George Kuo, Martin Pahinui, and Aaron Mahi are leading exponents of ki ho'alu, or slack key guitar, the unique fingerstyle developed by 19th century Hawaiian cowboys, in which the strings (keys) are lowered (slacked) to non-standard tunings, producing a lingering sound and characteristic resonance behind the melody.

Known for his sweet, 1940s-flavored slack key technique, George (6 and 12 string guitar) won a Na Hoku Hanohano (Hawaiian Grammy) Award for his instrumental album, Aloha No Na Kupuna. George started playing slack key in the 1970s, learning traditional stylings from old-time slack key masters like Ray Kane, Sonny Chillingworth, and Gabby Pahinui. Martin (6 string guitar) gained fame as part of his father's legendary Gabby Pahinui Hawaiian Band, both for his playing and his passionate voice that ranges from deep bass to a rich, high falsetto. His recent album, Ho'olohe (Dancing Cat), also features George and Aaron. Aaron (bass guitar), who combines classical training with Hawaiian traditions, has been the conductor of Honolulu's Royal Hawaiian Band since 1980 as well as the assistant conductor of the Honolulu Symphony. He has a tremendous repertoire and knowledge of the hidden meanings of traditional Hawaiian songs, and combines traditional Hawaiian with formal music arranging.

George, Martin, and Aaron bring alive the legacy of the islands with their deep, soulful renditions of instrumental and vocal pieces. They begin tonight's performance with the intimacy of solo slack key guitar, followed by a rousing trio jam session, replete with the spontaneous give-and-take that is an integral part of the slack key tradition, recreating the atmosphere of a Hawaiian backyard party.