Various Artists Aloha Got Soul

Best known for its revolutionary steel guitar tradition, the Hawaiian islands also boast a die-hard funk and soul scene. This well-curated sampler highlights the homegrown AOR soul and Honolulu disco bands who enjoyed Pacific Rim success in the early ‘80s. Tender Leaf brings acoustic yacht rock on “Countryside Beauty”, while Aura offers juicy horns on R&B number “Yesterday’s Love” and jazz-funk group Lemuria stretches out on fusion joint “Get That Happy Feeling.” Grooviest track: bongo-laden surf journey “Kona Winds”, complete with wind chimes and Marvin Franklin himself murmuring, “The sound is so unreal”.