It’s becoming apparent: if you sing and have any amount of musical taste, you’ll probably want Jon Rauhouse backing you up on guitar. Which begs the question: does this guy ever slow down? The answer is apparently not.

“Hawaiian Guitar Expedition” is what happens when Rauhouse decides to take a “vacation.” Shirking the aforementioned responsibilities, holed up in a tiny cabin on the Northwest corner of Washington State and goofing off with some music pals, the guitar maestro puts a proverbial grass skirt around a half-dozen new instrumentals. From the John Fahey-goes-to-a-luau inspired “Dusty Canal” to the introspective “Jen’s Tenor,” to the otherworldly “Sweet for Hawaiian Guitar & Saw,” this is music-making at its finest. Rauhouse flavors the rest of this disc with some of his best-loved tracks from his solo recordings. The result? Pure instrumental bliss. No, not the John Tesh/Zamfir kind, the good, pass-me-a-mai-tai kind.
Jason Verlinde of Seattle

Track List

1. Million Dollar Mermaid
2. Dusty Canal
3. Hula Blues
4. Jen’s Tenor
5. Homie’s Parade
6. Sweet for Hawaiian Guitar & Saw
7. Hamma Hamma Hula
8. Swingin’ Elephant Graveyard
9. Blue Grouse
10. Moa Lei’ a ‘i
11. Desert Luau
12. Aloha’oe

• Songs #1,3,5 appeared previously on Jon Rauhouse’s Steel Guitar Air Show
• Songs #7,8,10 appeared previously on Jon Rauhouse’s Steel Guitar Rodeo
• Song #2 Appeared previously as a hidden track on 2 Hours From Anywhere

The response to Jon Rauhouse’s first CD was soooo strong, we couldn’t stop him from making another. Who would have thought that a record replete with pedal steel and Hawaiian guitar classics would stand a chance in the techno-crazy new millenium? Maybe people miss records that contain actual MUSICIANS. Maybe they like the fact that even grandmaw will want to get down to this stuff and get off your back about all that “noise” you normally pollute your ears with.

Whatever the case, Jon and his gang are back with another installment that will most assuredly put a smile on your face and a beat in your feet. More classics like “Indian Love Call,” “Smoke Rings,” “Perry Mason Theme” and the Raymond Scott, hard as hell to play, you know it from Warner Brothers cartoons “Powerhouse,” a handful of originals, and, for those who just NEED the sound of a human voice, guest vocalists Neko Case, Sally Timms, Howe Gelb (Giant Sand), and Kelly Hogan. “Steel Guitar Rodeo” kicks up some dust, my friends. Help Jon and the gang end the unfair prejudice against instrumentals. This is THE record for dusting off the high-balls, putting a John Wayne DVD in the player, swapping lies about your visit to the Playboy Mansion, and dreaming of faraway scantily clad native gals running down white sand beaches. And remember, go easy on the vermouth, Dino and Don Ho would have wanted it that way.

Track List

1. Introduction
2. Widowmaker
3. Smoke Rings
4. Powerhouse
5. River Of No Return
6. Ropin’ The Goat
7. Wishin’
8. Roaches To Room Service
9. Hamma Hamma Hula
10. (There’ll Be Bluebirds Over) The White Cliffs Of Dover
11. Perry Mason Theme
12. Indian Love Call
13. Prisoner Of Love
14. Jennifer’s Breakdown
15. Work Work
16. Swingin’ Elephant Graveyard
17. Corn & Coffee
18. Moa Lei’ a ‘i

Back in the day, when musicianship was still valued by the music industry, any respectable record collection had more than a few instrumental records. These records were perfect for stacking on the LP. They were good for dinner music, wiling away the hours or even better, getting busy. That’s right, grandma and grandpa were putting that Jackie Gleason record on AFTER they turned off the Lawrence Welk show.

Above all this music was fun. And its that spirit of fun that is captured on “Steel Guitar Air Show” We tried to convince Jon that the lounge revival was over. Undaunted, he donned his smoking jacket and broke out his pick and slide. Chock fill of classics like Perfidia, the Lonely Bull, and Choo Choo Ch’ Boogie, a mix of spunky originals and guest stars like Neko Case, Sally Timms, Calexico and more, it’s part Speedy West and Jimmy Bryant back from the grave and part Esquivel wearing spurs. Add up all these parts, throw in the unquestionable technical mastery of one tricky instrument and “Steel Guitar Air Show” will guarantee your next dinner party or lazy afternoon won’t crash and burn.

It is, simply put, the last word in tiki-inflected, spaghetti western, when’s-the-Rat-Pack-showin’-up? geezer rock. We highly recommend mixing a pitcher of Mai Tais, slipping into those silk pajamas (you know, the ones with the little horsies and ukeleles on them), turn up the heat to 85 degrees, and get real, REAL gone. Seriously, if you can listen to this record without being put in a better mood, without a content, distant smile creeping up on you, you should see a specialist. Really.

Track List

1. The Glow Worm
2. F86
3. The World Is Waiting For A Sunrise
4. Circle the Wagons Babe
5. Who’s the Baddie? Says Alan Laddie
6. Hula Blues
7. Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate The Positive
8. The Lonely Bull
9. Beer & Lettuce
10. Summer Samba
11. Perfidia
12. Choo Cho Ch’ Boogie
13. Homie’s Parade
14. Agent Burns (Theme)
15. Can ‘O’ Corn
16. Million Dollar Mermaid

He played on a few tracks including pedal steel on the album’s final track “Once I’m Dead” – It’s just acoustic guitar, pedal steel played by the ever-awesome Jon Rauhouse and my vocal Brendan Murphy

Info about the album is up in the Discography section where you can listen to the full album by clicking the “audio sample” link.

You can download the album at iTunes.

So says the Jason P. Woodbury. Nice little article in the Phoenix New Times, ahead of Jon’s gig at the Crescent Ballroom, in said city on the 26th.

Luz de Vida is a compilation album of music from artists both in Tucson and affiliated with Tucson. All proceeds from the sale of Luz de Vida will go to the Tucson Together Fund, the only officially sanctioned fund established to assist victims, families, and witnesses of the January 8th tragedy. Luz de Vida

Jon and Rachel Flotard have donated their track “Hammered Light” to the digital section of the “Luz de Vida” album.

Well playing the pedal steel, banjo, Hawaiian, standard guitar etc etc. There’s a certain person fits right in with having both a broad skill and mind set.

Check out the article for what Jon has to say about it all.

He recently caught up with Jon in Phoenix and recorded a few videos where Jon talks about the current state of the music biz, plays a bit of slide (below) and has a look under the hood of said classic car – 1961 Ford Falcon.

Grant’s blog of his travels is Straight-Six Blues

You can hear it below…

And buy it from both iTunes and eMusic.

While you’re reading an interview from Jon back in October with AZ Central.