
Slack Key Slim is really G.W. Myers. He began learning slack key* in 1999. In 2003 Slim travelled to Hawai'i Island to attend workshops with Ledward Ka'apana, Dennis Kamakahi and Jeff Peterson. "It's warm, peaceful music", says Slim. "Some call it 'Heavy Mellow' music."
Career Highlights: - Band member (New York) with Warner Bros. recording artist Walter Egan whose hit "Magnet and Steel" featured additional vocals by Stevie Nicks. - Band member (New York) with "Trigger and the Thrill Kings". - Band member (Toronto) with Crystal Plamondon at Mariposa Folk Festival and songwriter of 'Rivers Will Run' on her CD "La Rousse Farouche".
"The roots of slack key can be traced to the 1830s when the guitar was first introduced to the islands by Spanish and Mexican cowboys who came over to help Hawaiian cowboys (paniolo) with an overpopulation of cattle. The Hawaiians quickly adopted the guitar into their culture, slacking the strings to create many ingenious tunings to suit their music. 'Slack key' means that some of the strings are loosened from the standard tuning, with the thumb playing the bass while the other fingers play the melody and improvisation". - from the CD liner notes of 'Sonny Solo',Sonny Chillingworth, Dancing Cat Records,1994.
