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Sunday, February 07, 2010

A Portrait of Harry

A Portrait of Harry from Thomas Trail on Vimeo.



"A visual portrait of Harry Feinberg, an 88 year old ukulele player. I shot this one summer afternoon in Los Angeles. Featured on the DVD 'The Best of Resfest Vol. 01'" Thomas Trail

thanks,Thomas!

Update: Harry's playing the DeSylva, Brown & Henderson song, It All Depends on You. Music and chords.
 
posted by Craig at 4:41 PM permalink
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Tuesday, February 02, 2010

The Cosmic Luthiers











Phil Doleman, at the Ukulele Cosmos blog, has accumulated a rather nice collection of British luthiers' ukuleles. Here's what he has to say:

"Whilst sorting out my uke cupboard, it struck me that I have a large number of ukes made by members of this very forum. It also struck me that many of them are very new to building, and are 'amateur' (in the literal sense that they build in their spare time), often finding their way by talking to other builders right here on the Cosmos.
So here we have, ladies and gentlemen, the Cosmos builders line-up....



Left to right...
Triangle soprano uke in walnut by Rob C
Concert uke in cherry by urbansheepdog
Soprano in meranti by ecosteel
Martin style soprano in mahogany by Timbuck
Soprano in English ash by urbansheepdog
Peardrop concert in walnut & spruce by Rob C

All of these ukes are great players and sound wonderful. They are also all very different, in sound, in design and in the timbers used, and show a heck of a lot of imagination and skill.

Amazing work, fellas!
"

Amazing, indeed. You can find out more about any of these luthiers by heading on over to the Ukulele Cosmos and checking out their "Uke Luthiers" section.
 
posted by Craig at 6:29 AM permalink
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Thursday, January 28, 2010

Fratila+Romania=Ukulelia

Stefana Fratila has a wonderful take on being a singer/songwriter:"...if one day I get paid for being me, I'll buy myself a harpsichord! retire to the hills! read kipling & eat my grandpa's fallen plums all afternoon!"

Stefana Fratila- Vista Voyager from small fists! on Vimeo.



link
 
posted by Craig at 7:28 AM permalink
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Wednesday, January 27, 2010

trois voix et trois tempéraments

The nice thing, of course, about this "ukulele renaissance" is that the ukulele is finding its way into good musical groups as just another instrument with its own unique sound to add to the sonic mix.

A perfect example of this is the French trio "Les Poupees Gonflees". Valerie Charlot handles the ukulele in the group, but you can also hear them with guitars, accordion, concertina and, natch, three lovely vocals.

Valerie, Bebop and Titi.

The songs are bouncy, melodic and...uh...why don't you just listen for yourself:


link
 
posted by Craig at 6:31 PM permalink
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Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Sell $2 in Magazine Subscriptions, Get a Banjo-Uke

Back in 1926, you could get this banjo-uke for selling only $2 worth of subscriptions to Everyday Life magazine. Was it a come on? Let's check.

Are all these claims true?
Is the Banjo-Uke an open invitation to join every social circle?
Is it a boon companion wherever it goes?
Is it the most popular musical instrument there is?
Wherever people get together for a good time, is there always a place for you and your uke?
Will you have more fun with it than anything you've ever owned?
Will you become the jazz king of your town?
Will you be able to play for dances and make money?
Are boys and young men doing it everywhere?

And then, about all those subscriptions you have to sell. How much is that in 2010 dollars?

Well the good new is that all the claims are absolutely true, as we all know. And $2 is only about $24 in today's dollars. Could you sell $24 worth of stuff today to get a banjo-uke and become the Jazz King of your town? Yes, you could!

Link
 
posted by Gary at 9:14 AM permalink
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Monday, January 25, 2010

versus

Another grey, rainy day in Ukuleletown. It's late in the evening and I'm restless so I decide to head over to Lenny's Bar and Grill for a Rye and Ginger and some cheap talk.

It's kinda quite when I stroll in, not many patrons for a Friday night. I grab a seat at the bar and Lenny pours my libation. I look over my shoulder at the empty stage in the corner and raise one eyebrow in question to Lenny.

"Ach.." he says, polishing a shot glass, "I hired someone to come in and play some ukulele and sing but I had ta chase 'em out when they started..."

Again with the questioning look on my part. "Well," Lenny continued, "I wanted a Musician and I got a 'performer'". He said "performer" like he was spitting it out.

"What's the diff?" I asked, trying to decide if there were too many ice cubes in my drink.

"The diff is..." he explained, "that dis gal was more innerested in dressing to the nines, dishin' some funny lines an' playin' goofy, slightly sexy songs."

Again with the questioning eyebrow on my part.

"...but she couldn't sing or play." Lenny explained. "I ain't got nothin' against a good performance, but it has to be built on solid musicianship, right?"

I shrug and say, "but now you ain't got nobody to play to this massive crowd..."

