In Happier Compass Rose News

I ran into Barry Pearlman from Rick Turner Guitars at Bob Brozman's workshop yesterday. He tipped us off that Mott's Apple Juice has picked up Compass Rose player Ingrid Michaelson's song BE OK for it's current TV commercial. That'll put a few well-deserved bills in her uke-case.

But the big news is that Rick is working with Ingrid to design a signature Ingrid Michaelson Compass Rose tenor. It'll be called "The Ingrid," natch, and will feature a heart motif in the headstock. You want to be the all-time hero mom or dad next Xmas? Ping Rick and see if you can get on the waiting list. Link

Oh, and signing Ingrid in the first place? Barry's idea. (Nice work, Mr. Pearlman.)

(Photo courtesy OpenEye)

The Great Compass Rose Heist

Meet Ricky Leonard Stegall. According to the St. Augustine Record, Ricky is wanted in connection with the recent burglary at Grampa's Music during which a number of valuable and vintage instruments were stolen. Including, as it turns out, a Compass Rose tenor. Here's the initial story.

On Saturday, the Record reported that eight of the ten stolen instruments had been recovered, found in the back of a white van (also stolen) driven by lil' Ricky here. Now presumed innocent until proven guilty and all that, but consider, dear reader, that this may be the face--not only of a ukulele thief, but far worse--of a ukulele wrecker.

It seems that the burglar had just thrown all the instruments into the van on top of one another. All the recovered instruments were damaged, including a nice hole punched into the side of the Compass Rose.

Well, here's hoping that Mr. Stegall, if convicted, will have plenty of time to learn the uke while in the slammer.

And who knows what he can trade those chocolate bars for...

The Hawaii--Washington, D.C. connection

Okay, all you slackers in the nation's capital, here's your chance:

"The Hawaii State Society of Washington DC presents a Slack Key and Ukulele Music Weekend Workshop featuring Grammy artists Keoki Kahumoku (slack key), Herb Ohta, Jr. (ukulele), Grammy nominee Keale (music and culture), and Hawaiian language, voice, and hula artist Darci Baker (Hawaiian mele and voice). Here are some details.

Workshop classes include Basic and Intermediate instructions in Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar and/or Ukulele, private one-on-one or one-on-small group sessions, and Hawaiian jam (kanikapila) sessions with the artists. Singing and understanding Hawaiian music is important, so there will also be workshops in voice and the culture behind some of the music where you will gain a deeper appreciation of Hawaiian culture through its music and stories. Open to teens and adults.

Date: Friday, Saturday and Sunday, October 9-11

Place: Northern Virginia Community College, Ernst Cultural Community Center

Details on registration

In memory of John King

My friend Jim Bradbury and I drove down to Ben Lomond today for Bob Brozman's workshop. All the way down from San Francisco and through the majestic Redwoods, we listened to John's beautiful music.

Here's a tribute by Tony Coleman. Link

(Thanks, Jim Tranquada)

Hana Hou, John

A fitting tribute to John King, here he plays Ka Ipo Lei Manu, a poignant love song written by Julia Kapi'olani for her dying husband David Kalakaua, the last king of Hawaii.

Ha'ina ka puana
No kalani heleloa

Tell the refrain
My chief is gone forever

Aloha for John

Here are some more links that we post in honor of John King's life and legacy.

Here is a current discussion on the Flea Market Music Bulletin Board.

This is John's site, Nalu Music, with more information about his recordings and scholarship.

Here is John's YouTube channel.

John will be remembered for many, many contributions to the ukulele music and scholarship. A tangible example is his recreation of the earliest ukulele compositions and techniques. In this video, John plays Ernest Ka'ai's Maile Waltz from 1906. This technique is probably as close to what the Hawaiians saw and heard from the sailors from the Ravenscrag as you're going to get. And John is playing it on an historically accurate instrument: it's a reproduction ofn an 1890 Jose do Espirito Santo ukulele built by Mike DaSilva.

The passing of a true King

Sad news today in the St. Petersburg Times:

"KING, John 55, died April 3, 2009. A well-known teacher, musician & long-time resident of St. Petersburg, he is survived by his wife Debi, daughters Amy, Katie & Emma, mother Dolores, and brother Paul. John was attracted to classical guitar, was taught by Pepe Romero, and became an accomplished performer. He taught guitar at Eckerd College, was a published composer, & Assoc. Editor of Soundboard. John's early years in Hawaii initiated a lifelong love of the ukulele, to which he applied his knowlege of classical guitar technique, becoming one of the world's foremost virtuosos, featured on NPR. John was an authority on early makers of the ukulele, which led him to study the machete, its' ancestor. He performed music from rare manuscripts from San Francisco to Lisbon. A Funeral mass will be at St. Paul's Catholic Church 1800 12 St N., Monday, April 6 at 10 am."

send your condolences by signing the guest book.

