"On a Tropic Night"
Alvin Kalanikau “Barney” Isaacs, Jr - was a legendary Hawaiian musician specialising in acoustic & electric steel guitar, in fact he became known as Hawaii’s “ambassador of steel guitar.” An excellent, detailed biography by L Katz can be accessed here: https://www.allmusic.com/artist/barney-isaacs-mn0000115082#biography
“Barney” was born in Honolulu in 1924 & was blessed to be one of 10 children in an exceptionally talented musical family. Barney & his brothers, Atta & Norman, were taught steel guitar by their father, Alvin Kaleolani Isaacs, Sr when still in elementary school. When Barney was 24, he joined his father’s band and started his career as an international Hawaiian star.
Barney Isaacs is possibly best remembered for his wonderful steel playing over 25 years as part of an 11-piece orchestra supporting the weekly radio program “Hawaii Calls.” This program provided a regular touchpoint for lovers of all Hawaiian music and was broadcast, live from Waikiki Beach, from 1935 through to 1975!
Taking us back to 29 December 1949, Barney’s musicianship can be enjoyed on an “Hawaii Calls” broadcast accessed by the link here: https://www.angelfire.com/ky2/cumberlandgapbc/491229HawaiiCalls.mp3
“Hawaii Calls” is credited with making many Hawaiian performers household names across the US and around the world. Among the regulars of the show were Alfred Apaka, John Kameaaloha Almeida, Haunani Kahalewai, Barney Isaacs Jr., Nina Keali’iwahamana, Boyce Rodrigues, Lani Custino, Jules Ah See, (a major Barney Isaacs’s influence), and Pua Almeida. Other well-known Hawaiian performers such as Martin Denny, Hilo Hattie, Ed Kenney, Benny Kalama, hula dancer Beverly Noa and Arthur Lyman also made appearances. During the height of the show’s popularity (1950s and into the early 1970s) Webley Edwards, the host of “Hawaii Calls” assumed a producer role, releasing numerous records on the Capitol Records label, under the title of “Webley Edwards presents Hawaii Calls.” The albums contained renditions of popular Hawaiian and hapa haole songs as arranged by the Hawaii Calls musicians.
As well as a busy live performance schedule, Barney served as the musical director for Waikiki Records in the 1950s and even operated his own club, The Palm Tree Inn, turning it into a locally celebrated musician’s hangout. He also found time in the early 1990’s to pass on his experience to selected up & coming “apprentices” on the steel guitar.
Barney had many recording credits over the years including groundbreaking electric steel and slack key duets in the 1950s with Gabby Pahinui and Atta Isaacs, (Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar Volumes 1 & 2) - Waikiki Records 319 & 320. Barney can also be seen playing his steel (with cheesy acting) in the 1959 movie “Forbidden Island”.
Possibly the best of his later work can be found on the 1995 Dancing Cat release “Hawaiian Touch”. This album features Barney playing acoustic steel with George Kuo on guitar & an example, the medley “Ahulili & Nani Wale Na Hala” can be accessed here: https://dancingcatrecords.bandcamp.com/album/hawaiian-touch
Barney’s amazing life ended in 1996 but his music lives on. I have been fortunate to have discovered a Barney Isaacs arrangement of “On A Tropic Night” that is included in this Newsletter. The song was written by Agustin Lara in 1938 for the movie “Tropic Holiday” featuring Dorothy Lamour, her recording can be accessed here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7Qur2J7sZc
The tune is interesting as Barney takes a Latin (beguine) style & adapts it to AM7/C6 tuning – great fun to play along with the backing track that can be accessed here: https://hsga.org/wp-content/uploads/On A Tropic Night (Am Backing) MP3.mp3