Some here and there…

John Pak sez:
“I just finished a ukulele video. It's a cover of the Beatles' "Here, There, Everywhere." Nothing fancy... mostly a close-up of my new Sweetheart ukulele. Seemed appropriate to do a love song with this uke, especially with Valentine's Day coming soon.”
link.

5 Cent Coffee!

This from the San Francisco band 5 Cent Coffee:

"That's right...our debut album Bourbon and Beans is finally ready!!

Come on down and get your copy on Saturday February 9th or, if you can't stand waiting that long, you can purchase a copy online from our website."

link.

The UKULELE CARAVAN rolls out the first weekend of April!
For four days up and down the New England coast there will be concerts from some of the best ukulele performers in the world today. These concerts are being organized by Patsy Monteleone, Jason Tagg, Craig Robertson and Mary Martin Shaefer.

For more complete info, check our website: link

From Lamberville, New Jersey all the way up the coast to the tip of Cape Cod, there will be great performances all weekend. Come to one or travel to all of them....


Patsy’s Caffe Uke
Lambertville, NJ
Thursday April 3rd
Patsy Monteleone
Andru Cann
Khabu Young
Jason Maniscalco
plus others to be announced
(+ Tom Harker and other travelers)

================
Friday 4th
Happy Hour Open Mic
NYC

============
Friday 4th 8pm
Ukulele Deluxe
NYC
Dana McCoy
Meaghan Farrell
Victoria Vox
Mad Tea Party
The Jack Lords
Hailey Wojcik
Michael Wagner
Doug Skinner and Carmen Borgia
(+ with surprise Sonic Uke and other travelers)

============
Friday 4th 11pm
Ukulele Rejects
NYC
Sonic Uke
Gio Gaynor with Diana Alutto
Tom Harker
Chris Combs
Reggie Wingnutz
Alan Drogin
David Hornbuckle (?)
Tim Pioppo
(+ Andru Cann and other travellers)

=================
Saturday 5th 3-6pm
Uke Jam (RevelUKEtion)
at the All Asia Café
Cambridge MA
East Boston Makeout Club
Ian Schwartz
Ukulele King
others TBD

=====================
Saturday 5th 8.30pm
Ukulele Noir/Craig Robertson CD Release Party
at the Bullrun Tavern in Shirley MA
Craig Robertson
The Moonlighters
Victoria Vox
Mark Occhionero
Uke Box
w/ Jason Escape, escapologist

=============================
Sunday 6th
Outermost Uke
Frank Shaefer Memorial
Provincetown, MA
Mary Martin
John Kavanaugh
Greg Hawkes
Jamie Scandal
(+ travelers)

“Inside Out”

This is a demo of a new song by moi. (Craig Robertson). A true character on a street where I passed daily. Everyone called him “Yellow Man” because he always wore a yellow rain slicker.


link.

A few loose scales

“At long last a new recording by Snake Suspenderz, this time in our new, improved, quartet version!
A Few Loose Scales is a six-song EP off of our upcoming full-length CD, Shedding Our Skins.
This CD is all original tunes, half written by Thaddeus Spae and half by Howlin' Hobbit. At only $5 (+ S&H) for 6 songs, it's an even better deal than before!
It features Thaddeus Spae on bass trombone, guitar and lead vocals; Howlin' Hobbit on soprano ukuleles, harmonica and lead vocals; Dean Hedges on upright bass, 'mouth trumpet' and vocals; Andrew "Sketch" Hare on drums and vocals. “
Out of the six songs, five have ukulele.

and...

Some were recorded live, some in the studio, and some "live in the studio" (i.e. no overdubbing).

You can now download the EP, either single songs or the whole thing, and pick your own price. This is available via our page at
SongSlide.com:

link.

No Compromise. Uh. Maybe. Well, anyway, introducing…..

...The Mamps were born from the ultra-Groucho-Marxist wing of the Ukelele Liberation Front. With a philosophy of 'uncompromising silliness' as their watchphrase they have forwarded the cause of ukeleledom since the last century and beyond.”

The band is comprised on Morris Mamp and Maximillian Mamp and they hail from the United Kingdom.

