RSS
Home
Hawaiian star pulls ukulele into jazz world in SF Jazz Festival performance
Print
Email
RSS
Subscribe
What comes to mind when you see the words "ukulele recital?"
Yeah, I had that problem, too. Until Wednesday night, when Hawaiian string sensation Jake Shimabukuro demonstrated to an enthusiastic San Francisco Jazz Festival audience at Davies Symphony Hall audience how much drama can by yanked out of the four little strings of an average uke.
Playing a mixture of original tunes and cleverly chosen homages, Shimabukuro demonstrated dexterity and finesse equal to any of the guitar gods of the moments. "Let's Dance" was a dizzying melange of flamenco motifs, with a little Eddie Van Halen thrown in for drama. His version of the traditional Japanese tune "Sakura" included a remarkably adept imitation of a 13-string koto, while "Blue Roses Fall" was a dreamy bit of impressionistic whimsy.
No doubt it, in the hands of a master like Shimabukuro, the ukulele can do anything a guitar can -- just within a pitch range similar to what you'd get from a piano with a 3-inch keyboard (the performer's simile).
And that was why it was hard to shake the notion of this all being a gimmick, similar to classical experiments with toy pianos. By the end of the first set, I was yearning for anything with a little bass action.
Which makes me think the limitation is more the solo recital format. Imagine the range you'd get if you paired up Shimabukuro with, say, jazz tuba innovator Howard Johnson.
Related Articles:
Comments
