Abbe May, Michael Wagner, John King and Others

Loads of great videos this week including John King, Ohta San, Aaron Keim and the most charming version of Stormy Weather you’ll ever hear. The big surprise was Abbe May. Usually, she makes PJ Harvey-style alternative rock. She does a great job with a uke.

I haven’t been posting Bosko and Honey’s Ukulele Safari on here because I assume everyone is watching it anyway. You are watching it, right? [Read more]

If this is your first visit here, you can find the chords/tab in those posts by clicking on the song title in red.

John King, Sweetafton23, Ukulelezaza

Officially, the Saturday UkeTube is on hiatus at the moment. However, these five videos are just too good. I had to share them.

John King - Bach Prelude

You have to check out his other three videos as well.

Sweetafton23 - Mr Fancy Pants

Brian Hefferan - Elite Syncopations

theDesignmachine - Fat Bottom Girls

Ukulelezaza - Paper Moon

John King - Carol of the Bells

I was going to start December with a quick selection of Christmas uke videos, then I discovered that a video of ukulele master John King playing Carol of the Bells has just been uploaded to YouTube. It pretty much trumps any other video.

You can download the fiendishly difficult tab on Nalu Music. Or, if you’re a mere mortal, you’ll be able to get your hands on my more simple arrangement in a couple of days.

I’ve also arranged a version of Carol of the Bells in my ebook How To Play Christmas Ukulele. It’s much simpler than King’s version but it’s in the same key, so you can mix and match as you see fit.

Friday Links

Musicguymic has new KoAloha Sopranino ukuleles. Only nineteen and a half inches long. Aww bless.

San Francisco’s MoCFA is currently holding an exhibition on the Evolution of the Ukulele. It includes a two day ukulele festival featuring Jake Shimabukuro, The Paper Dolls and many others. If you can’t make it, you can still read another excellent article by John King.

Temporarily Distraught has the artwork and tracklisting for the forthcoming Beirut album.

BlipTV has an interview and performance from UOoGB and mad ukulele/bikini skills.

Hipsters/dupes can tune their ukuleles with their iPhones.

BKLYN Song of the Day has an mp3 of Bob Brozman and Rene Lacaille collaboration. Highly recommended.

Fretboard Journal alerts us to the danger that scented plugins pose to the happiness of your instrument.

Flame On! Rock Uke - a death metal ukulele.

Jenny Flame of Ukulele Nation has discovered a family history of ukulele. She was digging around in old family photos when she came across these two amazing photos of her great aunt in the 1940’s. It’s quite clear her great aunt knew how to rock the ukulele and tilted hat look back in the day.

Friday Links

LA Daily News talks to Jim Beloff and Dan Sawyer about the ukulele’s gaining popularity.

Is this the earliest photo of an ukulele? It is according to this great article by John King. The photo was taken by Lewis Carroll and features Alice (of Wonderland fame), on the left, and her sisters holding machetes - the Maderian precursor of the ukulele.

The Idler magazine Ukulele band announce lit festival appearance. Rehearsals for which have a habit of starting late.

Why didn’t I think of this?

For when only real style will do. Buy on Flea Market.

What do you do with the offcuts from ukulele picks? Turn them into trivets and sell them for $196.

Dreamtime has a dark and atmospheric podcast telling the tale of Stagger Lee/Stack O’Lee and playing versions of the song including that by Ukulele Ike.

A Saint not playing the ukulele and Lee Morse not playing the ukulele either.