Step 2: Featuring Song for Anna with Ohta San! Herb Ohta, Jr. & Daniel Ho Step 2 Demo.mp3
		Click on album cover for high resolution jpeg. featuring special guest - Ohta San
		Song List
		1. Step It Up 2. A Song for Anna 3. Ka Wai Lehua ‘A‘ala Ka Honua 4. Pineapple Mango 5. Sanoe 6. Ka‘anapali Sunset 7. ‘Ukuleles in Paradise 8. Maika‘i Ka Makani O Kohala 9. Somewhere Over the Rainbow 10. Kaimana Hila 11. Hawaii Aloha
		Reviews
		Sunday, April 2, 2006 Honolulu Advertiser ISLAND SOUNDS By Wayne Harada Advertiser Entertainment Editor "STEP 2: 'UKULELES IN PARADISE 2" BY HERB OHTA JR. AND DANIEL HO; DANIEL HO CREATIONS Genre: 'Ukulele instrumentals. Distinguishing notes: Repeating the formula of their first dual-uke project, with Herb Ohta Jr. on the left channel and Daniel Ho on the right, these two strummers know all about balance and pacing. Like a handful of other prime 'ukulele masters, Ohta and Ho champion the uke as a solo instrument, all the while creating a pleasurable listening experience. The acoustic approach remains magical here; the addition of a third 'ukulele on "Song for Anna," tapping the originator of the three-decades-old hit, Ohta-san (Herb Jr.'s dad), makes this a particularly memorable outing. The repertoire scopes a handful of favorites, some vintage, some recent, and also dares to further explore the lasting power of "Over the Rainbow." And the language of the instrument — gentle, frolicking, romantic or playful — shines through on such savory titles as "Ka Wai Lehua 'A'ala Ka Honua," "Kaimana Hila" and "Sanoe." The outlook: Could be a catalyst to launch the uke into the Hawaiian Grammy mix. Our take: Ohta and Ho are on a roll; a sure-fire chartbuster. April 1, 2006 Honolulu Star Bulletin Island Mele By John Berger "Step 2: Ukuleles in Paradise 2" Herb Ohta Jr. and Daniel Ho (Daniel Ho Creations) This second album by Herb Ohta Jr. and Grammy award-winning producer Daniel Ho is as exquisite as their debut album of last summer. Once again the impact is heightened by the contrast between Ohta's conventional four-string ukulele and Ho's custom-made six-string instrument. The difference is further accented, and increases the sense of enjoying a live performance, by isolating the instruments to their own separate stereo channels. The mood of the music is soothing throughout. "Ka'anapali Sunset," a contemporary tune that Ohta and Ho play utilizing slack-key techniques, catches the ear even though it might take a few plays to figure out what they're doing. The duo's imaginative arrangements are heard in the tempo changes that spice the title song, and in their take on "Over the Rainbow." The most talked-about track, though, is certain to be "A Song for Anna" as the duo welcomes Ohta's father, Herb "Ohta-san" Ohta, in revisiting Ohta-san's biggest international hit. Informative liner notes add the final touch to this beautiful, Grammy-worthy album.
		Album Notes
		Back again with their second collaboration, Herb Ohta, Jr. (on the left speaker) and Grammy award winner, Daniel Ho (on the right speaker) present a splendid collection of ‘ukulele duets, featuring classic Hawaiian melodies and original compositions. ‘Ukulele legend, Ohta San joins them as the trio performs an inspiring arrangement of his international hit, A Song for Anna. Here we are again! Many tours and countless gigs after we released ‘Ukuleles in Paradise, we have another project — Step 2: (‘Ukuleles in Paradise 2). As with our initial duet release, the concept remains the same: showcase two ‘ukuleles in a pure, acoustic setting with Daniel playing on the right channel and Herb on the left. This time, we took our collaboration a step further and included some original compositions. We are also honored that ‘ukulele master Ohta San has joined us on A Song for Anna! This is Ohta San's first studio recording of A Song for Anna since it sold over six million copies in the 1970's! Mahalo nui loa for your support — we hope you enjoy these recordings and we look forward to meeting you at a one of our performances! Aloha, Daniel & Herb
		Song Notes
