It's no easy task to get 10 musicians together — each with individual careers — on the same stage at the same time in the same city.

Just ask Charles Michael Brotman, 52, the Grammy Award-winning producer-performer of ki ho'alu, or Hawaiian slack key, who is assembling his strumming colleagues for their collective Honolulu debut tonight in Hawai'i Theatre's Hana Hou! series.

One — Bryan Kessler — can't make tonight's session because he has a conflicting engagement.

"When we did our first concert at the Kahilu Theatre (in Waimea, on the Big Island), after winning the award, John Cruz was on tour," said Jeff Peterson, 33, one of the 10.

Indeed, scheduling is a challenge as demand for the strummers mounts, thanks to the success of their "Slack Key Guitar, Volume 2." Consequently, Brotman expects to assemble foursomes to hit the road over the next few months.

"It's really exciting to be part of this success," said Sonny Lim, 45, another guitarist. "But when you have 10 players, everyone can only do a tune or two. With four or so, there's a little more time for solo music."

The other musicians on the first-ever Hawaiian Grammy disc were Randy Lorenzo, John Keawe, Keoki Kahumoku, Ken Emerson and Charlie Recaido. They'll be in the Hawai'i Theatre show.

Brotman has been the prime mover-and-shaker in the CD's triumph, recording 10 musicians individually at his Lava Tracks Recording Studio, which adjoins his garage at his Kamuela home. The disc was released on Brotman's Palm Records label and became the first Hawaiian Grammy Award winner in February.

Brotman recently produced Lim's just-out solo album, "Slack Key Guitar: The Artistry of Sonny Lim," so he has been too busy to launch another group project or a solo one for himself. Brotman said one cut, however, is pau for the expected Volume 3.

Peterson also has since released a solo disc, "Slack Key Jazz," taking ki ho'alu into another genre. "It's going very well," Peterson said of the jazz flavor. "Since the Grammy, I have had the opportunity to do a few more concerts, sharing the music for larger audiences. I felt inspired (after the win) — there were new ideas, new arrangements to try."

Lim, who regularly performs with The Lim Family musical 'ohana from the Kohala area, said ki ho'alu "has been a relaxing art form. I sing as well as play guitar, and if you don't sing, you can put emotion in the way you play.

"Your expressions, instrumentally, can almost be like poetry — interpreting feelings at a different level. Sometimes, when you try to say one thing, you can't find the right words; that's when ki ho'alu works beautifully."

Brotman said the concert repertoire will include about half of the tracks on the winning CD. Individual troupers will also select their own music. There will be solos and some jamming.

Also, Brotman and Recaido will perform with Kevin Teves as Kohala, another acoustic guitar group, which is recording an album under Brotman's guidance.

"I've been playing guitar for about 40 years," said Brotman, who particularly likes "the sound of the unaccompanied guitar, pure and acoustic — it has an organic sound, like no other instrument." He used to work the clubs in Waikiki before moving to the Big Island and building his own recording studio, which was designed especially for acoustic guitar.

"With all the tasks for the studio and with the upcoming tours for the guitarists, I haven't had much time for rehearsals, so playing at night, taking on more nights, has been good," said Brotman of his multitasking role. "Right after the Grammy, it was crazy — a lot of interviews, a lot of e-mails, a lot of calls."

The first wave of appearances will be in Japan this summer, when Kohala performs. More gigs are slated in January.

"I haven't performed in the Hawai'i Theatre, so I'm really looking forward to that," he said. A few of his colleagues already have graced the stage.

"My dream is to travel more — and the interest in slack key has opened more opportunities," said Peterson, who is on leave this semester from his campus job teaching guitar at the University of Hawai'i.

"I've been teaching the fundamentals for seven years," he said. "I like to tell the story — the meanings of the songs; how ki ho'alu has grown, the influences of the swing era, leading to slack key jazz. There are links to the past, too: Johnny Almeida and Charles E. King wrote jazz-inspired Hawaiian music, too. People like Alfred Alohikea and Lena Machado had chord progressions that had strong jazz influences. I think when you educate people as they listen, it makes it a lot more interesting — something we all try to do as musicians."

Lim, who will conduct a slack key workshop in March in Tahiti, has toured Japan and feels that the award is the tip of the iceberg. "The doors are wide open; ki ho'alu not only has been good to us, but will be great for the next generation of artists."

Reach Wayne Harada at wharada@honoluluadvertiser.com.