Harry Owens was a cornetist, bandleader and composer who became indelibly associated with the music of Hawaii when he was musical director of the Royal Hawaiian Hotel in Waikiki in 1934. With His Royal Hawaiians Owens became one of the foremost exponents of melodies and styles inspired by the Hawaiian islands and culture over the next 20 years and more.

This 49-track 2CD collection includes recordings made by Owens with his orchestra during the primary era of his career when he established his reputation composing and performing music in the Hawaiian idiom. It features selected A&B sides of his releases on Decca through the latter half of the 1930s, and then from his releases on Capitol and Columbia during the 1940s, along with selected tracks from his early albums for those labels in the ‘40s and ‘50s, Hawaiian Melodies, Voice Of The Trade Winds and Polynesian Holiday. It features his classic compositions Sweet Leilani, Song Of The Islands, Cocoanut Grove, Voice Of The Trade Winds and more, and includes a recording with Bing Crosby form the ‘30s.

For lovers of this style of music, it’s an absolute must, and it’s an evocative showcase for his unique approach to composing and arranging, capturing the imagery and atmosphere of Hawaii in the islands’ music.

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