Who played steel on Alfred Apaka's "Hawaiian Favorites"?

[Nic Neufeld]

This is an album I bought ten years ago or so in digital format, and basically it was what hooked me ultimately on steel guitar and Hawaiian music.

Example track, Lovely Hula Girl:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0eTdciNdomE

That really sounds like B11, to me. Definitely a A6 type tuning on the top 4 and the complex chords elsewhere sound B-eleventhy to me. Anyway, I was kind of assuming it would've been Jules Ah See, but the album cover references Danny Stewart's Hawaiians. Danny Stewart is someone I've not really read much about, but he was a steel player I gather? Does that track sound like him?

I searched for more info on Danny Stewart and didn't find too terribly much...

[Mitch Drumm]

I don't know whether Danny was on those tracks with Alfred, but yes he was a steel player and vocalist. And a fine one.

You should root out the 2 LPs he made in the mid 1950s--one for Coral and the other on Imperial. Tracks like Hame Pila, Little Brown Gal, Lovely Hula Hands, and Keep Your Eyes On The Hands.

He also recorded the likes of Knock Kneed Napua with Prince Kawohi as the vocalist.

He was the vocalist on Malahini Molly with Don (McDiarmid) and his Hawaiians.

I think some of his recordings were under the name Dan Kalauawa Stewart.

Here's a pic with Arthur Godfrey.

Here's a Stewart vocal with The Rhythm Wreckers on an old Tommy Dorsey tune, from around 1937. Muggsy Spanier on cornet.

http://picosong.com/wRWJs

[Nic Neufeld]

Thanks for the info!

I ran across this album and you're right, he's a great player:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=P ... BLbb97AFSQ

The sound and style makes me think these were somewhat earlier recordings. But definitely good playing...

I did find this older thread:
https://steelguitarforum.com/Forum2/HTML/003912.html

[Mitch Drumm]

Those tracks you found are a partial reissue of Coral LP 57059, from 1956.

Here's the original LP info.

https://www.discogs.com/Danny-Stewart-A ... se/6374143

Here's the Imperial LP:

https://www.discogs.com/Danny-Kalauawa- ... e/10803933

I'd guess a lot of his stuff is on youtube.

Search Prince Kawohi and Don and His Hawaiians.

[James Hartman]

Thanks for the info!

I ran across this album and you're right, he's a great player:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=P ... BLbb97AFSQ

That album is available as mp3 download from Amazon.

[David Matzenik]

Danny Stewart did a lot of work in Hollywood, most notably in the soundtrack of Aloma of the South Seas, 1941 (Dorothy Lamour and John Hall) Its circulating in second rate DVD copies. I got mine on Ebay.

[Wally Pfeifer]

Nic,
You need to buy my 15-LP set of Hawaiian music produced in Japan which has several Hawaiian artists with several different steel players. A hard to find set.
Also, have several Hawaiian/Polynesia/Southseas themed VHS tapes for sale. Cheap. [/img]

[Nic Neufeld]

Don't tempt me Wally. Or...do?? Please?

What's funny is I have never owned a record player...yet I still have a stack of Yes records and (from more recently) a couple Hawaii Calls and Alfred Apaka LPs. One of these days I need to spend the money to get a proper turntable/stereo...while before I was more interested in the idea from an acoustic representation perspective (and therefore not worrying about USB interfaces and the like) now that I've been captivated by Hawaiian music, I may have to have a USB interface to digitize music that isn't otherwise available...