Album Notes

Danny, who is now 21 years old, started playing guitar at the age of 9 1/2. His first songs were learned from his dad, and his mom.

He soon became a student of the great slack key master and teacher Ozzie Kotani. Ozzie taught Danny in the traditional hawaiian style of “watch and learn”. He introduced Danny to a broad range of kiho'alu stylings, teaching Danny not only his own music, but the techniques and stylings of others as well, including that of his own teacher, the legendary Sonny Chillingworth. His commitment to support Danny’s passion for this music has been an extraordinary gift. Danny has also learned much by watching and playing Ledward Ka'apana and Raymond Kane's music.

Danny has played at numerous slack key festivals in Hawaii. He has also played at the Honolulu Academy of Arts Atherton auditorium on several occasions with Ozzie, and has had solo concerts at the KHPR studio.

Danny's first composition, which is on this CD, was composed when he was 10. It is a sweet, sad, song in the key of A, which was named “Booboo’s Lullaby” for his pet dog.

In December 2004, Danny had the honor of becoming the first and only slack key artist to date to play kiho'alu on National Public Radio’s music program From The Top, broadcasted to a nationwide audience on February 26, 2005. From The Top's website has his radio performances from that show online. Additionally, Danny’s performance was included on their just-released CD “From The Top - Volume Three”. He was also featured on Garrison Keillor's NPR Program A Prairie Home Companion in November, 2006

His primary guitar is a koa and spruce ‘000’ cutaway, custom-built for him by his dad, as was the custom-made 'ukulele used in track 7.

The hallmark of hawaiian slack key music is it's gentle, calming, nature which reflects the gentleness of the tradewinds, and the slower paced living style which we enjoy here in paradise. Danny, at the tender age of 15, has clearly captured the essence of this music and is already considered by many of the masters here to be one of them.

People who have experienced this CD tend to keep it in the car to sooth their way through traffic or to listen to it in the evening as a way of coming down from the stresses of the day. We hope you enjoy this bit of hawaiian nahenahe (soothing and comforting) music.