Gilligan in Gotham by Gemma

Gemma, from the Wellington International Ukulele Orchestra, made this lovely Sonic Uke video of the song from Gilligan's Isle while Irene howled in the background....

da vid

WIUO website

Goodnight, Irene.

Sing it loud, strum it long. I pray it keeps the water from your home. Link

(Note the subject keywords: Celebrities Portraits Spouses Recreation Vice Deception Suicide Distress. No Hurricane. Still, sounds like a Craig Robertson song.)

A Whole Host of Ukuleles at Strathmore

Official count: 944. A new record? Link

Dancing into September

Only 5 more days! My newest CD "Dancing on the Edge of the Knife" will be available on Bandcamp as a 'name your price' download. Starting in September, it will be $15 a download. Here is my song about imprisoned Chinese dissident and Nobel Peace Prize winner Liu Xiaobo from the album

Liu Xiaobo

(all proceeds from the sale of this CD go directly to Amnesty International)

Great Ukulele Instruction Book....!

Once you get past the silly title (Ukulele for Dummies), you realize that Al Wood (who runs www.ukulelehunt.com) has actually put together a marvelous compendium of ukulele knowledge that takes you from novice to expert. I'm not always a fan of 'teach yourself an instrument' books, but this one of Al's is, really, a ukulele bible. A great reference, with an included audio dvd, and some very witty writing that makes it fun to read.

Go get it. Now.

Ukulele for Dummies

No excuses...

For those of you who do NOT live in Boston. (is there a world outside of Boston? I've heard one exists, but I'm not convinced) You will be able to tune in to a LIVE (well, undead anyway) Noir Cabaret show at Passims in Harvard Square.

Here's the show poster, and this is the link to Passims Concert Window.
The show will start at 8pm, Boston time, and will have some cool performances from New England musicians. Lots of different instruments and a variety of approaches to live music.
Tune In, Turn On, and Drop What You're Doing.
more info

Jake Shimabukuro: Rolling Stone Live Videos

"Hawaiian ukulele virtuoso Jake Shimabukuro stopped by the Rolling Stone studio recently to play a couple of his original compositions along with a gorgeous, delicate rendition of the Queen classic "Bohemian Rhapsody." After the set, Shimabukuro demonstrated how he developed his distinct ukulele style and talked about how thrilled he is that his instrument has enjoyed a recent resurgence in popularity."

Link

Strathmore Uke Fest World Record Attempt

If you're in the Strathmore (MD) area on Wednesday, August 24, grab your uke and join Cathy Fink, Marcy Marxer and a cast of the usual suspects as they attempt to break the world record for Largest Ukulele Ensemble. Info on the fest and the record attempt here.

Michihiro Matsuda's Experimental Ukulele

Ukulelia's Commander of Expeditionary Lutherie Forces, Michael Simmons, points us to luthier Michihiro Matsuda's experimental ukulele, currently featured on the Fretboard Journal blog.

The top is made of a sandwich of Nomex® and spruce, bent into a bow shape. Nomex is a lightweight, ultra-strong high-tech material used in the manufacture of aircraft.

Read more and see a video of the uke in action here.