Gabby Pahinui

It's probably not possible to overstate the importance of this album to Hawaiian music. Coming on the heels of Pahinui's decade with Sons of Hawaii, Gabby sees the slack-key master teaming up with four sons and a cast of stars to produce one of his most captivating releases. Only a singer like Pahinui could make his falsetto sound sweet and simultaneously gruff, and the effervescent, effortlessly mingled guitars belie the music's complexity and innovative approach to traditional music. It's a beautiful cascade of an album, and it kick-started the Hawaiian cultural renaissance, to boot.