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Ken Emerson
Hawaiian / Blues / Rock

Jazz, Blues, Rock & Roll, Hawaiian & World Music



California
United States

Profile Views:  30807




Last Login:  12/26/2009
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   Contacting Ken Emerson

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   Ken Emerson: General Info
Member Since2/1/2007
Band Websitearteden48.com/kenemerson/
Band MembersPancho Graham, Kirby Keough, David Jenkins, Lorin & Chris Rowan, Pat Cockett, Michele Rundgren, E. Esther Hoffman
InfluencesSol Ho'opi'i, Louis Armstrong, Bix Biederbeck, Mike Hanapi, Gabby Pahinui,
Sounds LikeKen Emerson
Record LabelKaio Records, Hanaola/Cord International
Type of LabelIndie


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   Upcoming Shows ( view all )
Dec 21 2009 8:00P
Bungalow 44 Mill Valley, California
Jan 2 2010 7:30P
Roost House Carmel Valley
Jan 10 2010 8:00P
Rancho Nicasio in-the-bar Nicasio, California

Ken Emerson's Latest Blog Entry  [Subscribe to this Blog]

Toddstock DVD  (view more)

Norton Buffalo 1951-2009  (view more)

Chet Helms Tribal Stomp DVD  (view more)

KE on the road  (view more)

Slack Key Posse MySpace site  (view more)

[View All Blog Entries]

   About Ken Emerson

Kenton Robert Lopaka Emerson is a San Francisco bay area born/ Hawaiian island bred guitarist who covers many musical genres. He has played his special blend of Blues/Jazz Hawaiian guitar for 40 years and running..His original compositions and performances on 'Slack Key Guitar Vol 2' (Palm Records) helped bring in the first ever 2005 GRAMMY award for Hawaiian music. 'KE' most recently played on Donald Fagen's 2007 GRAMMY winning "Morph the Cat" album.

Born into a musical family, Ken grew up with his fathers' extensive record collection of jazz, swing, Hawaiian and world music styles.  Turning up his large valve powered Console Grande stereo, Ken's father Jack merrily spun everything from Alan Lomax field recordings to Louis Armstrong and vintage Hawaiian '78 rpm records.

Hawaiian music runs a common thread throughout his family's roots. His mandolin playing grandfather Ray Emerson lived in the islands beginning in 1917, and his Grand Uncle Ed played jazz saxophone on the famous Matson Liner ‘Malolo' in the early to mid 1930's. His mother Alice was a featured ukulele performer along with her twin sister Agnes at the 1939 world's fair exhibition in San Francisco. The ukulele she played at that venue proved to be Ken's first ‘guitar' at age 7.

Living in the San Francisco Bay Area, Ken began playing guitar along with his older brothers and sister. He played the folk and blues songs of the early ‘60s, learning right hand fingerstyle techniques that led to his development as a fingerstyle picker.
“We all played the Leadbelly, Sippie Wallace, Woody Guthrie stuff, along with Dylan, Baez.”

With the explosion of the San Francisco sound of the mid- later ‘60's Ken also immersed himself into rock and electric blues styles. He was particularly drawn to bottleneck and slide guitar, and used a harmonica to duplicate the sound.

In early 1968 Ken's family moved to Hawaii. Absorbing the Hawaiian culture, Ken and his brother Phil began studying Hawaiian language and music. They learned to emulate the players of the 1920's and ‘30s era by listening to vintage Hawaiian 78 rpm records, zeroing in on the jazz and blues styles of Sol Ho'opi'i and Sol K. Bright.

By the mid'70's Ken and Phil were playing alongside such legendary performers as Gabby Pahinui, Genoa Keawe, Raymond Kane, Auntie Alice Namakelua, Sol K. Bright and George Ka'ainapau, and recorded and toured with Moe Keale.

In between his love of traditional Hawaiian music, Ken has played and/or toured with many luminaries in the musical world beyond Hawaii including Todd Rundgren, Taj Mahal, Boz Scaggs, Jackson Browne, Donald Fagen, Dave Mason, Charlie Musselwhite, Elvin Bishop, Graham Nash, San Francisco's Grateful Dead members Bob Weir and Bill Kreutzmann, Pablo Cruise Band and The Rowan Brothers. 

Dividing his time between Kaua'i and San Francisco, Ken plays many local venues and festivals and is a frequent visitor to the east coast of the United States as well as Europe and Asia.


