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September-October, 2021 | VOLUME 6 | ISSUE 9
Museum of Making Music
The NAMM Show
The Museum of Making Music is located in the NAMM (National
Association of Music Merchants) offices located in Carlsbad. Outside of the music world, NAMM is virtually unknown, but amongst musicians, it’s a name that is revered. NAMM is synonymous with music. A large part of that is due to their annual epic tradeshow held at the Anaheim Convention Center. With attendance at well over
100,000, there is no question that the NAMM tradeshow is one the biggest music events on the planet. 2018 saw more than 2,000 exhibiting companies from around the world taking part, with more than 7,000 brands represented. Essentially for retailers to learn about new products, and not open to the public, it’s the hottest ticket for just
about any musician, with miles of aisles roam, numerous seminars and demonstrations, plus the bonus of plenty of sightings of musical heroes in attendance. The pandemic cancelled the 2021 edition and the 2022 edition has likewise been postponed. Normally held at the end of January, NAMM 2022 will now take place June 3 – 5.
SLACK KEY OHANA
Lucky Accidents
Fans of the acoustic guitar, ukulele and Pacific sounds, will want to hear the new combo, Slack Key Ohana, comprised of Kamaka Mullen and Brian Witkin. Playing music steeped in the traditions of Hawaiian music, although Slack Key Ohana is a duo, the band lineup depends on the occasion, ranging from duo to full band with pedal steel, bass, drums, ukulele, four harmony vocals etc. The band’s creation was almost inevitable, given the lineup of circumstances. “Brian approached me about slack key guitar lessons after finding me online,” Mullen said. The first lesson was at Witkin’s office at Pacific Records / Rock and Roll San Diego. “As I entered the studio, I had to pretend to be uninterested in how freaking awesome the whole place was (and still is),” Mullen said. “Well, we had ongoing lessons at his house and a few at his studio. One day I posted a pic of my home recording rig as a teaser to my next project, and Brian
was like, “Do you want to record at my studio?” Of course, that was a no brainer.” Witkin produced and engineered Mullen’s most recent album, I Mua. “After that, one thing led to another for us to collaborate. It was like we were meant to find each other. We even found out that we were both born the same year.” What’s the attraction to the classic Hawaiian sound? “I’ve been drawn to Hawaiian culture pretty much my entire life as I was lucky to start visiting the islands at a young age and it stuck,” Witkin said. “I even have an extensive vinyl collection of vintage Hawaiian music at home that I’m very proud of.” Mullen notes the duo are both big fans of the powerhouse trio, Hui ‘Ohana. “Our thought was, maybe we could create a duo and get younger generations excited about slack key guitar again. As we know, it’s a dying art. Even in Hawaii it’s not that common. So, one of the things we hope to do is revitalize the slack key movement.” Slack Key Ohana is working on
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their debut album, but first a self titled EP will be released, featuring a mix of originals and covers. “Our recording and writing process was a bit unorthodox as we were
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writing and recording at the same time,” Mullen said. “This led to some magical “accidents” that we couldn’t re-create even if we tried. It was pure magic. Everything from the secret pop of the tape when we were mastering to the improvisational endings. Lucky accidents.” The band currently has about 3 hours’ worth of material for extended live shows. “We have some originals as well as vintage covers that we give our own special treatment to, the “Hanalei Treatment,” Mullen said. “We have hula songs, and we also adopt modern Hawaiian song writer’s songs into our performances. We have a little bit of something for everyone.” The future holds plenty of recording and hopefully, world travels. Slack Key Ohana has begun to play live, with a view to touring as soon as possible. Recent gigs include the sold out East County Magazine “Party in Paradise” at Jamul Casino on September 25. “Before we officially launched, we were already getting a lot of booking interest,” Witkin commented. “Apparently, there aren’t a lot of groups out there doing what we’re doing,” he said good naturedly. www.SlackKeyOhana.com
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