The outbreak of ukulele stories from last week rolled on. According to the BBC, Steven Sproat reckons too many people are playing the ukulele. A decent article (i.e. Formby is given more suitable prominence) on the Duke of Uke’s troubles (and Neil ‘Mr Amanda Palmer’ Gaiman, Iain Lee and Jeremy Warmsley have been tweeting their support).
Vaughn De Leath’s ukulele instruction record from 1928 (thanks to Ron Hale).
Festival season: photos from the Belgium ukulele festival and video from the Ukulele Boudoir festival and Ukulele World Congress.
The World’s most dangerous triplet.
Shelley Rickey tells BUST magazine how to make a cigar box ukulele.
Bari and non-bari chord charts from Ukulele Bartt.
The guy who put together the United Kingdom Ukulele Orchestra answers the question, “how did you get the idea of producing a ukulele show?” This is probably only of interest to Brits of a similar age to me, Peter Moss is responsible for the later Grange Hill theme that replaced Alan Hawkshaw’s slice of genius.
Zelda Overworld Theme on Uker Tabs.
Blondie cover Beirut give it a listen here (no uke in their version). Beirut themselves have released a new single (of an old song) and have announced a new album out in August.
Perhaps Steven can give us a list of those he thinks should stop playing. I can think of one.
Let’s just hope Neil (I’ve read him, pretty decent) doesn’t send along any photos of the
Tasmania kind of the Mrs. in his support.
I’m a big Ukulele Boudour fan and the video overview of their festival is great. Lots of
music, lots of ukes, lots of atmosphere, lots
of fun, deserves lots of views.
Now, Peter Moss…The group he put together is established now and they’re not going away, Al, except to Germany again next spring. The most interesting thing for a baby boomer like me was his anecdote about Eric Clapton playing the uke some twenty to twenty-five years ago. Others might find it of interest, too.
And he goes back to the days when Brit humour was much funnier than it is today. He was part of that scene and it shows in the band’s act. One press review from a city that’s seen both Peter’s band and the Ukes, found TUKUO funnier and more informal. That’s the approach he brings, that zaniness from those early days.
Finally, I love how Vaughn De Leath, after a rather formal lesson (you can imagine her with a ruler in hand pouncing on lazy pupils), jazzes it up at the end.