RJ KANEAO - Recording Artist , Composer , Producer , Engineer , Session Musician (Guitarist)
RJ Kaneao – Official Bio
RJ Kaneao is a two-time Grammy winning recognized producer & nominated artist, Nā Hōkū Hanohano Award-winning recording artist, producer, and first-call session guitarist whose career spans over two decades of innovation and genre-bending creativity. Since his recording debut in November 2000, RJ has released multiple acclaimed solo projects, including four pioneering island-reggae albums that helped redefine the sound of modern Hawaiian music. His fifth album, Genres of Soul, marked a bold shift into Blues/Soul Music and earned the Nā Hōkū Hanohano Award for R&B Album of the Year, while also landing him on a Grammy ballot for Best Traditional Blues Album in 2019.
RJ’s artistry has led him to collaborate on stage and in the studio with A-list musicians and producers worldwide. He has contributed as a session guitarist to numerous Grammy-winning albums—including work with Bruno Mars and has shared jams with legends like Billy Gibbons (ZZ Top), Mick Fleetwood (Fleetwod Mac), Pat Simmons (Doobie Brothers), Skunk Baxter (Steely Dan) Willie K., Jonny Lang, Fiji Veikoso, The Mana’o Company, Numerous Marley Family Artists, Don Ho, Elvin Bishop etc. His music has also been featured in network television, including NCIS: Hawai‘i.
Currently signed to recording and distribution deals with Sony Music Global-Universal Music Group, RJ is managed by Liquid Music Group, under the guidance of Hollywood and music-industry legend Max Wasa. He continues to release as a major label artist and independent projects, including the 2023-24 instrumental EP Mauna Lani, a chill, ambient collection highlighted by his electric jazz guitar work.
An internationally endorsed guitarist and producer, RJ works with some of the biggest names in instruments and pro audio—among them Ernie Ball, Music Man, Sterling by Music Man, D’Angelico Guitars, Warm Audio, PreSonus, Breedlove Guitars, Jim Dunlop USA, Boss/Roland, Digitech, Wampler, Keeley, NUX, Neural DSP, Mahalo Amps, Supro Amps, and Headrush, Gruv Gear, Mono Player and more. He is celebrated not only for his blues mastery and George Benson-inspired jazz chops, but also for seamlessly blending reggae, jazz, and contemporary styles in his live performances.
Based in Waikoloa Village on the Big Island of Hawai‘i, RJ runs his own full-service recording facility, Groove Plant Hawai‘i, where he writes, produces, and records both his own music and that of other artists. His catalog is available worldwide on iTunes, Spotify, Pandora (RJ Kaneao Radio), Amazon Music, and all major digital platforms.
RJ Kaneao – Solo Releases
RJ Kaneao has released five full-length solo projects, several notable singles, and his latest instrumental EP, showcasing his evolution from island-reggae pioneer to award-winning blues artist and ambient-jazz innovator.
Albums
2001 – Flipside – Available in the RJ Kaneao Store
2005 – Lanui – Available in the RJ Kaneao Store
2009 – Toru – Available on iTunes (coming soon to the RJ Kaneao Store)
2011 – Best of Me – Available on iTunes and in the RJ Kaneao Store
2017–2018 – Genres of Soul – Full blues album; available on iTunes and all major digital platforms
EPs
2024 – Mauna Lani (Instrumental EP) – Chill, ambient jazz guitar collection.
More platforms to come
Notable Singles
2013 – “Hawai‘i Calls to Me” (re-recorded single) – Available on iTunes
2015 – “Singing the Blues” (blues crossover single) – Available on iTunes
2015 – “Aloha ‘Āina” (limited-time free download) – Available via website/EPK
Soon to be available all on iTunes and various other on-line download venues. RJKANEAOMUSIC.COM store is now open for business. Mahalo Admin@rjkaneaomusic.com