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Jake Shimabukuro

 
AMG AllMusic Guide: Pop Artists:

Jake Shimabukuro

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Biography

Ukelele master Jake Shimabukuro has taken the four-string, two-octave instrument to places no one could have imagined back in the golden years of Don Ho, ranging freely across the music spectrum from jazz, blues, and funk to bluegrass, classical, and folk with the ease of a musician fully in command of the possibilities of his chosen instrument. Born November 3, 1976 in Honolulu, Hawaii, Shimabukuro was given his first ukulele and lesson by his mother when he was only four-years-old. Fascinated by the uke, he eventually began playing regularly at a local Honolulu café. He was a founding member of Pure Heart, and played on the trio's first two albums before leaving to form Colon. In 2001 Shimabukuro began his solo career, releasing Elaine Maru (In Memory Of) on Surfside Records that same year. He signed with Epic in 2002 and released Sunday Morning on the label a year later, following it with Skyline in 2003. In 2005 he found an international distributor for his own label, Hitchhike Records, and began issuing his own CDs, including Crosscurrent, Dragon, My Life, and the much lauded Gently Weeps, which included a haunting version of George Harrison's "While My Guitar Gently Weeps." Shimabukuro has completely rewritten the book on the possibilities of the ukulele, and his skill on the instrument attracted the ear and attention of Béla Fleck who has used Shimabukuro as both an opening act and as a sit in playing guest with the Flecktones. ~ Steve Leggett, Rovi
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Jake Shimabukuro

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Jake Shimabukuro

Jake Shimabukuro performing in Joshua Tree, California in 2007.
Background information
Born November 3, 1976 (1976-11-03) (age 35)
Genres Jazz, blues, funk, rock, classical, bluegrass, folk, flamenco
Instruments Ukulele
Years active 1998–present
Associated acts Pure Heart
Website www.jakeshimabukuro.com

Jake Shimabukuro (born November 3, 1976 in Honolulu, Hawaiʻi) is a ukulele virtuoso known for his complex finger work.[1] His music combines elements of jazz and rock.[2]

Contents

History

Shimabukuro's mother gave him an ukulele at age four and he quickly took an interest in the instrument. A fifth generation Japanese-American,[3] Shimabukuro initially gained attention in Hawaiʻi in 1998 as a member of Pure Heart, a trio with Lopaka Colon (percussion), and Jon Yamasato (guitar). Shimabukuro was working at a music store in Honolulu when the group released its eponymous first album, featuring a sound and style somewhat similar to the Kaʻau Crater Boys. Their first album won them four Na Hoku Hanohano Awards (the Hawaiian counterpart of the Grammy Awards): Island Contemporary Album of the Year, Most Promising Artist(s), Album of the Year and Favorite Entertainment of the Year, the latter determined by unrestricted public vote.

The following year, they released Pure Heart 2, which earned them another Hoku award for Island Contemporary Album of the year. Yamasato informed the others that he was quitting the group via a newspaper story that ran in the Honolulu Advertiser on Thanksgiving Day, and Shimabukuro and Colon formed another group, Colon, which they named in honor of Colon's father, famed percussionist Augie Colon. The new guitarist was Guy Cruz, younger brother of the Kaʻau Crater Boys' Ernie Cruz, Jr., and John Cruz. Colon won the Hoku Award for Favorite Entertainer of the Year in 2001, after which Shimabukuro decided to pursue a solo career.

As a solo artist after the break-up of Colon he experimented with using effect pedals to make new sounds that few would associate with an ukulele. He has released an instructional DVD called Play Loud Ukulele, and in 2006, composed the music to the Japanese film Hula Girls, which featured hula dancing and a Hawaiian spa resort as its primary theme and setting respectively.

Shimabukuro also performed on stage with Jimmy Buffett and his group, The Coral Reefer Band and is featured on Buffett's CD/DVD release, Live in Anguilla.

In November 2009, Shimabukuro accompanied fellow Hawaiian-born Bette Midler at the Royal Variety Show. They performed a rendition of the Beatles song "In My Life" as the first of Midler's three-song set.

Jake is the key spokesman for the "Music is Good Medicine" organization, which uses community outreach programs - and visits to schools, senior centers, and hospitals - to emphasize the importance of a healthy life and mind as well as promoting music and the arts.[4]

Performing in Stockholm during JazzFest'09

Instruments

Shimabukuro plays a custom-made 4 string tenor ukulele from Kamaka Ukulele. He uses a Line 6 Pod XT Live.[5]

References

  1. ^ http://www.musicplayer.com/article/jake-shimabukuro/Sep-05/13510
  2. ^ Official biography
  3. ^ Virtuoso more than a novelty act
  4. ^ "Interview with Jake Shimabukuro by human2stay.com". http://www.phpm.ru/u/166b. 
  5. ^ http://www.musicplayer.com/article/jake-shimabukuro/Sep-05/13510 Interview with Shimabukuro

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Jake Shimabukuro

This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)

 
 

 

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