"Emerson writes pieces that update the classic sounds of Hawaiian Slack Key guitar. His unaccompanied songs have an open, relaxing quality to them, moving forward in a gentle rhythm.."
Jessy Terry
Rolling Stone Magazine

"Ken Emerson's style reflects the Hawaiian guitar's grassroots origins of a century ago. He taps into classic jazz and blues influences as well as Latin styles, completing a cultural circle from the first vaquero guitarists through jazz steel guitar virtuoso Sol Ho'opii and into new unexplored musical territories"
Maryanne Cord
Hanaola Records



NEW


Ken's newest band/project the "Slack Key Posse"is now available through a limited release from Fat Tuesday Records (Fattuesdayrecords.com) This new album features the talents of Pancho Graham, Pat Cockett, Kirby Keough and KE along with guests Dave Jenkins (Pablo Cruise) Kester Smith (Taj Mahal) Danny Young (Square Roots) and more. The band does a musical romp through the heart of Paniolo country, with some hot slack key, and even a bit of Hawaiian rock-a-billy!




Ken and Papa George play 'Hotel St Blues'

Ken and Papa George play 'Broken Mirror'

Ken has played with some interesting musicians..

   Ken Emerson's Friend Space (Top 20)
Ken Emerson has 534 friends.
 Charlie Musselwhite 


 Taj Mahal 


 Todd Rundgren 


 Boz Scaggs 


 Norton Buffalo 


 Neil Young 


 Michele 


 Bonsai Garden Orchestra 


 Rachel Culp 


 Steve Miller Band 


 KKCR Kaua'i Community Radio 


 John Greene 


 Graham Nash 


 The Campbell Brothers 


 Terry Haggerty 


 Palm Records 


 Allan Thomas 


 Bill Kreutzmann 


 Rundgren Radio 


 Slack Key Posse 





Ken Emerson's Friends Comments
Displaying 25 of 177 comments  ( View All | Add Comment )
PASCAL-MESNIER

PASCAL-MESNIER



Dec 24 2009 1:33 PM

Mele Kalikimaka! et Bonne Année
Jan

Jan Watley



Dec 22 2009 12:41 AM

zwani.com myspace graphic comments
Chistmas Graphic Comments


Mele Kalikimaka Ken!!!  Sorry you can't make it up here for Christmas, but hopefully we can all get together soon.  Have a great holiday!
Love you,
Sis
PESTLE ROCK BAND

PESTLE ROCK BAND



Dec 17 2009 12:06 AM

Hiii!! My Good Friends'!KENNY !& Welcomes' Realy Like Your Style'Man!..Show Must Go On!!lol...Take a Good Times' & Listen the New Track's of ((PESTLE)) Direct From BANGKOK!! TRk' 2 (Always by Your Side) The Album' ANOTHER WORLD' Coming Soon as Well' That's Cool'....................Keep'on Rockin'............... Rolllllll....in'&  Good Music Forever...Tommi Jack's )))))))))))))))))))


..
Email for bands
JiCé & Benj Jouent Gainsbourg

JiCé & Benj Jouent Gainsbourg



Dec 11 2009 4:23 PM

WIIIIZZZZ!
PESTLE ROCK BAND

PESTLE ROCK BAND



Dec 2 2009 9:56 PM

hHiii!! Kenny Best Friends'!! Welcomes & Listen'(it ain't so easy) Track'3'a Good Blues Ballad' From Bangkok


by ((PESTLE))
Keep'on Rollin' & All Good Music Forever'...........From You & Us! lol  Love Your Track's !!!!(((( Tommi Jack's ))))
..
iTunes get music on
wiwaï

wiwaï



Nov 27 2009 10:59 AM


 

Hi Ken ! how are you ?
look on my profil in my pictures section about "steel guitar trio" i have some news pics from slovaquia ! maybe you don't now this pictures ?
i hope i see you soon !
bye






PESTLE ROCK BAND

PESTLE ROCK BAND



Nov 18 2009 7:19 PM




..
Electronic press kits

Hiiii My Friends KENNY WHEN YOU COMES IN THAILAND MAN????!!! Thanks for the Friendships!!! Welcomes'& Listen the Last Single From ((PESTLE)) 
(STOP the loVe Show) Track '2' Album:ANOTHER WORLD Coming soon!! Wich'you all the Best & Good Music Foreverrrrr!! Tommi Jack's)))))) 
PESTLE ROCK BAND

PESTLE ROCK BAND



Nov 15 2009 7:47 PM

..
iTunes get music on

HIII My Friend's!!! Thanks for Suppppppport!!! Welcomes to Listen the Last Track's by ((PESTLE)) 
Wich'you Allll the Best & Goood Music Forever!! Tiger Rock Must Go On))))))))))))))) Tommi)))))))))))
PESTLE ROCK BAND

PESTLE ROCK BAND



Nov 9 2009 10:26 PM

..
Electronic press kits
Welcomes & Listen! ((IT'S WAR)) by ((PESTLE)) the Single '2' Thanks For The Friendship's 
All The Best !! & Good Music Forever...............Tommi Jack's))))))))((PESTLE))
PESTLE ROCK BAND

PESTLE ROCK BAND



Nov 2 2009 10:48 AM

Hi Kenny Big Bro


!! When you Have Time Comes to Listen The Single (Another World) By ((PESTLE)) Welcomes & Good Music Forever!! Tommi Jack's))))))))))))))))))
IMAGINE LOVIN' PEACE

IMAGINE LOVIN' PEACE



Oct 22 2009 12:54 AM


Ken Emerson


GIVE PEACE ! ! - - Give Peace a Chance.
.




