight" recording of his guitar and singing with"just a little bass and ukulele to ride along for company." • _ This recording gives us a retrospective view of the sound of Gabby's music when Hawaiian folk music was either taken for granted or not appreciated at all. Entitled Pure Gabby. it is indeed a pure unadulterated recording of Gabby Pahinui's music. There is no denial in the liner notes as to Gabby's interchanging of words and verses. Itisan honest portrayal of his style. Hula Records should be commended for being one of the few companies to provide the lyrics, translations and general information with the record.. As for the music and Vocals, Gabby's style has a sound of simplicity, a very pleasing and relaxing harmony of tunes and is of moderate tempo. His voice reminds many of their grand--father's, fathers or uncle's as they onee played on the lanai or back porch stairs or at parties, It is a voice from fond remembered days gone by, He effortlessly moves into falsetto as in the songs Mauna Loa and Ahulili, and his pronunciation of the Hawaiian has a soft and gentle inflection. His ability and talent seemlo eome from a spirit in the man as he puts it, "I just play the way I feel. M Gabby has become a symbol of our cultural heritage today as we have shared too in his Ups and downs, his friendship and in the joy of expressing our pleasure through music. There are some cautionary thoughts before buying this record. One should remember the recording was done remote in 1961 and therefore does not have the same quality as a studio recording ōf today. Also v if one does not fully appreciate slack-key music and Hawaiian vocals. it could become repetitious leading to boredom. Remember, this is Pure Gabby! There have been many questions asked as to why this recording was not releas6d earlier. Consider this remark made by a woman in 1972 at a record album sale: ' Look at everyone buying Gabby (records) — before nobody knew him." MNC