ukulelia

While we're on the subject of holiday music, here are a couple of uke books that would make your Holiday Uke Music Collection complete. We just picked up a copy of the just-released Jumpin' Jim's Happy Holidays (pictured here). It features 25 popular songs, including several that Ukulelia readers have been looking for, including "Baby, It's Cold Outside," and "What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?" Most arrangements are very simple, with few advanced chords. Advanced players will probably want to transpose several of the songs and add color notes or chord inversions here and there on the jazzier tunes to spice them up a bit. A great collection of secular holiday hits!

Also on our list is another Beloff book, Jumpin' Jim's Ukulele Christmas. This is a more traditional collection of carols that would be perfect for sing-alongs and church events. Included is a really great (but all too short) chord solo arrangement of "Dance of the Sugarplum Fairies," which is a great little noodle to toss off any time of year just to impress folks. (If anyone wants to get on Santa's permanent Nice List, he or she will arrange the entire "Nutcracker Suite" for uke.) Our personal favorite is "Bring a Torch Jeanette, Isabella," which sounds like it was originally composed for a re-entrant instrument.