GIVE PEACE ! ! - - Give Peace a Chance.


Peace Sunday, June 5, 1982, Rose Bowl, no nukes - nuclear disarmament - stop nuclear madness concert - NYC - Central Park - June 12, 1982, 1,000,000 person march and rally for Nuclear Freeze. Photography and presentation by Curtis Rainbow. 'Give Peace a Chance' music by Achim Schultz. Inspiration by Yoko Ono. Dedicated to John Lennon.


http://www.imaginelovingpeace.com


Peter j.

Peter j.



Oct 20 2009 4:05 AM


10-15-09' Peter j. & the Hodaddys



8-20-9' ringside cafe Peter j. openin' for the Hodaddys


Julian Socha

Julian Socha



Oct 3 2009 12:26 PM

Hi Ken,
         Hope your Well.
                              Best Wishers,
                                                Julian Socha.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Hsf-26b0n4
Soulfeeders

Soulfeeders



Sep 15 2009 7:41 PM

Thanks for playing your soul... SOULFEEDERS...
  
Julian Socha

Julian Socha



Sep 13 2009 2:51 PM

Hi Ken,Hope Your Well!
Slack Key Posse

Slack Key Posse



Sep 2 2009 8:21 AM

Up
BAND OF MEN

BAND OF MEN



Sep 2 2009 8:18 AM

Thanks for the add.
Really fantastic sound here, Ken!
Like it so mcuh
Pier
PESTLE ROCK BAND

PESTLE ROCK BAND



Aug 29 2009 9:31 PM

HI KENNY
 

!!!WICH'YOU HAVE GOOD TIMES'!!ALL THE BEST!!!&GOOD MUSIC FOREVER!!!!TOMMI))))))))((PESTLE))
Soulfeeders

Soulfeeders



Aug 23 2009 4:55 PM


Aug 28th Chris Club show


Photobucket


Jan

Jan Watley



Aug 19 2009 3:15 PM

hawaiian punch Pictures, Images and Photos

Aloha!!
It was great seeing you over at the Langley Fair in Washington.  Just wish we could have visited longer!!  But, we'll see you next month back here in Bend!!  Our visit with Phil was great!  He looks good and is happy!  See you soon....

Love,
Sis
Johnny V Vernazza

Johnny V Vernazza



Aug 18 2009 5:25 AM

Once again we're up for a SDMA in the "Best Blues" category , be nice to win , so vote! Send this around to all your friends and colleagues , just click on the "vote here " icon and scroll 'till you see my name .
http://www.sandiegomusicawards.com/
Thanks for helping as it's all online voting, all my best....

PESTLE ROCK BAND

PESTLE ROCK BAND



Aug 14 2009 11:16 AM

ALL THE BEST GUY'S&GOOD MUSIC!FOREVER!!TOMMI)))))))((PESTLE))
 

Sweet Hollywaiians

Sweet Hollywaiians



Jul 27 2009 5:49 PM


"Ticklin' The Strings" by Sweet Hollywaiians
Amazing Japanese hot string band playing 1920's, 30's, 40's style hawaiian, swing, calypso, blues, italian music and originals,featuring vintage instruments.3 songs with Robert Armstrong and Tony Marcus(from Robert Crumb and His Cheap Suit Serenaders)

Promotional Video(My Girl From The South Sea Isles)

"The Sweet Hollywaiians have probably the best feel for this 20's music of any string band working today. They manage the rare feat of sounding relaxed even when their playing is hot, are top notch musicians with tasteful arrangements and a full, rich, warm sound.Plus, they have a nice gamut of tunes, from King Nawahi to Giovanni Vicari to Bobby Leecan. See them live, if you can, for an unforgettable experience. If you can't, buy their Cds!" ~ Terry Zwigoff
Jan

Jan Watley



Jul 20 2009 11:01 PM

h2 Pictures, Images and Photos

Aloha Kenny,
Hope you are having a wonderful time over in Europe! I'm so super jealous dear brother!!!! :)
Hope to hear from you soon (when you get a chance that is).
Love ya,
Sis
PESTLE ROCK BAND

PESTLE ROCK BAND



Jul 12 2009 10:32 PM

hi KENNY the Best!!! my 7th demo's Album 's there have a check!!Thanks for support all the best tommi Jack's)))FROM PESTLE)))in))BANGKOK)))))
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