Gods of Uke: The Influence of Ukulele-Jazz Pioneer Lyle Ritz, 1930–2017
Jazz ukulele pioneer Lyle Ritz’s 2 albums for Verve, How About Uke? (1958) and 50th State Jazz (1959), were hugely influential among a generation of Hawaiian ukulele players.
Joey Lusterman
The Birth of the Aloha Shirt
Who originated the aloha shirt? This is a topic that comes up frequently among lovers of all things Hawaiian, and like most popular inventions, it is claimed by many.
Gods of Uke: Ernest Ka’ai, a Pioneering Ukulele Virtuoso, Composer, and Author
All modern ukulele players, whether or not they know it, owe a large debt to this gifted musician
What Every Ukulele Player Should Know About Humidity
From the Spring 2017 issue of Ukulele | BY ANDREW KITAKIS In working with the ukulele community for the last 20 years, I have witnessed the joy and fulfillment many friends have found when they find that special ukulele. Those…
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Review: Duke Uke and Gold Tone BU-1 Banjo-ukuleles
The open-back Duke is a tenor-sized model with a mahogany neck, high-density polyethylene rim, and a pickup. Gold Tone’s BU-1 is a concert-sized open-back banjo-uke with a pickup that comes in under $200.
GruvGear GigBlade Gig Bag
By Greg Olwell After earning its stripes with clever body-hugging gig bag designs for electric basses and guitars, GruvGear recently moved into the ukulele world with two sizes of its GigBlade gig bag—one a smaller size to fit soprano and…
Spring 2017 Ukulele Events: Festivals, Cruises & More
COMPILED BY AUDREY COLEMAN Caribbean Ukulele Cruise February 10–19, 2017 | Sailing from New Orleans Banish winter blues aboard this cruise. Spend nine days in the Caribbean luxuriating on the Carnival Dream. Scuba dive in warm, inviting waters, and make time,…
‘I’d Never Heard My Uke Sound Like This Before’: Jake Shimabukuro Discusses Using Pedals for his Album Nashville Sessions
Using distortion and other effects on his ukuleles, Nashville Sessions features Jake Shimabukuro’s playing as we’ve never heard it before.
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Kala Introduces 8-String Baritone + More NAMM 2017
By Greg Olwell In a visit to Kala Brand Music‘s booth at the 2017 NAMM show, they showed us the company’s new concert-size Waterman ukulele, plus tons of new designs and colors on the Ukadelic and Makala Shark and Dolphin lines, including concert…
New Zealand’s Wellington International Ukulele Orchestra Gets Serious About Its Favorite Instrument
From the Winter 2016 issue of Ukulele | BY PAT MORAN “Rule number one—if you know the words, sing along.” From the darkened stage in Charlotte, North Carolina, Age Pryor intones the Wellington International Ukulele Orchestra’s “rules of audience engagement.”…