The Hawaiian Islands are home to some really spectacular pickers! Mahalo for your support of these fine musicians. Bands are listed in alphabetical order by island. (If you're looking for information about recurring events on each island, visit our EVENTS page.)
O`AHU
THE CELTIC WAVES (O`ahu)
The Celtic Waves play a lively blend of traditional jigs and reels with a sprinkling of slow airs and songs that lend an Irish pub feel to the music. Performed on acoustic instruments, their repertoire ranges from rollicking, newly composed tunes to lyrical 17th-century harp compositions. Band members include Clark Ratliffe on Irish flute and whistles; Katie McClellen on harp, mandolin, whistle, and vocals; Lawson Cannon on guitar and vocals; Susan Reinhart on bodhran, African Djembe, acoustic bass and vocals; and Kevin Craven on fiddle and vocals. They are sometimes joined by fiddler Lisa Gomes. The Waves appear regularly at several venues on O`ahu! Visit their website and find out where they're appearing at http://celticwaves.net/. For bookings, contact Clark Ratliffe at clark@celticwaves.net.
LISA GOMES (O`ahu)
Her awe-inspiring career as a fiddler for hire has taken her all over the world, but lucky for us, LISA GOMES calls Hawai`i her home! Lisa grew up near Woodstock, New York, playing classical music. After graduating from Vassar College with a degree in psychology, she bought a one-way ticket to Taiwan to learn Chinese. While prepared to learn a new language and culture, she ended up learning something unexpected - how to play music by ear!
Lisa has successfully played in several genres of folk music, including Irish, Scottish, French, Klezmer, Cajun, blues, and rock. Her performances now include dancing and fiddling for the JigThis School of Irish Dance, Highland Dancers Hawai'i, and The Society of Creative Anacronism (SCA), Barony of the Western Seas. In Honolulu, she has played with The Bones (rock), Irish Hearts, Bon Ton Roule (Cajun/Zydeco), The Swampshakers (Zydeco), The Pleasant Peasant Band (International folkdance music), Sherele (Klezmer), Scott Wallace and The Round-up (country), as well as as a duo with Two Hearts (Irish) with Curtis Vandeloop (opening for Old Blind Dogs in 2004); as Kilts on the Beach (Scottish) with Audrey Knuth (opening for Alasdair Fraser and Natalie Haas in 2007); and with Jo McGarry (Scottish music and Scotch-tasting)!
She has also guested with the Doolin' Rakes, Celtic Waves, The Honolulu Blues Co-op, The Eric Petersen Band, Gordon Freitas and Local Folk, Don Conover's Irish Band, The Southern String Band (Raleigh, N.C.), Wolgemut (Medieval), Dram (Medieval/Swedish), and Switchback (Irish/Scottish). Those of us who know Lisa well are fairly sure she never sleeps! Check out her website and schedule at www.lisagomes.com.
GORDON FREITAS (O`ahu)
He's a local folk troubadour... a guitar slinging songwriter, storyteller, historian... and a world-traveled sailor. Gordon's music reflects a sincere joy in the spirit of aloha, and deep pleasure in sharing his island culture with the rest of the world. He can invariably be caught flying solo, in a duo or with close musical friends in a group he calls Local Folk.
Gordo swings from traditional Hawaiian to classic folk & rock, but he loves bluegrass and welcomes any opportunity to kanikapila (play music)!
Visit http://gordonfreitas.com to learn more about Gordo, his songs and schedule, and email him at ainafolk@aol.com.
THE SALOON PILOTS (O`ahu)
The Saloon Pilots are: Lesley Kline on fiddle, Paul Sato on banjo, Kilin Reece on mandolin and guitar, Bill Griffin on mandolin, and Alex Morrison on upright bass. All are seriously talented instrumentalists, and they have worked up spectacular harmonies and truly astonishing new arrangements of the most surprising material. This band never, ever disappoints!
The Saloon Pilots have developed some impressive credits, including opening performances for Laurie Lewis and Tom Rozum, Rhonda Vincent and The Rage, the Alison Brown Quartet, Pete and Joan Wernick and Ken Emerson, and Rob Ickes, Tim Stafford, and Ledward Ka`apana, and--in 2007--a fantastic performance with the Honolulu Symphony Pops, opening for Wynonna Judd at Honolulu's Blaisdell Concert Hall. They have also appeared live on Hawaii News Now's Sunrise program as well as KHON TV's Wake Up 2Day, and a number of popular morning radio programs. They are planning another band trip to the Mainland this coming summer, and looking forward to playing for delighted audiences in North Carolina!