Now it's Lenny's turn to give ME the eyebrow. "This ain't no off-Broadway theater. I don't hire Actors...I hire musicians."

"Yeah," I say, "You gotta point, an' it's your place." Lenny grins and I add, "So...'nother drink, an' not so much ice this time..."
 
posted by Craig at 6:46 AM permalink
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Saturday, January 23, 2010

"Hergonomic" Ukulele by Dave Talsma





Kay Dake sent me this; "...most ukuleles rest further away from the chest wall, causing the wrist and arm to be cocked at a less comfortable angle. This seemed to challenge my smaller hands and shorter fingers when it came to 4-finger chords and barring. The distance from my body and the angle of the uke also forced me to further change the angle of the uke if I wanted to visualize the neck when playing. My "Hergo" has the slimmer side of the wedge on top, allowing it to snug up close, and the wider section of the wedge pitches the uke so that the fretboard is in sight at all times. The best way to describe the fit is that it's similar to pulling on your favorite jeans. It's incredibly light and the unusual shape of the body actually gives it a very clear bell-like quality. Surprisingly even the gentlemen, who have tried this on for size, find it very comfortable and noticed a difference in the angle of their wrist.
Dave made a styrofoam mockup and had me try it on for size before he built it..."

 
posted by Craig at 8:55 AM permalink
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Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Bay Area Uke Scene

Nice write up of the San Francisco Bay Area uke scene in the SF Bay Guardian today. Tippy, Uni, and all the cool kids. Link
 
posted by Gary at 8:45 AM permalink
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Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Ukulelia Uke?

Ukulelia pal and editor of the Fretboard Journal, Michael Simmons, sent us this photo from NAMM. I hope that if they're using our name that at least they're decent plastic ukes. (Heh, imagine if they had named them Uke Hunt. They'd be indecent ukes. Jealous, Woodshed?) Click photo for larger view.

(Thanks, Michael!)
 
posted by Gary at 6:53 PM permalink
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Monday, January 18, 2010

Danielle's Magic...

Like many listeners, I'm moved by dead-on, heartfelt vocals. Here's a brilliant example of what I'm sayin': Danielle Ate The Sandwich doing her version of "I Can't Make You Love Me"...


link
 
posted by Craig at 4:29 PM permalink
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Cool Poster


















UkeBox (from Holland) rocks. I love the word 'underpants'.
link
 
posted by Craig at 12:39 PM permalink
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Friday, January 15, 2010

NAMM 2010 Coverage – Ukulele Underground

Aldine is blogging video reports from the 2010 NAMM show. See them all here. Link
 
posted by Gary at 7:55 AM permalink
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Sunday, January 10, 2010

Vaud Rats

The Sun Break calls K. Brian Neel's performance "The only tragicomic one-man ukulele operetta worth seeing."
"The show tells the story of Cecil B. DeUkulele, a washed-up vaudeville performer whose shtick is the uke. From the beginning of his career upstaging a comic actress through his rise to the top vaudeville circuit to his eventual fall via a love-affair with a accordion-playing midget in an abusive relationship with a Russian strongman, Vaud Rats is both a charmingly executed story and an homage to the tradition of vaudeville."
At Seattle's Balagan Theatre, through January 16. Link
 
posted by Gary at 11:29 AM permalink
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Wednesday, January 06, 2010

Ukulelear Blog

Check out Kyle Leonard's new-ish uke blog, Ukulelear.
(Glad he doesn't pronounce it Ukeular.)
 
posted by Gary at 3:08 PM permalink
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Shimabukuro/MIGM Ukulele Specs

We just received information about the new Jake Simabukuro Music is Good Music Ukulele, which will be featured at this month's NAMM Show. Still no word on price. Click on the image for a full size view.
 
posted by Gary at 2:52 PM permalink
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UKE MUSIC BOOKS

Ian Whitcomb Songbook Arranged for Ukulele and Easy Keyboard

Jumpin' Jim's Gone Hawaiian

Jumpin' Jim's Ukulele Tips 'n' Tunes

Jumpin' Jim's Ukulele Favorites

Jumpin' Jim's Ukulele Gems

Jumpin' Jim's '60s Uke-In

Jumpin' Jim's Ukulele Spirit

Jumpin' Jim's Camp Ukulele

Jumpin' Jim's Gone Hollywood

Jumpin' Jim's Ukulele Beach Party

Jumpin' Jim's Ukulele Masters: Lyle Ritz

Jumpin' Jim's Ukulele Masters: Lyle Ritz Solos : 15 Chord Solos Arranged by the Ukulele Jazz Master

Jumpin' Jim's Ukulele Masters: Herb Ohta

Jiminy Kokopo's Ukulele Sing and Strum Fun Book

Roy Smeck: Ukulele Method

UKE HISTORY BOOKS

The Ukulele: A Visual History, by Jim Beloff

UKE VIDEOS

Bob Brosman's Ukulele Tunes and Techniques: Hawiian and American Styles

Jumpin' Jim's Joy of Uke

Ukulele for Kids: Volume 1

Ukulele for Kids: Volume 2

UKE CDS

Cliff Edwards: Singin' in the Rain



Search the Ukulelia site

Boing Boing
Read Boing Boing

FAVORITE UKE SITES
Flea Market Music
Best source for songbooks and the incredible Fluke ukulele. (Seen below.)

