Ukulele Levitation

It's a cloudless night in Ukuleletown, cold as a lonely razor. I’m hurrying down an alleyway after coming out of the back door of Lenny’s Downtown Bar and Grill. Okay, maybe I’m a little wobbly. Maybe I’ve had more than one “wobbly”, but I’m still walkin’, and the cold air is sobering.
Up between the tall buildings on either side of me I can see a patch of stars and black, black sky. As a look up, three flying saucers pass overhead. Well, I think they were flying saucers…
Anyway, whatever the hell they were, they get me thinkin’ about flying objects, and, since this is Ukuleletown, about flyin’ ukuleles. Roy Smeck used to toss his ukulele in the air at the end of a song. Giving it a twirl. Showmanship? I dunno. Jason Tagg, on a recent episode of Midnight Ukulele Disco, did a flashy toss’n’twirl at the end of a song he sang with Ellia and Josh Bisker.

And he didn’t drop it.

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The worst ukulele song ever

Dateline: Nowheresville.

The 1959 Horror Film, The Giant Gila Monster.

Don Sullivan sings and plays banjo ukulele.

Don't say I didn't warn you...

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The Sleepy Baritone

Ah, yes; another sleepy afternoon in Ukuleletown. Robert Wheeler showed up at my door with beer in one hand and a gaggle of ukuleles in the other. How could I resist? Who could?
He brought:
A 3rd Wave Soprano...nice sound. Don't like laser-etchings
A Ukebrand soprano...beautiful old style sound and look. very light.
(these two are from now defunct companies)

A DaSilva Concert heart...this one surprised me with it's sound and playability.
A DaSilva Soprano heart
A DaSilva Soprano redwood
(Mike DaSilva has it together. Even if he does live on the wrong coast)
and
A Vega Deluxe Arthur Godfrey Baritone
This is the very baritone that Eddie Connors created and designed and was strung re-entrant. It had a particularly interesting and useful tone for a bari. And the case it came in was so….so…right.

p.s. if you click on the pics, they get bigger...

Yeah, yeah; I know it's pretty shameless...but isn't this why we do all...this?

It was a warm night for early January. Ukuleletown is usually blanketed in snow this time of year, but not Friday. Ukulele Noir 21 was happening and there was a nice crowd of smiling drinkers in the audience.

Couldn’t be there? It was a great night…here are a few videos of the performers. Turn down the lights, pour yourself a cocktail, kick back and watch. Dig the Founder's great Ukulele Consciousness rap.

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Movers and Shakers (and Strummers)

Ukuleletown is full of con artists and snake oil salesmen, but, every once in a while a smiling helpful face emerges from the shadows and spreads a little good karma around. Yeah, karma, wanna make something of it?
There are three such faces all aspiring and perspiring ukulele players should know. The first is Jason Tagg, one half of Sonic Uke , and the originator of Midnight Ukulele Disco
and Ukulele Cabaret. Jason is always coming up with new and interesting ukulele players and introducing them to the public. He also plays a mean ukulele in Sonic Uke with his duo-ist Ted.
The other two faces you should know are both connected with the wonderful weekly Ukecast that features some great tips, interviews and original songs from a wide range of players. Chris Miller is the “alabama anchor” and Nipper is the “u.k. anchor”
Sun Tzu said “know thy enemy…” (or somethin’ to that effect).

I suggest it is better to know thy friends.

Get Smart!

This just in: Curt Sheller has a new book out “Exploring Jazz Chords on Ukulele” It’s good. There’s ALWAYS something new you can learn.
And…Curt says:
“I've also started a new series of online lessons titled Chord of the Week. Each week I take an open position chord and show the movable form and variations for that chords. Done in "C" tuning with practice progression and transposition chart and with a "G" tuning transposition chart.

There are 21 one chords. The first two are up.

My goal is to raise the chord IQ of the average ukulele player.”

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so practice yer uke and you can have a cupcake, cupcake.

