Search - Sonny Chillingworth :: Endlessly

The late Sonny Chillingworth may have been the most pacifying guitarist in the Pacific--he can play at (lack of) speeds that you'd think the human mind was incapable of slowing down to. And his vocals are like round-the-clock lullabies, so sentimental that they actually defy criticism on that basis. But they also have an undeniable spiritual bent. And Chillingworth's just as pleasing when he's not playing at impossibly slow tempos. His music is full of signature undertones and overtones, and on an instrumental like "Keiki Slack Key," you can hear, in his guitar work, imaginary Hawaiian lyrics he's not singing (as well as a taste of "London Bridge"). His repertoire is also unusually eclectic; the title tune is the 1959 Brook Benton pop hit. There are reasons why Chillingworth is considered one of slack key's three most influential guitarists, and you can hear those reasons right here. --John Morthland