Listen To:


Selected MP3s of guitar instrumentals, jazz, big band, and classic easy listening from the original vinyl.

Welcome to Guitars & All That Jazz

Welcome to Guitars & All That Jazz

Guitars & All That Jazz was a radio station that webcast via Live365 for 11 years, ending in June 2011. The playlist consisted of guitar instrumentals, jazz, big band, early rock 'n' roll, lounge music and classic easy listening.

I hope to share some of this music with you via this blog. Most of it will be taken from the original vinyl (LPs and 45s) , cassettes and the occasional commercially unavailable CD.

Here's hoping you'll find something to enjoy. Please note files are available only for a limited time.

I urge you to purchase the digital version of the albums featured, either on CD or via download, wherever possible.

Listen to the Music
There are now two music streams. Click the appropriate player to the right.
1. Guitars & All That Jazz: Five hours of the best in jazz, guitars and other instrumental gems. New songs are added weekly.
2. Tiki Shores: Music to sweep you away to a tropical isle, a South American dance floor or a bossa nova on the beach at Rio. About 4.5 hours of classic exotica music, Latin rhythms and bossa nova.
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Saturday, June 07, 2014

The Hawaiian Hula Boys - Hi-Fi in Hawaii


It's hard to know what to make of an album that lays some Hawaiian steel guitar on top of an aggregation that mixes elements of Dixieland jazz and sweet dance bands (think Guy Lombardo or Freddy Martin).

But that's what you get on Hi-Fi in Hawaii (Columbia [UK], 1958) by a group calling themselves the Hawaiian Hula Boys. I'd bet that most of these "hula boys," perhaps including steel player Billy Bell, never set foot on the islands, despite liner notes that indicate otherwise.

The Hawaiian Hula Boys are all British studio musicians and this was the only LP put out under that name. The session was done in stereo with Capitol in North America releasing it as the title-reversed Hawaii in Stereo (1960). At least the cover was a bit more fetching.


Speaking of fetching covers -- take a look at this one for the Japanese release.


By now you're probably wondering what the music actually sounds like. The odd pastiche kind of grows on you, I think.

Hawaiian War Chant



Hi-Fi in Hawaii is available as a download in some countries, but not in the U.S. or Canada, at least under that title. But several sites have four tracks from the LP, in stereo yet, available as Hawaii in Stereo. Look for this cover, which was originally used on a Columbia 45 EP in Britain.


Several selections by the Hawaiian Hula Boys are also on the various artists download compilation Vintage Songs of Hawaii.


It's widely available.

Here's a further sample of the Hawaiian Hula Boys.


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