Virtuoso Jake Shimabukuro doesn’t let much faze him. Not a worldwide fan base, not a touring gig with Jimmy Buffett, not critics comparing him to the other Jim: guitar god Jimi Hendrix.
“I don’t light ukuleles on fire on stage,” he quips.
But he does take the compliment in stride, noting that Hendrix “reinvented the guitar and inspired a whole generation of guitar players.” Shimabukuro appreciates being recognized for reinventing one of the most overlooked of instruments—Tiny Tim’s ax of choice.
Tiptoe through the talent
In recent years, the ukulele (properly pronounced oo-koo-lay-lee) has gained a fringe fan base thanks to quirky musical acts like Asheville’s Mad Tea Party and New York’s The Hazzards (formerly The Ukes of Hazzard), and uke fests around the country ranging from a Starbucks-presented fete in Waikiki to a four-day, 27-band event in New York City.
But, unlike nautical-themed Doctor Sparkles and the Mystic Nomads, Shimabukuro doesn’t strum with irony. “I grew up listening to traditional music in Hawaii,” explains the instrumentalist, whose mother taught him to play ukulele at age 4. He studied with teacher Tami Akiyami, and, he told Frets magazine, early on played the Hawaii 5-O theme song.
“The melody would be written out with just the note names. That’s how we learned.”
It wasn’t until high school marching band that he learned standard notation, later transcribing complex pieces like Paganini’s “24th Caprice for Violin.”
“You don’t have to be musical to learn how to play [ukulele],” the musician explains (though managing Chick Corea’s “Spain” on uke without a modicum of skill is unlikely).
“You don’t even have to practice a lot,” he says. “The first time you pick up an ukulele, you can start playing a song, and you get that instant gratification. It doesn’t matter if you’re 4 or 104, it’s an instrument that’s not intimidating.”
Shimabukuro adds “easy to carry,” “gratifying” and “very therapeutic” to a gushing list of uke perks.
“For some people, they play sports or whatever, but if you’re not good at sports and you don’t really have a niche, picking up the ukulele is for anyone.”
Shimabukuro taught lessons in his native Hawaii before embarking on a touring career. He’s opened for Béla Fleck, and works as a high-profile sideman for Buffett’s band. Then there’s Shimabukuro’s solo show and his own three- and five-piece bands. But despite receiving accolades for his technically complex style, finger speed and the range of sounds he can achieve within the uke’s four-string limitations, he isn’t about to turn up his nose at the non-virtuoso set.
“I’ve seen a lot of stuff on YouTube,” he says of the alt-trendy vintage bands cropping up. “I think it’s great … I think every instrument deserves a chance to branch out. Even the ukulele should be given the chance to experiment and try different sounds.”
Like Hendrix, Shimabukuro is noted for his genre-busting rendition of “Star Spangled Banner,” but the ukulelist talks about his performance with little swagger.
“The thing that I like about playing ukulele is that the audience, if they’ve never seen me play before, their expectations of the concert are very low.” He laughs, “It’s really nice to not have the pressure. Not like a classical pianist [where] people expect to hear you play every note correctly.”
Far from being pleasantly surprised, Shimabukuro’s fans are blown away. Buffett has said: “At the end of sound check, Jake got a round of applause from my band. That’s a tough thing to achieve from a group of veteran players, but we all sensed that Jake was special.” George Harrison’s widow, Olivia, flew to Hawaii last year to hear Shimabukuro’s version of “While My Guitar Gently Weeps.”
The musician humbly chalks it up to the charm of his diminutive uke. “It’s a very friendly instrument,” he insists.
Jake Shimabukuro plays the Blue Ridge Performing Arts Center (538 North Main St., Hendersonville) at 8 p.m. Saturday, June 9 and Sunday, June 10. $25 ($22/advance). 693-0087.
This is going to be the greatest show ever. Screw the Pumpkins. I’m a ukulele enthusiast.