
"take a look at my flickr set..."
Link
"take a look at my flickr set..."
Link
Well, I can take the thread even further, showing just how itty bitty the uke world is. Paul Williams wrote "We've Only Just Begun" for a Crocker Bank commercial with my old boss, Hal Riney. And my job for Hal was managing the See's Candies advertising account and See's Candies is owned by Berkshire Hathaway, which as you already know is Warren Buffet's company and Warren plays the uke.
But wait, Warren and Jimmy Buffett are something like fourth cousins (in addition to being mutual admirers) and guess who has been opening for Jimmy of late? Yep, that guy.
Plus, I have the same aloha shirt Williams is wearing in this photo. Now if Kevin Bacon were to take up the uke...well, whad'ya know...Seven Degrees of Uke!
Weird, but true. Mark invited me to join him in editing Ukulelia about three years ago, but during that time our only correspondence has been via email.
As the photographic evidence to the left demonstrates, we both do, in fact, exist. Mark's on the right. And that's me and my chins on the left (nice shot, Livvy). To the best of my knowledge, Mark does not usually run around with a light sabre tucked behind his right ear. I do, however, have a glowing green neon hook extending from the top of my head.
(Photo credit: Anna Livia Peare)
Who cares about American Idol when you can see a live performer in the flesh! Tonight, Tuesday, the UkuLady plays the ukulEighties! 8:30 - 9pm!
WHERE: The famed Rainbow Room! 9015 Sunset Blvd, WeHo! 90069 (grill and bar, so kids allowed! bring it on!)
DO I HAVE TO PAY?: Yes. $7.00, the mere price of a sandwich these days.
"Thessaly Lerner is Thrilling to watch!" Anonymous Fan/Audience Member Theater&Industry Professional
"Aloha family & friends,
Please come down and join me as I will be holding a 'FREE' ukulele workshop over at Barnes & Nobles this Saturday, April 15th starting @ 12 noon. Bring da ukuleles and no be shame!!!
Also, if you're free later in the evening (April 15th, 8-9:30pm), the BS Band will be performing over at the Sheraton Waikiki's Esprit Lounge promoting there newly released CD entitled 'Incognito.'
Aloha,
Jody "
Buy your own copy of Gerald's CD here!
Case file #06001. Subject: One so-called "Cremona Guild" soprano ukulele. Age: old enough to have been owned by UI (Uker of Interest) known only as "Grandma".
Calling all Uke Detectives! Who can help Kimberly Flynn learn more about the uke she inherited from her grandmother? Our only clue is the decal on the headstock, which reads "Cremona Guild." Please email me with leads for Kimberly. (Clue: she's already posted on the Flea Market site to no avail.)
Everyone's favorite Cole Porter with a uke (Stephin Merritt) has a new CD coming out. It's selections of music that he wrote for a series of plays and are based on Chinese operas.But that's not what's important. The label's website is streaming five cuts from the album. The last one should be of interest to you.
"Habitat 4 Ukulele would like to invite ALL uke players, participating in this event [see post below re April 17th event], over to the museum, following the presentation, for refreshments and an informal get-together in the 4-String Bar. Please email your R.S.V.P. so we know how many to expect. L@@King forward to see'n Uke'all!!!
RSVP to: UkaRayRay (a.k.a. Ukulele Ray)
Founder - Curator
Habitat 4 Ukulele"
Here's his note:
"Dear All Uke Players and Singers: Ukulele Flash Mob Alert! Pass this along!!! Please foward to all Ukulele Players in the Bay Area, or Ukulele Players who can get to the Bay Area! Join us in commemorating the 1906 earthquake outdoors on the stage at Yerba Buena Gardens on Monday, April 17th, at 5:30 p.m. -- Mission and 3rd, across from SF MoMA. Easy BART, easy MUNI, easy parking at the 3rd & Mission Garage. Ukulele players will be asked to come on stage and sing 'California Here I Come!' as part of the program!...."...The concert is organized by the California Historical Society. You and your uke are to come on stage near the end of the concert...or just stand in the audience and pull out your uke and play! And bring your friends -- it's FREE and OPEN TO EVERYONE. Plus -- the concert is being broadcast live on Radio KALW -- streaming live on the 'net!..."
Scroll to the bottom of the page for a large jpeg of the arrangement and mp3 audio file. In Spanish. Link
"In an apparent move to polish its tarnished image, Halliburton today announced that it will provide care packages to American servicemen and women currently serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. Included in the care packages is an eclectic assortment of personal and non-military items...[including] nearly 50,000 ukuleles."We poked around to find out more and based on an anonymous poster on the Flea Market Music bulletin board, learned that the soon-to-be-shipping out instruments are actually Flea Ukuleles! Evidently, the folks at the Magic Fluke Company have designed a custom version of the Flea, especially for this program. Dubbed the "Sand Flea," these limited issues ukes feature a desert camouflage face and olive drab colored plastic body and fretboard. We've as of yet been unable to find any pix of the Sand Flea on the web, but send us one if you find it!
The article goes on to note that:
"Accompanying each Sand Flea Ukulele, is a songbook with appropriately patriotic songs, everything from 'The Marine's Hymn' to 'This Land is Your Land.'"Turns out the songbook (which, unlike the Sand Flea, will be for sale to the public) is the latest in the "Jumpin' Jim" series: "Jumpin Jim's Barracks Ballads." As the article noted, the contents includes the old patriotic and miliatry chestnuts, but true to form for the series, the new Jumpin' Jim book includes some lighter fare, such as a new twist on "Camp Granada (Hello Muddah, Hello Faddah)" and the WWII ditty "Cleanin' My Rifle (and Dreamin' of You)," here "affectionately" dedicated to Osama bin Laden.
What could possibly be next? A USO tour with Jake Shimabukuro, Janet Klein, and Zooey Deschanel?
One thing's for sure, ukuleles have already proven to be a huge hit with our troops. If you haven't already, please consider making a donation to Ukes For Troops, a terrific organization that's already provided dozens of ukes to our men and women serving in the Middle East. Do it today!