Ukulele Heroes – The Golden Age
Ukulele Heroes – The Golden Age Ian Whitcomb Published by Hal Leonard Softcover – 166 Pages Audience – All levels Rating – Ukulele pictured – Unknown Maker (Harmony?) – circ. 1950 – Strung with vintage gut strings. Ian Whitcomb has spent his life in the music industry. Growing up in Great Britain, he encountered the ukulele early in his life. And ‘ukie’ has been traveling with him for much of it. His Martin joined him onstage with Johnny Carson and has been used in his performances across the country. In the process he encountered the stories and music of his ukulele heroes, which he shares with us in his book. He has also issued a terrific 2 CD set of Tin Pan Alley songs on the ukulele (review in the future). Profusely illustrated with vintage sheet music and photographs many provided by Flea Market Music (Jim and Liz Beloff), a…
Ukulele Chord Charts from BestMusicStuff.com
Five Ukulele Rating! I’m not sure which feed brought it up, it was probably Amazon, and it linked to the Creative Guitar Poster. I poked around and tried to find an ukulele version, but was unsuccessful. So I asked the question. The response was pretty quick, within a couple hours, and provided a link to the ukulele version. It looked like something that would help when I was teaching and had lots of features, including being Dry-Erase with room to circle and make notes. I responded with a thank you and ordered one. I got a message on The Ukulele Dude’s Facebook page indicating that they had added one of their Ukulele Reference Posters at no charge, and would I consider providing a review of the two charts. So here we go! The Ukulele Reference Poster is great! I’ve got several different chord books, fold out charts, and one page…
C.F. Martin – Style 1 Ukulele
Okay, I took a risk. It wasn’t a big risk, but it was a risk. How good was the new Facebook Marketplace? Someone on one of the ukulele forums on Facebook had shared a For Sale posting. It was listed as a 1920s C.F. Martin & Co. Soprano Ukulele Style 0 with an instruction book. Lots of pictures showing the condition issues and problems. The first thing I realized, without even checking the books, was that the double fret marker at 7 indicated it was a Style 1, not a Style 0. So after a conversation over Facebook, and a couple of actual phone calls, I transferred the money and got a tracking number. The only thing left was to wait for the arrival of the package. Two days later it arrived. Very well packaged and exactly what I was expecting to see, down to all the scratches and dings.…
Mighty Uke Day 7
Mighty Uke Day VII is coming upon us quickly! Taking place over on May 13th (unlucky for some!) it is bookended by events on Friday and Sunday. The line ups are getting larger and larger with more opportunities for all. There is a full schedule of free events, open mic, featured stage and free workshops in addition to paid concerts and workshops. You can find all the details at the Mighty Uke Day 7 web site. Gearing up for the event Ben Hassenger held the Mighty Uke Day 7 Fundraiser at The Avenue earlier this month. Cathy, my wife, went with me and we had a great time listening to all the great musicians and strumming along with the crowd! Shady Grove was one of my open mic songs. On the way home, a car pulled around us, got in front of us and immediately slowed down. Cathy immediately…
Jake Shimabukuro at Hill Auditorium
Jake was at Hill Auditorium in Ann Arbor on November 16th. I last saw him two years ago a Hill on a cold snowy day. It took my two hours to travel the 50 miles from home to A2. This year it only took me an hour, and I had time to investigate the large group of students outside Angel Hall, and see Jessie Jackson speaking. I went to a nearby restaurant and had dinner and then sat outside and noodled around a bit. Getting some smiles from kids and a gentleman who I discovered was going to the concert as well as having been at the Michigan Philharmonic concert, Uke Can’t Be Serious!, the week before, an event I had also attended. Arriving well before the concert started, I chatted with a number of ukulele folks I had met at previous ukulele events. When I purchased my ticket, all…
The ‘Ukulele, A History
The ‘Ukulele, A History Jim Tranquada and John King University of Hawai’i Press Paperback – 282 Pages Audience – Serious History buffs only Rating – Ukulele pictured – Ohana SK35-GS While the book is 282 pages long, it is not nearly that much for straight reading. It contains 2 Appendices and almost 100 pages of footnotes. But that doesn’t mean it is hard to read. The narrative is factual and flows nicely, it also includes a number of illustrations throughout the text. My recommendation is to read the book through the first time and ignore the footnotes. A second reading while referencing the notes will provide a more in depth understanding of the history and the associated background. The book is arranged in nine chapters that cover the instrument from its development through modern times. The spread of the instrument is documented as well, with particular attention paid to the…
The Ukulele, A Visual History
The Ukulele, A Visual History – Revised & Expanded Jim Beloff Backbeat Books Hardcover or Paperback – 127 Pages Audience – All levels Rating – Ukulele pictured above – Lyon & Healey – 1924 – Washburn Style 702 When I started my ukulele journey many years ago, this was the only ukulele book available in the library around the corner from my office. I devoured it with great interest. Highly readable, this book is packed to the brim with pictures, biographical sketches, side bars and references. Divided into four chapters, the first covers the history of the instrument, from the early days on the Islands through the days of radio and television to the internet. Chapter Two delves into the great musicians and personalities of the instrument, while Chapter Three discusses the many Manufacturers. The last chapter continues the story into the modern day. One and two page vignettes include…
Welcome to The Ukulele Dude’s Website!
On the 19th of September 2009, I stumbled upon a video. I’m not sure how I found it, but there it was, sharing laughter, fun and music through my computer screen. Over the next few days I dug and searched, questioned and analyzed. On the 1st of October, I ordered it. On October 5th, three separate packages arrived on my doorstep, one of them contained my very first ukulele. Over the last seven years I have collected ukuleles, played with various groups, done open mikes, radio, stage and made my own videos. I do enjoy playing, learning and teaching this instrument. This blog is going to be used to share reviews and information on this great instrument. I will review the instruments, books on the ukulele, both the history and the music, events, performances and workshops. It will also serve as a platform for my book, Unlock Your Ukulele, which…