Japanese guitarist Kenji Jammer's eclectic dossier includes studio work with everyone from U2 to Bill Laswell to Simply Red. His "Hula Hula Dance" CD series, however, has focused on a reinterpretation of Hawaiian-style steel guitar, sauntering past the luau for the sleek sofas of club-lounge culture. The fourth and latest installment, "Fulfillment," looks to Jamaica for inspiration, coupling the yawn of slack-key twang with dub reggae's hypnotic pulse. However, Don Ho meets King Tubby it ain't. While tracks like "Fisherman's Eye" nod to Tubby's Kingston legacy, electronic embellishments and bluesy grit shuffle through many of these instrumental tracks as well. And swaying above it all is the tart and tangy tone of Jammer's strings. Taken as a whole it's daiquiri smooth. Sinuous riffs curl over live and programmed percussion, while reverb-laden dubs echo far off into next week. Every island vacation should be this laid-back.
