January 2–9, 1997

critical mass|music

Hi-Fi Hawaii

Carrying a tiki torch for vibes man Arthur Lyman.

By Nate Chinen

"It all had to be done live... We had huge chimes, we had huge gongs, everything was on stage."

"In the pantheon of exotica music, Arthur Lyman is the Tiki God." So reads a promotional sticker on Hawaiian Sunset, one of three new Rykodisc Lyman reissues. The albums come at just the right time — the tiki scene hasn't been this cool for decades. Amidst a burgeoning market for lounge grooves, this vibraphonist's work is a reminder of where it all began — his versatile quartet essentially defined the sound of exotica.

Arthur Lyman formed his group in 1957, after a two-year gig with Martin Denny, enlisting the multi-instrumental talents of fellow islanders John Kramer, Alan Soares and Harold Chang. Lyman and his cohorts landed a nightly gig at the Hilton Hawaiian Village Hotel in Waikiki. Mere months after the group's inception, a producer/engineer named Richard Vaughn heard about Lyman's eclectic sound and flew to Honolulu to make an album, using his revolutionary new "high-fidelity" recording technique. Hi-Fi was a crude precursor to stereo sound — the musicians would run across the stage mid-song to switch microphones.

Vaughn recorded Lyman's group onstage in the Henry J. Kaiser Aluminum Dome, a space-age auditorium near the entrance of the Hilton. While Vaughn's methods are perhaps a bit archaic by today's industry standards, Hi-Fi was responsible to some extent for Lyman's early success. The album's pseudo-stereo sound was innovative and particularly effective with Lyman's wide array of percussive sounds. Taboo was released in early 1958, and it immediately became an international hit — the album spent 62 weeks on Billboard charts, peaking at number four. Lyman's group went on tour and made a number of big television appearances. In less than a year, Arthur Lyman had become a household name.

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I was 12 years old when I began drum lessons with Harold Chang, a Lyman alumnus and local hero. Every Saturday afternoon I walked to Harry's Music Store on Waialae Avenue in Kahala, HI — Harold would invariably be talking shop with local percussionists. I practiced in a tiny cubicle in the back of the store — the soundproofed walls were decorated with posters and magazine articles. I learned my first bossa nova with my eyes glued to the Taboo album cover, wondering just what the "Exotic Sounds of Arthur Lyman" could be.

"The exotica music had its own era," Harold Chang explains, calling from Hawaii. "We were playing music from all around the world. We tried to use different instruments from each country and inject them into the music."

This is evident in the group's recorded work — unlike so much of today's martini-lounge mood Muzak, Taboo brims with an undeniably authentic rhythmic energy. Lyman juxtaposes his vibraphones with Polynesian and Latin percussion — the title track opens the album with Lyman's famous bird calls and jungle noises, over a cha-cha pattern. Lyman's repertoire on this album is extensive, ranging from the Duke Ellington classic "Caravan" to the traditional Filipino folk song "Dahil Sayo." Other highlights include the quiet lyricism of "Sea Breeze" (complete with real Pacific Ocean sounds) and a laid-back rendition of "Misirlou" that out-cools the Pulp Fiction soundtrack by a long shot. The tunes flow smoothly, linked by the common theme of Lyman's vibes — he lets them resonate naturally, creating a soothing effect even on the uptempo selections.

Hawaiian Sunset, the second of Rykodisc's Lyman reissues, is a collection of tender island melodies. The liner notes offer a helpful suggestion: "For the ultimate in your listening experience... play this album soft."Hawaiian Sunset is indeed a smoother ride than Taboo, and not nearly as ground-breaking. But it's a gorgeous album, comprised of some of the best Hawaiian songs: "Sweet Leilani,""Na Lei O Hawaii," and of course, "Blue Hawaii." Lyman's slinky minor-key version of the "Hawaiian War Chant" is probably the best I've heard. "Most of our Hawaiian songs were treated with respect," Chang recalls. This particular album showcases the musicians' shared island heritage, and their genuine facility with Polynesian music. The gentle ballads on this album seem to be Lyman's most comfortable setting as a soloist — his melodic phrasing fits each song perfectly.

And just in case you're suffering post-holiday depression, Lyman's third CD reissue is a collage of Christmas favorites, With a Christmas Vibe. Lyman's quartet often spins the familiar holiday melodies in new directions —"Winter Wonderland" becomes a cha-cha, and "We Three Kings" gets an Oriental twist. Most importantly, the album opens with a bright version of "Mele Kalikimaka." Of course, no one does an island Christmas better than Lyman and his group — their ukuleles and conch shells ensure the perfect blend of yuletide and riptide.

While the reissued discs might succeed in bringing the Arthur Lyman group back into our musical consciousness, it's unfortunate that there isn't a way to recapture the spirit of those nights at the Hilton Hawaiian Village. Lyman performed there for 20 years, playing to a perpetually packed house. The live Arthur Lyman experience was like nothing else in nightclub entertainment.

"It all had to be done live," Chang remembers. "The stage looked like part of Harry's Music Store: we had huge chimes, we had huge gongs, everything was on stage." The fast-paced energy of the show was musically and physically demanding —"My right hand was doing one thing, and my left was doing another. Each of us played about six instruments, and in the course of a tune, we would change instruments every two or three beats — that's why I couldn't ever sit down." Many of the songs included Lyman's famous birdcalls, the perfect exotic touch. Lyman packed each show with a barrage of sound and songs — despite the Hilton's highly commercial atmosphere, Lyman's shows were always about the music. "We did heavy stuff — Ravel's Bolero, Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue. We'd take these long pieces and cut it down to 10 minutes." The show changed frequently, and it was always a hell of a ride, Chang insists. "We were so serious as musicians that the occasional comedy number would catch people by surprise."

The music of Arthur Lyman harks back to another era, a magical time shortly after statehood — the golden years of tourism in Hawaii. "There was music all over the place in those days," Chang says. Almost 20 years after Arthur Lyman's last Hilton performance, Honolulu is an entirely different musical environment. The Kaiser Aluminum Dome still perches at the main gate of the Hilton Hawaiian Village — tourists line up to see The Magic of Polynesia, a glitzy revue featuring a local David Copperfield-style magician. It's a sad testament to the gradual deterioration of live music in Honolulu. "The packaging of the tour operators started to kill us," Chang explains, referring to the pre-sold tourist groups that flock to dinner shows like the stylized Legends of Hollywood.

Today, Harold Chang is still the resident percussion guru at Harry's Music Store, and plays night gigs downtown. Arthur Lyman plays solo vibraphone at the Waialae Country Club and the New Otani Hotel. I ask Chang about the possibility of a reunion, to promote the Rykodisc releases. "Nah," Chang says. "Arthur Lyman is too much of a beach boy. He could make $30,000 to $40,000 for a two-week trip, but he doesn't want to rehearse. His ex-wife handled all the business. Arthur just played his music."