Several years ago, my friends were telling me how great Jake Shimabukuro, and I should attend one of his concerts. I did. It was unbelievable what he could do with a small ukulele. It stunned me. So I decided to attend another one of his concerts. This time I purchased a seat in the middle of the auditorium. Jake was doing his magic with another song. A year later, I attended a concert in central California where some of his relatives lived. I learned that because he's personable with his travel stories at the concert. This time I was in the front row, and his fingers were unraveling the strings on his ukes. It was ready to make anyone scream. I have have seen six to seven of his concerts. Not all of them are the same. I was at one concert when he was playing Bohemian Rhapsody and behind me were music students from the university singing operatic along with his music. The beautiful tones come from his ukulele. He has extremely fine quality ukes, and he's the most creative, amazing ukulele artist to make a common song into his interpretation. I also, like Abe Lagrimas, Jr.'s music too. It's more on the jazzy side of the uke. You have to see him in person. I have seen him play like Jake but I like his jazz style in his works.
I am sure it is pretty impressive to see him live! Jake's tone is absolutely unbelievable. Beautiful touch and great technique that is never used without purpose. A unique artist. I am glad you had a chance to see him live many times :)
My favourite ukulele player is you. You take songs and break them down for the average player. I love it that you make simple for your audience. Thanks 🙏, great video and you have got a great ear
Jake is one of Hawaii's treasures. He is SO good and creative with his ukulele playing. The location of this video is the Koolau Club House on the Island of Oahu. Beautiful location especially for weddings and wedding parties. Aloha.
Thanks Nane! Yeah, he’s the Hendrix of ukulele. I think he was performing in London last month and I watched some videos on Facebook. An absolute creative genius! ☀️🎸
I agree! That Marco can deconstruct and explain what is going on there is so amazing (and funny to watch!). And the other things I appreciate are Marco's creativity and ability to explain a musical synthesis. You rock, Marco!
Jake is the most acclaimed uke player in the world. He’s taking the instrument to places it’s never been musically. He’s simply a creative genius. Check out his latest album “Jake and Friends.” He gets Willie Nelson, Bette Midler, Kenny Loggins and other rock stars to play with him. You don’t get people like that to play with you without a lot of cred. No one else compares. The outdoors recording is at a golf course on Oahu’s Windward side. They do a lot of recording there for a series known as HiSessions. His “My Guitar Gently Weeps,” recorded in Central Park, is the iconic performance of modern ukulele performance. You don’t know ukulele playing until you’ve heard it.
Marco, watching your reaction to Jake Shimabukuro makes me realize that your ability to appreciate his artistry is heightened by the fact that you are such a gifted musician! I am from the island of Oahu and he is on the Windward side of the island where the Koolau Mountains offer an equally breathtaking display of beauty. I also love the fact that you want to learn everything! We do too, that's why we are here! Mahalo.
You have a lot of Jake's music to discover. You need to check out his video someone posted on youtube of Jake in New York's Central Park, playing...."While My Guitar Gently Weeps"...one of the first few videos to blowup and go viral in the early days of youtube. "Dragon" is one of my favorite Jake tunes. I've been fortunate to see Jake live at a few concerts on his visits to Austin. Just a great performer and nice guy. YES Jake, the Jimi Hendrix of the ukulele.
This was so entertaining watching a extraordinary uke and guitar player watching another uke player with extraordinary talent. I never gave much thought to the ukulele until watching Feng E videos and then happened across your videos Marco. The rest is history.
Your expressions & sense of amazement was such a joy to watch. For such a good inspiring musician such as yourself to be blown away by another & to give such quality feedback goes to show how good a person you are. Try watching his Bohemian Rapsody, seriously does it justice. Keep up the great content Marco
I saw Jake Shimabukuro in concert in Fayetteville, Arkansas, and got to meet him afterwards. His concert was crazy, high energy, good. He's humble and kind. I had to check out his finger tips after the concert. I felt sure he must have worn his fingertips plum off, but hands looked normal! I believe his mother began teaching him to play uke at age 4. He's married and has a young child, also. I bet he would love to meet you!
You know that players from Hawai'i have been experimenting playing lead from the 90's so as it might be new to you, it's not to us over here! And there are so many players that use the thumb as our picking choice! My teacher Bill Tapia, who passed was a thumb style jazz player and also the player that I idolized in the 60's and 70's Herb Ohta Sr. aka Ohta-San is a great lead player and soloist on the 'ukulele. I would tell you to check those guys as they were front runners to artists like Jake. If you want to learn more about the early 'ukulele players, feel free to DM and I'll give you all the info that I have. Nice to see you delve into the 'ukulele that only the true followers of the 'ukulele are on and know the artists and styles. 😊
This from a series called HI*Sessions, a project founded a decade ago by Dave Kusumoto and Jon Yamasato (one of my favorite voices from Hawaii) to showcase Hawaiian music, not just the ukulele. Jake is at least yonsei, 4th generation Japanese-American. Jon, Jake & a amazing musician named Lopaka Colon make up a well established banded named “Pure Heart”. You might also want to check out the documentary movie: Jake Shimabukuro, Life on 4 strings. Deepening your familiarity with Hawaiian history & music might help you see the ukulele in the greater context of a whole genre of music & culture.
Check out Evan De Silva. He's definitely a ukulele child prodigy. Feng E seems to specialize in speed playing, however, Even makes every note played, ring out clear and beautifully.
"Does he have more stinrgs? What is goin' on, man?!" Priceless. I love Jake and though I am new to you, I really like your teaching. So, your reaction to Jake's playing is wonderful. It gives me little hope that I could play to 20% of Jake's ability ever though!