The Humble Ukulele

Out at the edge of the world, Cape Cod, Tim Sweeney has been steadfastly gigging with his trusty tenor ukulele, exposing the joys of said instrument to the locals.

Check out the article and buy his CD...

Tim Sweeney

New Live Jake Shimabukuro CD

In case you missed it in our April Fool's story yesterday, Jake's new live CD has gone on sale. Available via his web site for those in the know. Link

Bill Tapia in Bay Area this Weekend

Catch Uncle Bill at Freight & Salvage on Saturday! Link

Gerald Ross: Shameless Self-Promoter

Who else but Gerald Ross could get President Obama to stump for his new CD?

"I just released my new Uke/Hawaiian Steel CD -- Ukulele Hit Parade. The disk contains instrumental arrangements of songs that were top hits in the 20th Century. Some obscure one's I'm sure, but they all were hits (to someone at least).

I'm also offering a two for one CD deal for a limited time. Buy my new disk get any other disk from my catalog for free. Free shipping too. Oh and I almost forgot... you also get a free UkeTone Records bumper sticker and logo stickers too!"

Ordering info at Gerald's website. And oh, the humanity, there's a video, too.

You might also want to check out the comments for more from Gerald.

Ukulele Char

Jake's replacement on the Japanese ukulele scene? Link

Another Dance on Your Grave

Here's a bit of news that ought to appeal to lovers of both the "Zombie" and "Ukulele" memes over on Boing Boing. It's Another Dance on Your Grave, a banjo uke plus players who have passed on performance piece. (Notice how the alliteration echoes the plangency of the banjolele...)

"The Cholmondeleys and the Featherstonehaughs, both led by artistic director Lea Anderson, are performing Dancing On Your Grave, which proved a big success at 2008's Edinburgh Fringe and a host of pop festivals.

The companies are known for their pioneering work in non- theatrical spaces and venues.

Three dancers (one Featherstonehaugh and two Cholmondeleys) join musicians and composers Steve Blake and Nigel Burch onstage as a five-piece music hall troupe - The Corpse de Ballet. (ouch!, -ed.)

They are desperately downtrodden and travelling on a seemingly never-ending purgatorial tour. This all-singing all-dancing music hall experience features music written and performed onstage by composer Blake and ukulele bashing minstrel Burch of the Flea Pit Orchestra, in a style described as 'Tim Burton meets George Formby'." (nice!)

"Toe tapping epitaphs, spectral harmonies, and bone rattling banjoleles." Here's a free taste entitled Holiday from Death.

Link

Amanda Palmer Returns To High School

Something tells me that not every parent is gonna be thrilled with Amanda Palmer's version of High School Musical. Actually it's a play about the Holocaust and was adapted by the students, with musical accompaniment by Frau Palmer. But it's bound to be different than Fordson High School's 1977 production of Bye Bye Birdie. That's fer darn sure.

(...and I killed as Harry McAfee...)

Link

Jake Bids Farewell to the Uke

The Jimi Hendrix of the Ukulele is hanging up his custom Kamaka tenor. Having wound up his latest--and apparently farewell--tour, ukulele wiz kid Jake Shimabukuro is taking a play from Joaquin Phoenix's book and is walking away from music at the top of his game.

Jake has announced plans to pursue a recently-discovered passion: running marathons. From the announcement article from KHNL:

"I just turned 30 in November so I thought this would be a good way to put my 20's aside and run into my next decade," he explains.

Jake's been training for his first marathon for 4 months. "I'm a little nervous. It came around fast. I think I'm ready. If you're not ready in the last week, you're as ready as you're going to be."

He hated running when he started, and could barely do one mile. He loves it now! "You get into this meditative state and it becomes therapeutic."

Jake's decision was apparently motivated by a recent nightmare experience during a recent concert in Alaska. While signing off with his signature arrangement of Crazy G,

"...the crowd kept taunting him to play faster and faster until his hands became invisible and he was in danger of spontaneous combustion. The intensity brought him a well-deserved standing ovation."

But at what cost?

For the big official announcement scheduled for today on Jake's site, click here.

Full story here: Link