Before moving to O`ahu in 2003, fiddler Lesley Kline played bluegrass and mariachi music in Paris for a decade. Paul Sato has been a mainstay banjo picker in the Hawai'i bluegrass scene for many years, and was even one of Bill Monroe's Bluegrass Boys for a couple of days. Mandolinist/guitarist Kilin Reece, who has worked with legendary fiddler Byron Berline, is a well-known, versatile musician who played in bluegrass bands in Oklahoma and California before relocating to Hawai'i. Bill Griffin of California's legendary Cache Valley Drifters (and now a Hawai`i resident) has joined the band on mandolin and vocals. Alex Morrison is one of Hawai`i's most talented upright bass players; he's equally proficient playing jazz as bluegrass, and can hold his own in any genre.
Click HERE for a February 2007 article about the Saloon Pilots from Honolulu Weekly. Visit them on Facebook for information about their activities and upcoming gigs: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Saloon-Pilots/119319381419701.
And don't forget: you, too, can hire the Saloon Pilots for your private (or public) event! They can perform in several different capacities, ranging from good, clean family fun to loud, low-down, and danceable. They can also provide a professional sound system, and even teach your guests how to square-dance! Contact Paul at paulsato@hotmail.com.
THE BLUEGRASS BARNSTORMERS (O`ahu)
The Bluegrass Barnstormers play and promote a mix of bluegrass, traditional country, and old time fiddle music, bringing these sounds to modern audiences in a fresh and lively style. The band consists Jim Hancock on banjo, Justin Murata on guitar, Bob Schornstheimer on bass, Sam Hayakawa on mandolin, and Ev Greene on fiddle, and grew out of a group of longtime musicians who found themselves enjoying their weekly jam sessions far too much to keep the music to themselves!
Interested in more information or bookings? Please contact Jim Hancock at eljimb0@comcast.net. Click HERE for more information, sound clips, pictures, and to sign up on the Barnstormers mailing list.
BIG ISLAND OF HAWAI`I
FIELDS OF FIRE (Big Island)
Meet FIELDS OF FIRE, East Hawai`i's bluegrass band! They deliver straight-ahead standards and originals, peppered with popular tunes arranged in bluegrass style. Roger Hawney, from Orchidland, plays upright bass, is also a member of the group Into Wishin' and is the engineer at Stone River Studio. Jim Bunton (guitar) also lives in Orchidland. John Oliver from Paradise Park plays mandolin and is a former member of Tropical Grass. Steve Ryan plays banjo, lives in Honoli`i, is a former member of Tropical Grass, and plays piano with the HiloBillies contra dance band.
Fields of Fire was started seven years ago by Roger and Jim, and the band has had its current lineup since late 2004. They have performed at parties, special occasions, and coffee houses.
For bookings or information about upcoming performances, call Roger at (808) 966-6595 or Sharon at (808) 966-4075, or e-mail Ssumbaugh@aol.com.
VOGGY MOUNTAIN RAMBLERS (Big Island)
The Voggy Mountain Ramblers is a Big Island bluegrass band that includes our good friend Jan Willis. Band members are: Maggie Lobo on guitar and vocals; Jan Willis on upright bass and vocals; Lorenzo Carlson on `ukulele and vocals. Randy Holland from O`ahu joins them on mandolin whenever he can! They've recently added Michael Riopel on guitar and vocals. Michael is a retired pro who played for years on the Mainland with the McLains and other groups. The band features several original songs written by Maggie and Michael as well as a blend of Hawaiian, traditional and contemporary folk, country, bluegrass, rock-n-roll and Americana music.
The Ramblers are presently searching for a regular gig at a restaurant/bar and will keep us posted. Visit their MySpace and hear a tune at http://www.myspace.com/voggymountainramblers!
KAUAI
THE MALAMA PONO ALL-STARS (Kauai)
This band has a great time! Personnel includes Paul Crowe on guitar and vocals; Steven Meredith on harp, cajone and washboard; Jimmy Truillo on dobro, harp and vocals, Ya Kaduce on jaw harp, saw, vocals; Doug Gates on mandolin and sound; Mike Cosmann on banjo, mando and vocals. They make regular appearances in Kapa`a, so check out their website (complete with a few very fun tunes!) at http://www.myspace.com/malamaponoallstars.
MAUI
THE HAIKU HILLBILLYS (Maui)
The Haiku Hillbillys are a Maui band that play regularly at several locations. As guitarist Randall says, "We travel into many different styles but do some real serious bluegrass within The Haiku Hillbillys." Their material includes plenty of originals, as well as covers of tunes from Old and In The Way, the Grateful Dead, Bob Dylan, and old folk traditional tunes as well as their own originals.
To check out Randall's site, click here. Or email Randall and ask him to put you on his mailing list, because the Hillbillys make frequent regular appearances each month at various Maui venues!