News about ukuleles and ukulele music.
Ok. I've been sitting on this one for a while. It got shuffled to the bottom of a pile of to-dos, and then I thought (hoped?) that it wouldn't be relevant anymore. Sadly...
So, meet Covie. Created by my friend and uker, Jon Soto, and several of his advertising pals to help remind people to wear a mask, maintain social distance, and wash their hands.
Covie has a theme song, featured in the video. Heck, he has a whole YouTube channel where you can follow his travels.
If you'd like to sing along, write your own verses, post your own videos, I know you'd make Covie happy (and Jon would appreciate it). Here's the music:
Visit Covie's site for more info and goodies, including stickers you can download. Be like Covie and spread them around. Follow Covie on Instagram, too.
"The National Council on the Arts advises the Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts, who also chairs the Council, on agency policies and programs. It reviews and makes recommendations to the Chairman on applications for grants, funding guidelines, and leadership initiatives."
I really need to tell you all the story of my Zimnicki Reclaimed Wood ukulele, built by Detroit-area luthier Gary Zimnicki. In the meantime, here's a video of Detroit's own Rev. Robert Jones, a noted blues artist and storyteller playing the sister to my uke. Enjoy, and do check out Gary's work.
My friend William asked me if this could be a photo of his dad playing the uke in 1920 at a picnic in Oldsmar, Florida.
I said "It might be, but this is not your father's Oldsmar, Bill."
And in the truth-is-stranger-than-Gary's-humor category, it turns out Oldsmar was actually founded by auto magnate Ransom E. Olds. No word on whether REO played the uke himself.
Here's the photo, from the State Library and Archives of Florida.