Jake S. is talented and has gotten folk interested in this instrument; kudos for that. I'm not learning the uke to sound like an electric guitar. I'll get to that later. Right now I'm more interested in making a soothing sound. Thank you, Mr. Cirillo
I cried Marco. . . It actually soared above the clouds & the dynamics taking that minor melody to unreal places! Crazy playing but perfectly executed to hold the melody thru out. What a song . Sure it's hybrid . Tech style but it has feeling. Movement. Everything. And it's on a ukulele! So. Yes. At 65. I think it's alright. Not for everybody. He worked to get here. Wonderful!
He is great, but a lot of appreciation needs to be shown to these Hawaiian musicians, where the ukulele was born. So much great overlooked talent in Hawai'i
Jake Shimabukuro is my absolute favorite ukulele player, followed by James Hill. I play the ukulele but I'm just a novice. These guys blow away people that blow me away!
You asked where the place was in the Dragon video. It was shot on the balcony of the (sadly now closed) Ko`olau Golf Course clubhouse, on the northern side of the Hawaiian island of O`ahu.
I'm surprised with Marco's surprise haha Jake is one of the Top 5 ukulele players. and as Aidam said, I'm impressed bby how quick he can pick up the notes and chords. Marco, you're a great player, love also your guitar channel :) thanks for inspiring us. :)
Ive been learning this song for a year, and i still cannot do that solo. There sheet music for his version of this song on his "Live in Japan" album. Its so difficult to decipher, coming from someone who learned how to play from visual, but its such a good song, and super fun to play!
He played in my town & our ukulele club went & he invited us early to have a 30 min private lesson with him...he is doing what you said..he told us he starts by playing a melody on the first string then adds to it..he has been playing since he was 4 yrs old..
@@MarcoCirilloUkulele Yeah, Jake is a nice guy. Before the pandemic he toured six months out of the year with Austin, Texas being one of his regular stops. I try to see him each time he's in town. He plays at small venue here that's intimate seating less than 300 people. He's also played at a 2,000 seat venue, bit I prefer the smaller one and he says he does too when he plays in Austin. He will stay after his concerts to autograph merchandise, take photos and just chat with fans. He really is a nice down to earth guy. Definitely check out the PBS made documentary on Jake. "Life on Four Strings".
If ever on Oahu, treat yourself to a drive on the H3 freeway on a rainy but sunny day from the Windward side to Pearl Harbor. You will go past the Pali, or cliffs, in the background of Jake's video and you will see literally dozens of enormous waterfalls with a sky full of rainbows. Truly one of the most interesting drives in the world and not much noted. For the icing on the cake you might want to play this sound track on the car radio.
Love Jake! Thanks for sharing your expertise and analysis of these unique JS compositions. Another unique artist on the ukulele is James Hill. Some of the arrangements he does (Billie Jean, Kashmir, and Voodoo Child) are simply amazing in their percussion techniques.
Im a guitar player Marco and only watched this because of how you teach but it is very interesting and also has given me another way to look at a ukulele the closes Ive ever came to one is Eddie Van Halen little guitars.
Marco, love your videos. You're great teacher. Jake is inspirational. I picked up an ukulele bec. of him. His performance version of Thriller at NY was superb. His techniques & experimentation is just incredible & actually, making feel sad that there's no way I can learn even 10% of the stuff he does. He's not just a Ukulele player, as he wrote the music in Hula Girls, a very good Japanese movie. I watched him live before & he's just..... out of this world. Kalei & Taimane & James HIll all excellent players with their own style. Perhaps you can cover some of their top performances. Cheers from China!
I know that I am a few years late to this reaction, but if you ever get a chance to hear his haunting tune titled "Ehime Maru", I highly recommend it. Also, the story behind it is tragic and needs to be known as a cuationary tale.
Jake Shimabukuro - While my guitar gently weeps. Just sitting there in Central Park. No effects, no looper (well, it was uploaded very early on RU-vid. I don't think this kind of electronic was available by then.)
He is the master, but you are also a very good player, Marco. You, Stu from Ukulele Zen and Klaus Schindler are my ukulele heroes. Thank you Gyani from Munich 🙏
I am surprised at your surprise but a player as good as you being impressed really validates Shimabukuro who, no offense, is the best standard ukulele player in the world. This is a great video. Congrats.
Marco, thank you for supplying such great content. I have a question about your Makai LT-80W, I'm about to purchase the same model, but I noticed that yours has a passive pickup, did you have the pickup installed later after purchase, if so, what kind. Thanks, again.
I love your vids. I'm learning at the moment. Just wondering, do you do structured online lessons for Spanish ukulele? I'm from the UK. Or can you suggest the order for your vids. Which patron tier is best for this? Thanks 👍😁
Hi Marco. Great video, I remember having that same reaction after seeing how far a ukulele can go but one person who stands out the most to me and has always been my main inspiration is kalei Gamiao. In your own time or on the channel you should check out - the unknown and Mach 4. Both can be found on the HI*sessions channel.
Your reactions with jake is like mine with you hahaha I love your enthusiasm for learn and understand jake's technique!! For me jake is Godzilla, a beast a monster that I won't reach in a thousand years!! Haha
Coming form playing guitar for decades, I still try to use guitar style on my uke. I hear similar style in Jake's playing, so I wonder if he did the same or just sounds like that.
Marco - Thank you so much for your approach & excellent teaching.. Your videos have made me a better player and musician already.. Keep it up… Another excellent player to check out wiuld be Brittni Paiva…
Hola Marco... So I'm a left-handed uke player with a right-handed uke. Mire casi no hay nadie en RU-vid que hace lo mismo como yo. Asi que adelantamos, no?
