Barry Flanagan, Hapa

This is a lovely release. Darin Leong’s “When Home is Far Away” returns me to a time when the Windham Hill instrumental guitar masters, Alex de Grassi, Will Ackerman and Michael Hedges, ruled the acoustic guitar-playing earth. Leong’s aural musical signature resounds boldly through the numerous tapestries of his Hawaiian slack key and mainland folk guitar styles.

Barry Flanagan, Hapa

Punahou Bulletin

“When Home is Far Away” contains 13 original tracks composed in Hawai’i or New York and beautifully evocative of home–or the way we feel when we’re not there.

While most of the tracks exude a reflective, sometimes poignant tone, “Sunshine” bounces along in drunken happiness and “Ka’a Slack” playfully depicts a car ride thwarted by a traffic jam, replete with honking horns.

Closing out the album, “Goodnight” paints an image of darkness falling and the stars glowing overhead.

Leong’s love of guitar took root during his days in the Academy at Punahou. But his interest truly blossomed at Punahou Carnival when he arranged for some well-known local artists to perform. Among them was “Hapa,” featuring lead guitarist Barry Flanagan, who later agreed to give Leong a lesson. The mentorship kicked off Leong’s intense devotion to the guitar.

Punahou Bulletin

Knowing the Standard

For any inventor, it is essential to understand what the “standard” currently is, in order to improve upon it. The “state of the art” is usually a product of countless hours, years and work from many people. Learning to play the guitar is no different. So many guitar players have stepped on the shoulders of those that came before them, to help them develop their technique and musicality. Once you see or hear something, it’s generally much easier to duplicate than if you attempted the same feat without hearing someone else do it.

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