Nights in Hawaii
The Harlin Brothers specialized in Hawaiian music basically from the beginning of their musical careers in the 1930's. Jay Harlin taught lap steel guitar prior to inventing the pedal steel, the Multi-Kord. The beauty of the Multi-Kord was and is, as with other pedal steel manufacturers that copied the MK tuner, the simplicity and ease of changing tunings. Students of the Multi-Kord could master the complexities of sweet Hawaiian music with the use of pedals and bring that exotic island music to the mainland with less effort.
Harlin Brothers performing with Miss Nalani, WIBC radio, 1947
Words and Music by the Harlin Brothers, Published by the Harlin Brothers, Sole Distributors, Copyright 1939
The Harlin Brothers performing in Indianapolis in 1947.
Moana Serenaders: Jake Keliikoa on the Multi-Kord, Joseph DeRego on the rhythm guitar, Alfred Apaka on the ukelele, and Jimmie Kaopuiki on standing/upright bass
Harlin Brothers performing at the Hawaiian Room, Hotel Lexington in NYC, during early 1950's Shriners' Convention. Hawaiian Room's resident steel guitarist, Sami Makia poses alongside Jay Harlin, inventor of the modern-day pedal steel guitar.