Led Kaapana, a visible mainstay in the Hawaiian Islands scene of slack-key guitarists, presents his first solo studio release here. It's an unadorned gem, needing none of the embellishment characteristic of his 1999 release, Waltz of the Wind, a collection of collaborative music featuring country and Cajun musicians. Though Waltz was intriguing for its wide-ranging samples of fingerpicking, Black Sand will better satisfy purists of the slack-key tradition. The distinct tunings of Hawaiian slack key already give the guitar a crisp yet deeply melodic tone, and in Led's hands, the genre's hues deepen even more brilliantly. His touch is tender, his tone emotive, and his tunes pastoral and melodic. There's nothing astounding here, but such is the case with recent releases from fellow slack-key masters Keola Beamer and Dennis Kamakahi, but like those albums, Black Sand is quietly eloquent and dignified, exquisite for its simple essence alone. --Karen K. Hugg