listening to David Keli'i

Bill Creller · Post by **Bill Creller** » 7 Nov 2010 2:01 am

A friend sent me a CD which he made from an LP album of David Keli'i, considered by many to be the greatest of the greats, of the golden years of Hawaii Calls shows.
I hadn't really heard much of his playing before hearing this album, and it kinda blew me away. The first tunes on it were surely played on a long-scale frypan, since there's just no tone or sound like those.
It's too bad he didn't make more recordings, and he might not have made this one if JB hadn't coaxed him to do it, from what folks tell me.

Kay Das · Post by **Kay Das** » 7 Nov 2010 10:14 am

I have the LP, worn thin, and IMHO it is one of the greatest steel recordings of all time.

Ron Whitfield · Post by **Ron Whitfield** » 7 Nov 2010 12:16 pm

Bill, you have an entire lifetime of discovery ahead if you're just now tapping into David, better not waste any more time...
Dig into the early years of Hawaii Calls, that's where you'll find the meat of what's available by David.

David Matzenik · Post by **David Matzenik** » 7 Nov 2010 3:25 pm

The question of just what David Keli'i was playing on his recordings is interesting. A study of contemporary photos shows that steel players changed instruments as quickly as the instrument was developing. Here are two shots of DK from postcards. The one with the cast of Hawaii Calls is probably at the Moana and not the Royal Hawaiian. You can see DK's frying-pan body. The earlier picture is of a combo with a young Momi Kai singing. David has a double neck National like the one on page 125 of Lorene Ruymar's book. I think this guitar appeared about 1938. Another photo from the back of an LP shows DK playing what looks like a triple-neck Rickenbacker. Also of interest to steel players in the second photo, 3rd from left is the elusive Jake Keli'ikoa.

Eddie Cunningham · Post by **Eddie Cunningham** » 7 Nov 2010 4:43 pm

I sent away to Hawaii Calls for a catalog in the late 40s and included in the booklet were pics of many Hawaii Calls artists. David K was shown with a Rick. frypan and I believe he played most of his music during the 40s into the 50s on the frypan !! I also have a Decca L.P. of Al Kealoha Perry's "Favorite Chants and Hulas" and David is featured on all the songs and to my ear sounds like he is playing on the frypan !! To me David was "King" of the Hawaiian steel in those times !! I listened to "Hawaii Calls" faithfully every Sat. nite in the 40s and 50s !! the old geezer AKA Eddie "C"

Bill Creller · Post by **Bill Creller** » 7 Nov 2010 5:06 pm

This recording seems to have at least two different steels on it, maybe more, but the frypan is the one that"caught" my ear!

Great stuff!
Time to swap my short scale 7 string for a long scale!

Eddie Cunningham · Post by **Eddie Cunningham** » 7 Nov 2010 5:16 pm

Hi Bill , Which recording by David are you talking about ?? The one from Canada , L.P. on Maple label ?? Eddie "C"

Ron Whitfield · Post by **Ron Whitfield** » 7 Nov 2010 5:53 pm

David Kelii?

My eyes say negativo. Never heard of him playing a Nat either.
But he did use a horseshoe equipped Epiphone in the 30's, a lot.

David Matzenik · Post by **David Matzenik** » 7 Nov 2010 6:55 pm

Ron, in IDing the people in old photos I use a large magnifying glass to make comparisons of elements like hairline, eyebrows,earshape and the like. I do not work from internet scans. If the person playing the National and David Keli'i 2nd from left in the Hawaii Calls shot are two seperate individuals I would be very interested to see any photo you would use to draw your conclusion. The brand of guitar however would never convince me of someone's identity.

Ron Whitfield · Post by **Ron Whitfield** » 8 Nov 2010 10:14 am

You study this stuff and see things I've never seen to make me think that's David, and we know he was particular towards his guitars. If anyone can verify he even once played that model onstage, that'd be interesting.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Having perused my Kelii picollection, I'm inclined to agree with David.

George Keoki Lake · Post by **George Keoki Lake** » 10 Nov 2010 10:24 pm

That's an interesting photo of "Mr. X" playing the NATIONAL. I really doubt the gentleman is DAVID KELI'I.
David was a staunch Rickenbacker artist, but even so, I fail to see the resemblance.

Of interest, the awesome Billy Hew Len was inspired towards the steel after hearing David playing a frypan in a music store.

The album was produced by JB after much persuasion to David. The label was owned by my friend, (the late) TOM SHILSTRA and was part of his short-lived MAPLE RECORDS "Sweet Sweet Steel Guitar Series" (MA 1004) out of Toronto, Ontario.

As Ron Whitfield mentioned, David can be heard on many of the earlier HAWAII CALLS programs as well as many old radio transcriptions featuring Al Kealoha Perry and the Singing Surfriders. However, as also mentioned, this Maple lp was the only recording which featured David exclusively...a collector's item !

In his latter days, David played with Eddie Kekaula at King's Alley in Waikiki. David passed April 22, 1983

Ron Whitfield · Post by **Ron Whitfield** » 11 Nov 2010 8:51 am

HA! I've been leaning back to 'no friggin way' since I edited, feeling it could be DK. Glad to know I'm not alone, George, and you met him. This Nat. guy just doesn't match up with same era DK nearly as well as latter era DK.