Check out their song “Desert Island”…yowsa!

link.

Looking up...

Yeah, here’s a new recording by Jodi Mathews, an Ohio ukulele player and singer, who has done a great version of the Gillespie-Smith song “That Lucky Old Sun”.
link.

End of the Yacht Club Boating Road Make Out Club…uh…just listen…

“End of the Road” a cover of the song by Boyz 11 Men
By the East Boston Make Out Club Band

Davina says:

“Here's the recording.... it's me on uke & lead vocals, Heather on percussion and vocals, John Borecki on mandolin and vocals, Ben Swansen on banjo and Nathan Mumford (Heather's bro) on percussion.

We recorded it at my Yacht Club. That's right, such things exist. I'm a member of the Orient Heights Yacht Club in East Boston. And my dad's a member.
And my grandfather was a member. Boating like whoa, man.”

End Of the Road.

Columbus COUP

Saturday, January 13^th, I happened to be in Columbus and present at the gathering of the the Columbus Organization of Ukulele Peeps (COUP); comprised of Jodi, Dave, Christine, Jeff, Carol, Mickey,and Randy…with guests Amber Nash (from Ukebucket) and me, Craig Robertson.

Cool. It was a fun time. I ain’t much for group thangs, but it was nice to hear everyone do their song, do what they liked…and listen to it. And they did it on ukuleles! Cool and cool somemore. Everyone sang a song. I sang a song. Amber sang a song. We sang songs together…we drank….life was good in Columbus.

Pictured are Craig, Jeff and Amber

Thinking outside the Box

'The Uke Box' is an eccentric little act comprised of nostalgic tunes and off-beat theatrics. Besides Ukuleles they also use and abuse a Banjolele, a Child Prodigy Midget Accordion, a Washtub Bass and a Toy Piano. Their mission is to create the best damn show ever that fits into just one traveling trunk!

The Uke Box is Marko van der Horst & Shelley Rickey

Listen to their version of "Miss the Mississippi"...

link.

Project 52 (no, it doesn’t have to do with flying saucers)

Check out
Ukebucket's newest endeavor: Project 52. A new song every Wednesday of 2008, for better or for worse. They’ve got two up already, and they’re cookin’.

Ukebucket is Rikk Palmer, Amber Nash (on ukulele and vocal) and Barry Canfield


link.

"Broken's Spoken Here"

This is a demo of a new song by me (Craig Robertson).
Yah, Yah, ego and all that.


link.

Vintage Love from Australia

This is a cover of a song by Love featuring Arthur Lee by Arturo Larizza from Melbourne, Australia


link.

Ukulele Review Blog

Here's a new blog that's popped up. We noticed it back in November, but wanted to let it reach critical mass before pointing folks to it.

It's Ukulele Review, brought to you by Julie Strietelmeier, founder and editor of The Gadgeteer. In her new found obsession with ukuleles, Julie hopes to provide a site for reviewing instruments, videos, and CDs, and books. Link

Video of 4th Annual Uke Drop

In case you missed it! Link

Happy 100th Birthday, Uncle Bill

Mark, Craig, and I join the entire ukulele community in wishing Bill Tapia a very happy 100th birthday! While we couldn't be present for the big party, Pat Palika Enos was kind enough to fill us in:

"Was a great party with a lot of ohana and friends under the large tent in
Mihana's backyard. Lots of music and food.

Bob Young and I kanikapila with the Moana/Halekulani trio Doug, Fernandez,
and Kaipo [Pa'ahana]. Ledward Kaapana did a few songs, and more Hawaiian by Ken
Makuakane.

Jazz by Jeff Petersen, Byron Yasui, Benny Chong, Ernie Proventure (info here) and of
course the master himself Bill Tapia.

Mihana was ever so beautiful in a red muumuu, and she and her sister group
'Puamana' sang their family song of the same name.

John Berger of the Star Bulletin took many pictures, and probably will
publish a story today about Bill's 100th party. [He did: it's here!]

Was a night to remember.

A hui hou,
Pat Palika Enos"

What an amazing milestone. May we all be so fortunate.
(Thanks, Pat!)