Music
Until We Meet Again
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Aloha 'Oe (Farewell to Thee)Written by Princess Li'liuokalani
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Maori Brown EyesWritten by Claude K. Malani and John Noble
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Hula BluesWritten by Sonny Cunha and John Noble
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Pua LiliaWritten by Alfred Unauna Alohikea
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Georgia On My MindWritten by Hoagy Carmichael and Stuart Gorrell
In the waning days of February 2020, while a mysterious illness was spreading throughout the world,
I received an 'ukulele as a birthday gift from a good friend.
What started as a simple gift turned into a full-blown obsession for Hawaiian music. From the steel guitar masters of the past,
through the slack-key renaissance of the 60s and 70s, to the 'ukulele virtuosos of today, I was hooked.
I poured my energy into learning the lap steel guitar and 'ukulele,
and steeped myself in the musical vernacular of the islands. This record is a tribute to that wonderful tradition.
- Nigam Shah
About
Best known as the bassist for early 2000's country-rockers, the Kings County Moonshiners, Nigam Shah is a multi-instrumentalist and composer with a background in jazz, rock and country, with one foot always planted in the blues.
Born and raised in Massachusetts, Shah moved to New York City in the early 90's to study jazz at New York University with renowned bassist Mike Richmond (Stan Getz, Miles Davis). He went on to play bass in various bands in the late 90s and early 2000s, and was a founding member of the rambunctious Kings County Moonshiners, and the short-lived olde-timey nu-wav outfit, The Hot Big Bang.
Operating from his basement-studio in New Jersey, Shah's newest release, Until We Meet Again, dives deep into a Hawaiian-flavored rabbit hole of music, exploring the rich history, and expansive possibilities, of the steel guitar and 'ukulele.
Gear
For the benefit of the gear nerds out there...
- Basses: Guild Pilot SB-602 (1989), Lakland Skyline 44-64 Fretless P/J (2021), Kay 3/4 size double bass (unknown year)
- Guitars: Martin D-15 (2003), Martin 0-18 (2021), Fender MIM Thinline Telecaster (2013)
- Lap Steel Guitars: Richenbacher Model B (1938), Asher Electro-Hawaiian Jr. (2021), Jack Stepick Weissenborn/Kona hybrid acoustic (2021)
- 'Ukuleles: Kamaka HF-3 Tenor (2021), Koaloha KTM-00 Tenor (2022)
- Amps: SWR PB-200 (late 80's), Fender Princeton '65 Reissue (2021)
- Other stuff: Kawai CA-59 Digital Piano (2019), various Meinl & LP percussion, more microphones and recording gear than I need
Contact
- Email: info@nigamshah.com
- Facebook: facebook.com/nigam.shah
- Instagram: instagram.com/nigamshah