Sometimes it’s the smallest instruments that make the biggest impact. If you’re of a certain age, you can remember tuning into this new thing called YouTube to watch a young man absolutely shred on a version of The Beatles’ “While My Guitar Gently Weeps.” What made this musician stand out, however, was that he did it on ukulele.
Over the last two decades, Jake Shimabukuro has not only continued to become the preeminent ukelele player on Earth, but he’s also branched out to bring the instrument places it has never gone before. Most recently, this was evidenced on his newest album, Jake and Friends which features an extraordinarily impressive roster of friends that Jake has picked up along the way: Kenny Loggins, Bette Midler, Jack Johnson, MIchael McDonald, Jimmy Buffett, and Amy Grant and Vince Gill and many more.
Join Jake and me as we discuss how that little instrument can make a huge sound, especially when it is accompanied with the cast of luminaries that he’s assembled for this album. How could you resist making an album like this when you’ve got friends like that?
Evan Toth is a songwriter, professional musician, educator, radio host, avid record collector, and hi-fi aficionado. Toth hosts and produces The Evan Toth Show and TVD Radar on WFDU, 89.1 FM. Follow him at the usual social media places and visit his website.