		1. Step It Up An original tune by Herb and Daniel. Herb wrote the melody for the verse and chorus while on tour in California and shared it with Daniel upon his return to Hawai‘i. Then together they wrote the bridge — on the piano in the lobby of the Royal Garden at Waikiki Hotel. The easy, relaxed groove bounces through Herb and Daniel’s traded solos. 2. A Song for Anna Ohta San’s mega-hit A Song for Anna was written for him by French band leader and composer André Popp. Now, over 30 years and six million records later, Ohta San joins his son Herb, Jr. and Daniel in an elegant, lilting arrangement for three ‘ukuleles. 3. Ka Wai Lehua ‘A‘ala Ka Honua Written by renowned composer, Kumu Hula, and proponent of Hawaiian culture, Frank Kawaikapuokalani Hewett. As with much Hawaiian poetry and song, there is a kaona, or a veiled meaning to the text; a meaning that cannot simply be deconstructed after the fact, but one that is given to the words by its author. In this case, the text describing the rain, ocean, and blossoms from the lehua tree actually tell of the birth of a child. 4. Pineapple Mango Written by Daniel in 1986 for a composition assignment at the Dick Grove School of Music in Los Angeles. For the assignment, Daniel was to come up with the main title theme music for a television show. The resulting “assignment” was recorded on Canoe Club’s CD Along for the Ride, and then used as the title theme music for the Hawai‘i television magazine “Emme’s Island Moments”. Daniel reflects, “funny, it actually ended up serving the purpose for which it was originally composed!” Soon thereafter, Nalani Choy of the contemporary Hawaiian music group Na Leo, wrote lyrics to the melody and the group recorded it under the title Hawaiian Love. 5. Sanoe In the manuscript copy of the score, Queen Lili‘uokalani indicates she composed Sanoe with “Kapeka”, her friend Elizabeth Sumner Achuck. At the time, Queen Lili‘uokalani was still a princess in the court of her brother, King David Kalakaua. The Queen originally composed the song in common time, though today it is almost always performed in triple meter. 6. Ka‘anapali Sunset Originally composed for a Japanese television commercial in 1999. At the time, Herb was performing with Keoki Kahumoku every weekend in Ka‘anapali on the island of Maui — hence the title. Herb recalls that “the producers wanted a ‘traditional Hawaiian’ sound with elements of slack key guitar.” The resulting composition makes use of repeating vamps, hammer-ons, simple chord progressions, and alternating bass (to the degree that one can do this on an ‘ukulele!), all hallmarks of the slack key style. 7. ‘Ukuleles in Paradise A wonderful example of a lovely and simple melody, this one composed by Herb, that evolved into a more complex and musically compelling piece after being worked and re-worked by Herb and Daniel together. Though the meter is an easy and even 4/4, the melodic phrasing sounds like a bar of 3/8 followed by a bar of 5/8 — an irregular, though calm feeling that propels the music forward with a gentle sweetness. 8. Maika‘i Ka Makani O Kohala Composed by William Sheldon and David Nape, both members of the Royal Hawaiian Band during the early 1900’s. The translation of the title is “Fair is the wind of Kohala”. But, in the kaona or the text’s hidden meaning, the unceasing wind is a metaphor for one’s undying love. So what appears from the title to be a song of place, is actually a love song. 9. Somewhere Over the Rainbow One of the most famous melodies in Western popular music, Somewhere Over the Rainbow was composed by Harold Arlen for the 1939 film “The Wizard of Oz”. In recent years, Israel Kamakawiwo‘ole’s vocal version accompanied by solo ukulele has gained great popularity, both in Hawai‘i and on the North American continent. Herb’s arrangement opens and closes with rubato passages framing a lovely, easy swing. Daniel emulates an upright bass on his D-VI by muting the strings with his right palm. 10. Kaimana Hila One of the most well-known of hapa-haole melodies, this song about Diamond Head was composed by Charles E. King and Andy Cummings. Daniel and Herb’s cover is a fun cross-cultural romp, blending the famous melody and traditional vamps with an upbeat bossa nova rhythm. 11. Hawaii Aloha The melody of Hawa‘i Aloha is actually taken from the hymn I Left it all With Jesus, by 19th century Pennsylvanian singer and composer James McGranahan. Missionary Lorenzo Lyons wrote the text that speaks of respect for the ‘aina, the land of the Islands. Today, Hawai‘i Aloha is regarded by many as a second anthem of Hawai‘i.
		Credits
		Herb Ohta, Jr. Tenor 'ukulele Daniel Ho D-VI tenor 'ukulele, recording, mixing, mastering, & additional photography Ohta San ‘Ukulele on A Song for Anna Stephen M. Sano Liner notes Sharlene Oshiro Cover concept & graphic design Lydia Miyashiro Photography Herb Ohta, Jr. & Daniel Ho play KoAloha ‘ukuleles. www.herbohtajr.com www.jrjrjr.com Record Label: Daniel Ho Creations Recorded: November 2005 & January 2006 Release Date: April 2006