Live Your Music - Margaux Joy and Guest Jim Kimo West 08/10/16

I am excited to have Hawaiian "slack key" guitarist and composer Jim Kimo West as my guest for 08/10/16.

Having never even seen Waikiki, Jim Kimo West went right to Hana, Maui in 1985 and spent much of his time there for many years. It was in Hana where he first heard the music of Gabby Pahinui, Sons Of Hawaii, Sonny Chillingworth and Atta Isaacs. Already familiar with alternate tunings, the sound of ki ho’alu became his favorite soundtrack.

Best known as long-time guitarist for the world’s most successful musical comedy artist, Weird Al Yankovic, Kimo is regarded as one of the world’s foremost ki ho’alu or Hawaiian slack key guitar artists. This warm and engaging acoustic guitar style has it’s roots in 1840’s Hawaii.

Kimo is a 2008 winner of the Hawaii Music Awards and twotime Na Hoku Hanohano (the Hawaiian ‘Grammy’) nominee. He is also a two-time winner of the LA Treasures Award for his efforts in keeping this important acoustic guitar tradition alive. He is a veteran of Hawaii’s famed slack key festivals as well as the So Cal Slack Key Festival.

His numerous CD’s feature many original compositions as well as inventive arrangements of the genre’s classic repertoire. His latest release, Guitar Stories goes beyond slack key, exploring other genres like West African guitar, Middle Eastern Music and Americana.

Kimo has also worked as a composer for film and TV for many years and maintains a sophisticated private studio in Los Angeles. His slack key compositions have been used in a number of features, TV spots, cable, web and in many documentaries.

To connect with Jim Kimo West online, visit his website: www.jimkimowest.com