Flea Market Music

Kamaka
One of the best uke makers around.

King David Ukulele Station. Like Ukulelia, only in French!

Ukulele Hall of Fame Has a large catalog of books, music, videos, ukes and other stuff. All proceeds go to support the mission and activities of the Ukulele Hall of Fame Museum.

Uke Hunt News, tabs, lessons, forum...the works! From across the pond.

UkeFarm The home of UkeFarm Radio! Tabs, too.

Ukulele Diner The Happy Fun Ball of ukulele sites!

UKE DISCUSSION BOARDS
UkeTalk
Flea Market Music Bulletin Board
Collectors Uke Yak
Ukulele Madness

UKULELE SOFTWARE
Guitar Learning Uke Software
Ukepix
Fretboard PalmOS App

UKULELE MAKERS
Talsma String Instruments
Kawika
Ko`olau
Mele
Marc Silber Music
Maui Music
CF Martin
Young Handcrafted Ukuleles
Pegasus Guitars and Ukuleles
Uke Brand Ukes
Lehua Ukuleles
Shimo Guitars
3rd Wave Ukuleles
Kanile'a Ukulele
Timberline Ukuleles
Beltona Resonator Instruments
Earnest Instruments
National Resophonic Ukuleles
Hana Lima 'Ia Ukulele Making School
O Kona Ukuleles
GString Ukulele Co.
Risa Musical Instruments
Tony Graziano Ukuleles
KP Ukuleles
Island Ukuleles
Talsma String Instruments
Glyph Custom Ukes
Moore Bettah Ukes

UKULELE INFORMATION
Tiki King's Ukulele Stuff
Brudda Bu's Ukulele Heaven
The Ukulele Freedom Front
Vintage Guitar Information
Honolulu Star Bulletin
The Banjo Ukulele
Ukulele World
Ukulele Klubben
Bounty Music Ukulele Links
Ukulelink
NALU Music
Ukulele Strummers

UKULELE DEALERS
Island Legends
Harp Depot
Ukulele House
Mandolin Brothers
Elderly Instruments
Vintage Instruments
Vintage Instruments in Philadelphia
Buffalo Brothers
Gruhn Guitars
Roy T. Cone
Stringed Instrument Division
Coconut Grove Music
Island Guitars
Bernunzio Vintage Instruments
Barbara's Guitars
Bounty Music
Freedom Guitar Inc.
Homewood Musical Instrument Company
Lahaina Music
Play It Again Sam
Spruce Tree Music and Repair
Ukulele Made In Hawaii
Ukulele
Guitar Tex
Uke Lady Music

UKULELE INSTRUCTION
ezFolk.com
Jerry Moore's Ukulele Made Easy
Jazz Improvisation Primer
Laiya and Louis Ukulele Chordfinder
Tim's useful Uke chord site
1914 Ukulele Instruction Manual
Chord Generator
HUI Ukulele Instruction
Ukulele Instruction Videos and Songs
Yahoo's Music Theory Section

Tab-U-Learn Uke Tabs

UKULELE PEOPLE
Howlin' Hobbit
Uke Jackson
Cliff Edwards - Ukulele Ike
Ian Whitcomb.
The George Formby Society
Hal Brolund
Roy Sakuma
Miner Museum
King Ukulele Webworld
Shorty Long - the official website
Ukulele Club of Ventura County
Ralph Shaw - King of the Ukulele!
Brooklyn's Own Ukulele Lady
Robyn's Ukulele page
Ukelin
Hawaiian Storyteller "Uncle Charlie"
Da Barefoot Warrior
Joanna Spinoza
Joe Zsigray's Ukulele Page
The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain
uke Fink
Jerry Dallal's Uke Page
Wink's Webpage
Jake Shimabukuro
Robert Armstrong
Bill Tapia
Janet Klein
James Hill
Dan Scanlan
Trefor Bazett
Paul Moore
Metropolitan Ukulele Association
Lil' Rev
Waste of Aces
Bliss Blood
Tokyo Ukulele Afternoon Club

UKULELE MUSIC AND HAWAIIANA
Flaming ukulele radio hour
Hawaiian Music Island
Aloha Plenty
Hawaiian Slack Key & Ukulele
NahenaheNet, The Sweet Sound of Hawaiian Music.
Hawaiian Music Guide
MGC Records Hawaii
Ukulele Beatles Fun!
Booklines Hawaii

Top 50 Ukulele Sites


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