George Keoki Lake · Post by **George Keoki Lake** » 11 Nov 2010 1:32 pm

Actually Ron, I met David around 1954 when he blew into town with a group including Sol K. Bright and Clara Inter, (Hilo Hattie). That photo of "Mr X" playing a National appears to date back to the fifty era, and if so, I can tell you it is definitely NOT David as I have a pic taken when he was here....Oh, and he was playing a frypan when he was here.

David Matzenik · Post by **David Matzenik** » 11 Nov 2010 2:01 pm

First of all, Bill I apologize for hijacking your thread. George, thanks for your views. Ron, I don't understand why you feel it appropriate to adopt a combative tone in your posts. I have absolutely nothing invested in the identity of this steel player. But it is not good enough to merely say you don't think it is DK. Post the photos you are using for a comparison or direct us to where we can see them. The photo with Momi Kai inlcudes Steppy de Rego on Bass in the uncropted state. The photo appears to be from the late thirties. DK and Momi Kai, both from Lahaina, where in thier mid to late twenties. You are probably thinking of DK at least twenty years later. This is a rare photo and has a place in the musicology of Hawai'i.

Ron Whitfield · Post by **Ron Whitfield** » 11 Nov 2010 6:37 pm

I've made sure to be as non-confrontational as I could about the ID thing, David. I simply seek truth in the matter for my own education/reference, and if merely suggesting a differing opinion is 'combative' in tone, then call me guilty.
Photos abound of 30s era DK, I'm sure you've seen many, and to me there is no resemblance. I too surmise the photo here is late 30's, which adds to my doubt it's DK. His face hadn't filled with age yet, and Mr. X has a fuller face, even being young, plus he's seemingly much lighter in skin color. David was rather dark. It was decades later that DK took on a look that made me rethink, but I stand by my original question.
BTW, I've tried to get some relevant 60s/70s era pix up without luck.

So, if not David Kelii, who then is Mr. X?

Bill Creller · Post by **Bill Creller** » 11 Nov 2010 8:18 pm

I've mostly seen only pics of him in his later years. I did see a pic of him in a guitar type magazine in the late 40s or early 50s, holding a Koa single neck steel that someone had built for him. At that time, I had heard his name mentioned by Webly Edwards on H.C., but don't remember his playing, since it was likely back up for singers anyway.

David Matzenik · Post by **David Matzenik** » 12 Nov 2010 7:07 pm

Ron and George, putting aside the identity of the steel player in the Momi Kai photo, can we agree that the second from left in the other photo (the one with Al Perry center) is in fact David Keli'i? I date that picture as no earlier than 1941 because that was the first year the John Leal's blonde Epiphone Triumph was issued. (The Frequencator tail piece is clear in the original) Here is a larger scan. Also, the picture on page 92 of Lorene Ruymar's book shows David playing a Trotmore which seems to support my original contention that David and many of his contemporaries played a lot of different guitars as the instrument evolved.

Dave Mayes · Post by **Dave Mayes** » 12 Nov 2010 10:23 pm

Hello David,
Clearly it's David Keli'i standing next to John Leal.
In the disputed photo I see some of the Keli'i facial features (forehead, high hairline)and especially the hands and the positioning of the hands...based on other photos I've seen. The hands make me a 90% believer that it's David Keli'i (I want to believe!).
In the Ruymar book David is playing a Rickenbacher frypan, not a Trotmore. There are a number of errors in that book. And yes, David played a number of different steels in his day. I can count six different makes not including (perhaps) this double National.

Ron Whitfield · Post by **Ron Whitfield** » 13 Nov 2010 9:43 am

David Matzenik wrote:can we agree that the second from left in the other photo (the one with Al Perry center) is in fact David Keli'i?

David playing a Trotmore seems to support my contention that David and many of his contemporaries played a lot of different guitars as the instrument evolved.

Absolutely, that's David.
And despite David playing a Rick in that pic http://books.google.com/books?id=WlDSDo ... &q&f=false not a Trotmore, it'd be cool to know if he ever liked the Nationals enuf to play one on stage.
I've always wondered if the Rick DK is playing in the Ruymer pic is his one-off 8 string, and where is it now?

Per Trotmore's, here's this currently floating in For Sale
http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopi ... 706375d967
Why this didn't go the second it went up is bizarre... BUY IT!

Ron Whitfield · Post by **Ron Whitfield** » 13 Nov 2010 9:43 am

rrrrrrrrrrrrrrr...

Ron Whitfield · Post by **Ron Whitfield** » 13 Nov 2010 9:44 am

ahhh, debugged! bOb, a little help cleaning up this mess, please...

Ron Whitfield · Post by **Ron Whitfield** » 13 Nov 2010 9:44 am

stupid debug

Ron Whitfield · Post by **Ron Whitfield** » 13 Nov 2010 9:44 am

stupid stupid debug

Ron Whitfield · Post by **Ron Whitfield** » 23 Feb 2011 10:33 am

Having just found the 1970 era Kelii pix I'd wished to compare vs the one above, I'll now say David M. is probably correct.
Thanx, David

David Matzenik · Post by **David Matzenik** » 23 Feb 2011 4:02 pm

Ron, "probably" is a good choice of words. I probably should have used it in my initial post. Here is the other pic that I have from that shoot. I include it just because its so darn cute. I wonder where the venue was?

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listening to David Keli'i

listening to David Keli'i

David "Ks" Rick. frypan

Which "Davids" recording ???