Rolling Stone sez: Ukuleles are cool!

Subject: Grunge Rock legend goes Ukulele !!!
From: GUEST,Uncle Rumpo
Date: 21 May 11 - 12:57 PM

"Rumored in fan circles for weeks, it's now official: Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder's new solo album, "Ukulele Songs,"
will arrive on May 31"


http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2011/mar/22/eddie-vedder-ukelele-solo-album

Curious ??? dodgy sample downloads now available at an internet near you...

I could never give a monkeys about Pearl Jam, but what I've heard so far off this solo CD
sounds quite promising..

Subject: RE: Grunge Rock legend goes Ukulele !!!
From: SteveMansfield
Date: 21 May 11 - 01:39 PM

Reminds me of the rediscovery of John Coltrane's lost tin whistle album ... was the Eddie Vedder press release released on the same day of the year?

Subject: Rolling Stone sez: Ukuleles are cool!
From: Wesley S
Date: 26 Jun 11 - 07:56 PM

Well here you go. It's official - Ukes are hip. According to Rolling Stone magazine:


Rolling Stone article

And a video here.

Subject: RE: Rolling Stone sez: Ukuleles are cool!
From: katlaughing
Date: 26 Jun 11 - 08:46 PM

'bout time! That is totally awesome.:-) I think Jake Shimbukuru has had a lot to do with this and also groups such as The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain and the Wellington International Ukulele Orchestra.

Subject: RE: Rolling Stone sez: Ukuleles are cool!
From: GUEST,punkfolkrocker
Date: 27 Jun 11 - 12:04 AM

I seem to remember a jovial mudcat persona gave notice of this
only a month ago..

thread.cfm?threadid=138038&messages=2

deep manly voice pitched just right with uke tone.

I would agree the CD is really good but does get repeteative

though I've always a weakness for any version of "Tonight You Belong to Me"

---

Most astute, punkfolkrocker. Threads combined. Thanks. -Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Rolling Stone sez: Ukuleles are cool!
From: Hamish
Date: 27 Jun 11 - 03:19 AM

Of course they are. There are not many instruments you could take when cycling from Land's End to John o' Groats. And many of those do not lend themeselves to accompanying songs.

Subject: RE: Rolling Stone sez: Ukuleles are cool!
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 27 Jun 11 - 04:20 AM

The fellowship of the uke spreads is in Australia, too. Bloke at the right of the pic is Cameron Murray, son of a friend & I have seen him playing so fast his hand was a blur.

Melbourne Ukulele Festival 2011 performer list - headlined by Wellington International Ukulele Orchestra.

Sometimes my folk club's video-er takes a night off cos his first love is the ukulele & his camera is needed at one of their nights.

sandra

Subject: RE: Rolling Stone sez: Ukuleles are cool!
From: Stringsinger
Date: 27 Jun 11 - 11:46 AM

The appeal of the Uke for me is it's harmonic possibilities as the accompaniment for many of the songs, some sophisticated harmonically, from the Twenties and Thirties. The master for me was Ukulele Ike, Cliff Edwards who was very popular in his time but eventually was obscured although he resurfaced in "Pinocchio" by Disney as the voice of Jimminy Cricket with the popular "When You Wish Upon A Star". Edwards was also master of the trick voice which he called "effing" that made him sound like an early jazz trumpet. He was the first to do the song "Singing In The Rain" much earlier than Gene Kelly.

Edwards may have been the first to employ "scat" singing predating Louis Armstrong's legendary "Heebie Jeebies", Louis, dropping his music and scatting the rest of the song.
Edwards did Gershwin, Porter and the then popular songwriters of the time.

Edwards also adapted a version of the Uke using the metal National technology.

Also, the English uke banjo of George Formby who should be mentioned as a great entertainer in the Cliff Edwards vaudeville mold.

Vetter doesn't do the uke justice as does the contemporary Shimbukuru or the earler practioners of the instrument did. You can sing and play almost any show song or pop song from the Twenties and Thirties on this instrument. It has the versatility of the guitar although it probably needs a longer neck to accommodate more chords. It is also wonderful with the traditional songs of Hawaii, not the "Hapa Haole" style that you generally hear.

My friend Bill Rutan tunes his uke with a tenor banjo tuning whereby the fourth bass string is tuned one octave higher. It has a unique sound.

Subject: RE: Rolling Stone sez: Ukuleles are cool!
From: GUEST,Gerry
Date: 28 Jun 11 - 08:51 AM

Sandra, the fellow 2nd from right is John Penhallow, longtime presenter of Radio Broadside and Focus on Folk (Sydney radio folk music programs, for the rest of you).

Subject: RE: Rolling Stone sez: Ukuleles are cool!
From: GUEST,JoJack Johnson
Date: 10 Sep 11 - 02:15 PM

I have to admit I was skeptical about this album at first, but it's actually pretty solid. I was surprised to see Eddie take on a project like this, and I'm not really even a fan of Pearl Jam, but overall all the album blew me away.

After listening to it for a few weeks, I decided to go out and buy a cheap ukulele. While I don't have Vedder's voice, I think I'm coming along pretty well all things considered.