The folks at Eastman Music have recently expanded into the ukulele field, and Eastman’s Steve Bernstein was kind enough to give us a quick tour through the new models at this year’s NAMM show. Available now is an all-mahogany series of…
By David Templeton // From the Spring 2014 issue “There goes Ken Middleton,” says musician Heidi Swedberg—of Heidi Swedberg and the Sukie Jump Band—pointing through the window into a bustling downtown bakery in St. Helena, in rural Northern California. Out…
Shimabukuro spreads the ukulele gospel through his new Four Strings Foundation By David Knowles In today’s ukulele universe there’s no star as bright as Jake Shimabukuro. The Hawaiian-born virtuoso is not only considered the Jimi Hendrix of the uke, he’s…
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Abe’s Rhythm Multi-instrumentalist Abe Lagrimas Jr. uses his extensive jazz training to weave complex rhythms into lounge-style instrumentals that draw from Hawaiian, folk, and contemporary music. Playing both ukulele and drums, Lagrimas is accompanied by Hamilton Price on bass, but—as…
Playing ukulele changed the way I hear music Miles Schon explores the uke’s possibilities © Deidre Neville Singer-songwriter Miles Schon started playing guitar at age 13, but it took him nearly another decade to pick up a ukulele—and even…
By Karen Peterson For those of a certain age, somewhere in the memory banks is the image of a smiling, freckle-faced, red-headed guy—not the marionette Howdy Doody—wearing a bright Hawaiian shirt and plucking a ukulele. It was Arthur Godfrey, and…
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This year, the Alvarez brand is celebrating its 50th anniversary. While best known for its guitars, the company has just launched the intriguing new Artist series of ukuleles, which will feature solid soundboards, herringbone purfling, fan bracing, and a variety of…