Jake is one of my favorite music "nerds"....love the cool way he plays....so much so that I bought a uke, a baritone, a midsize with a pick-up and a bass with pick-up.

I play his "while my Guitar Gently Weeps"...not a good as him, but often, if the crowd is right.


Russ (closet nerd) Lay

Thanks for taking time to share this with us, Donnie:

Reminds me of my younger years in Hawaii... before it became a state. Evenings at Maakapuu Beach after an afternoon of body surfing near Rabbit Head Island just offshore. Sitting by the fire and listening to someone from across the beach strumming out something magically Hawaiian. Wow, those were the days.

Dave Rice

davev sounds like you had a magical time in HI.

Hey again, Donnie:

Yessiree... the islands were certainly more pristine back then and it was truly, a magical time. The statehood celebrations down in the Waikiki District were something to enjoy and remember. I've only been back once since then and modernization had certainly taken its toll, but had not totally erased the beauty of the place.

Dave

I was in HI in the mid 70's....loved Maui...
too commercialized now sadly.

We were there in 2012 ... the beauty of Hawaii is breathtaking ... it no doubt is more commercialized - isn't every place? - but it is still beautiful ...

Donny ... speaking of places changing, when was the last time you were on Staten Island ? ... It now makes BROOKLYN look nice !!!

I played in SI in June at the Statten it's a third world pergatory country now so sad compared to growing up there.....

You should have seen it when I was growing up there in the '50's ...
How was the gig at the Staaten? ... we used to love playing there with the band ... they were good people back then, I have no idea what it is like now ...
I played one of my first gigs there - 16/17 years old, not yet a member of the union ... the local 'delegate' came in and made us stop or he was going to clear the place of waiters, bartenders, etc. ... fortunately, I told the person who hired us that might happen, but they wanted us anyway ... they paid us and told us to join them for dinner ... that's when I knew music was going to be at least a very good sideline gig ...

BTW ... they let you go over the bridge???

T. as a kid I used to play in the bars also in the 60's, 70's.. and every other club on the island, Cuccitos, Lincoln Lounge,Mariners Inn, Beach Comber, Carmens, Sail Inn, Camile's, Sonny's Side Door Lounge, The Haddar, Isis, Tysens Lounge, Inn By The Wayside, Eldorado, Kent's East, Wagon Wheel, Russo's, leones, Esquire Pub, Crystal Room, Shalimar, Memories, Monte Bianco, The Pavilion, Wadsworth House, Thunderbird Lounge, & so many others,.......
SI was fun back then all gone now.