Surf City Slackers

Santa Cruz, CA has arguably the greatest number of ukulele players per capita on the US Mainland. Here's a band that just popped onto my radar screen courtesy of, appropriately, bananaslug (named for the UCSC mascot).

Explore "Slacker Gear for their swell T-Shirt. They also have the most innovative approach to ripping music I've seen. They offer a do-it-yourself CD kit that includes everything you need to produce your own SCS CD: blank CD, jewel case, liner notes, and cover photo. Just download their mp3s and burn it yourself! The only things they forgot were the mp3s and and a way to order the kit. Oh, well. Grab your board, dude. I'll meet you later at the Boardwalk.

Santa Cruz will also be Ground Zero in April for the West Coast Uke Expo. Stay tuned to Ukulelia for details. Link Discuss

Ukulele Postcards Return!

Richard Hefner, host of the wonderful ezFolk website has re-inagurated the postcard gallery. Lots of your favorite (and soon to be favorite) uke images available for sending to friends and family. Link Discuss

Ukuleles and The Fifth Estate

We've previously reported that playing the uke makes you smarter. Now here's an item about the uke boosting the self-esteem of jaded journalists. (Love them Key Strummers!) Link Discuss

Jimmy Buffett Live in Concert Tonight, 1/30!

Jimmy Buffett has been spotted recently with uke in hand. So it's a good bet that the live internet broadcast of his final "Tiki Time" tour show from Maui tonight will include some cool four-stringed concoctions. The broadcast begins at 7:00 pm local time, so adjust your Parrothead watches accordingly. Listen Here Discuss

Mr Wu's Laundry

Meet Greg, aka "Mr Wu," a uke player from Lancashire (actually from Bolton, memorable for its unpalindromic properties in the classic Monty Python "Dead Parrot" sketch). Mr Wu's Laundry is a very nice site with great resources for you George Formby fans out there. Link Discuss

Say "Yoo Kay Yook"

Ukuke is a site for enthusiasts to buy/sell/trade ukes in the UK. OK! Lots of good Formby links. Link Discuss

Ian's First DVD!

Ian Whitcomb has a new DVD entitled "Turned On Alley." It features a lot of Ian favorites (including a groovy clip from the 60's of of Ian performing "You Turn Me On").

"The disc is an audiovisual treat, crammed to the edge with goodies. I
can't stop playing it. The main program is a recording session of me and The Bungalow Boys held at one of Los Angeles finest concert venues, Zipper Hall atthe Colburn School of Performing Arts, opposite Disney Hall. The sound is crystal clear perfection. I have never been so faithfully recorded. And we played for real -- no overdubbing, no equalization compression, or artificial reverberation. No faking! Of course, the Bungalow Boys are so
professional that there's not a misplaced note or clam. Once or twice I garble the words -- but that's me. It really is a record of a great band led by a quirky personality."

Here's where you can buy a copy. And here's more info on Ian's site. Allegedly, there's a special code somewhere on the site that will allow you to preview a video clip from the DVD. I couldn't find it, but if you do, leave a note in the Discussion link.

Cliff Edwards Discography

At $76.95 it's pretty pricey, but if you're a serious Ukulele Ike fan, I suppose you'd have to have it... Link Discuss

Ukulele Hall of Fame Museum: Coming Events Page

Check here for the latest news on upcoming ukulele festivals across North America. Link

Dan Zanes for President!

Once a member of the '80 alternative rock band the Del Fuegos, Dan Zanes has now produced a series of highly acclaimed family-oriented CDs. Dan plays the you-know-what occasionally and has gone on record that, if elected President, plank #5 in his platform would be "every house should have a ukulele." Sez Dan:

"i've been playing ukulele quite a bit recently and i think that it's probably the easiest of stringed instruments for little hands. it's great for grown up paws too. when we drove up to boston last weekend i was able to play mine for an entire 3 hour van ride song festival. this is also a good instrument for the campaign trail, i would imagine....."

(Which leads me to wonder: Howard Dean playing the ukulele...his path to redemtion following the now infamous screech, or not?)

Check out Dan's CDs. Guest artists include folks like Bob Weir, Suzanne Vega, Debbie Harry, and Phillip Glass. Link Discuss

To Discuss, or Not to Discuss...

Dear Readers,

We're wondering if you value the QuickTopic discussion links we generally include with each item. Should we continue them? Please let us know! Thanks. Discuss

Joe Brown Transcription

Ukulelia reader John Barlos kindly posted a transcription of Joe Brown's arrangement of "I'll See You In My Dreams" from the "Concert for George" DVD. You'll find the deets here. A visit to this link will take you to an mp3 of John performing the arrangement. Go to the "mymp3" folder and click on "CU In My Dreams." Thanks, John! Great version!

Ukulele Story on The Human Chorus

KALW radio show today and tomorrow featuring Jim Beloff. Listen here (Links to the 2004 Archive). Link

Bill Tapia CD

Fabulous sound clips here at Moon Room Records. Click on "Bill Tapia" in the top nav, turn on your speakers, and voila! Tappy! Link

Tattoo Uke

Check out this custom-painted Fluke that Paul Yarnold's wife commissioned for him for Christmas! It was painted freehand using One Shot Lettering Enamel by Seattle tatoo artist Hubba of the Seattle Tattoo Emporium. Unearthly beautiful... Link