Ancient Face

There are always a lot of great ukuleles showing up at a Ukulele Noir. The pool table in the back of the Sky Bar is turned into a ‘staging area’ for the performers’ instruments. Nobody brings just one ukulele. Robert Wheeler, who often does a “surprise guest” spot and illuminates the audience in the mysteries of Ukulele Consciousness while playing a few tunes…usually brings a different ukulele for each song he does.
This week he brought two new ukuleles just made for him by California luthier Mike DaSilva, and they were honeys. Noiristas are no strangers to Mike’s ukuleles, Mark Occhionero plays an SM-1 that sounds killer.
But one of the sopranos Robert brought was special and outstanding: the top and face of the headstock were one hundred (or more) year old redwood that was recovered from the water. There is a MOP koa tree logo on the headsock and the back and sides are dark koa.

The sucker sounded and played great. I was loath to put it down, man. Way loath.

Check out all the great and amazing and plain and fancy ukuleles played by in Ukuleletown on these pages

Aloha, Hollis Baker

Retired Bay Area educator and co-founder of the Northern California Ukulele Festival, Hollis Baker, died New Year's day at age 79. Link

Vita Statistics

I’ve always been a big fan of the Harmony Vita Ukulele, particularly in the hands of a real player.

Driftin’ in on a breeze from Gotham, a guy named Gideon showed up on Midnight Ukulele Disco doin’ a tune called “Broken Kneebone Barry” with aforementioned ukulele.
Zounds and wowie.
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Underground Luthier

Ukulele builders are stokin' their imaginations big time! This just in from Rick Turner: a preview of the Compass Rose Tenor Ukulele being painted by underground comic book artist/musician Mary Fleener
(shown is the back)

Absolutely amazing...

This great new ukulele from the mad mind of Peter Hurney at Pohaku Ukuleles.

I never go past the seventh fret anyway. (no money up there)

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Noiristas at the (Sky) Bar

Crawl outta the woodwork, ukulele-lovers, for another edition of that Ukuleletown favorite: Ukulele Noir. That’s right, the latest incarnation raises it's four-stringed head this Friday at the Sky Bar.

Ukulele Noir showcases the versatility, sophistication and darker side of the ukulele in a cabaret-style setting. Special guests Melvern Taylor and the Fabulous Meltones join Craig Robertson, Mark Occhionero, Matt Samolis and Peter Bloom, and Tim Mann for an evening of original and vintage tunes.

Friday, January 5th at 8:30 pm. Sky Bar Music Club, 518 Somerville Avenue, Somerville, Ma. Admission: $10

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Only One Reason to Hate the Fabulous Heftones

Nice story in the Lansing State Journal about the wonderful and fabulous Fabulous Heftones. What's the one reason to hate them? Easy for me. They got to play my favorite Mexican Restaurant from my MSU college days on New Year's Eve. Man I miss El Azteco...

Note to Brian and Lynn: airlift me a Topopo Salad and all is forgiven! Link

Blue before blue was a plural noun

Even though black is my hue of choice, one of my favorite all-time songs is My Blue Heaven by Donalson and Whiting in 1927. Ukuleletown may be awash in blacks and whites, but blue has a charm all its own. If red is associated with Hell, then blue is associated with Heaven.

Brian Hefferan, one half of The Fabulous Heftones, has done a marvelous instrumental version of My Blue Heaven on a ukulele built by Joel Eckhaus of Earnest Instruments, and hand painted by artist Greg Dearth.

I ain’t much for heaven, none of my friends will be there, but Brian makes it sound so seductive.
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p.s. I posted both these images because I couldn't decide which one I'd rather have waiting at home for me...

Happy Tappy Day!

Before I forget, let's all wish Ukulele Legend Bill Tapia a very, very, happy 99th birthday on January 1st! Bill's been boppin' since the ball began droppin' .

Hau`oli la hanau! Link