August 2008

Sol Hoopii
Classic Hawaiian Steel Guitar Performances 1933-34
Origin Jazz Library

By Scott Yanow

A Hawaiian steel guitarist well worth discovering, Sol Hoopii was a pioneer, taking guitar solos in 1925 (before Eddie Lang) and serving as an unacknowledged influence on Western swing of the 1930s and ’40s. Classic Hawaiian Steel Guitar Performances 1933-34 (Origin Jazz Library) features Hoopii on acoustic steel guitar (he would switch to electric in 1935) on 24 rare selections in a quartet with guitar, ukulele and bass. While the Hawaiian vocals are an acquired taste, the steel guitar solos are impressive and innovative.