Perhaps no single instrument is as closely associated with one place as the ukulele is with Hawaii. While it might seem like a caricature to so closely tie it to the Hawaiian people, Jake Shimabukuro — the most prominent modern ukulele virtuoso — insists that the typically four-stringed music-maker is just a given thread in the cultural fabric of island life.
"Growing up in Hawaii, it's such a big part of the culture here," Shimabukuro says. "Growing up, I felt like it was weird if you didn't play the ukulele. Everyone played it."
"And that was how I first learned," he continues, "because my mom played it. When I was a kid, she sat me down and taught me a few chords, and I just fell in love with it. Every time I think of the ukulele, it reminds me of my time growing up here in this culture and spending time with my family. I always think of my mom. I wouldn't be playing today if it weren't for her. So it's very personal and dear to me."
Growing up in Honolulu with mixed Okinawan and Japanese heritage and inspired by legendary Hawaiian ukulele players — from King David Kalakaua and Uncle Eddie Kamae to Roy Sakuma and Peter Moon — Shimabukuro strove to master the tiny member of the lute family. In 1998, he had his breakout moment in the Hawaiian music scene when his band Pure Heart put out their self-titled debut album, an instant Hawaiian contemporary classic. While Pure Heart racked up Na Hoku Hanohano Awards (the Hawaiian equivalent of Grammys), the island music scene is still a niche one.
It wasn't until 2006, that Shimabukuro would accidentally gain worldwide fame. That was when a user with the handle "cromulantman" uploaded a video of Shimabukuro covering George Harrison's "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" to this new website called YouTube. Before the term had even become codified in our collective lexicon, Shimabukuro went viral.
While internet fame can be fleeting, Shimabukuro's dexterous playing was no flash in the pan. He was able to capitalize on the limelight showing off his genre-blending skills across a bevy of albums, becoming the preeminent ukulele player on the planet.
But even masters can learn a thing or two from other masters.
Shimabukuro's latest album sees him delve into new sonic territory that one might not think would be a fit for the ukulele — the blues. Lucky for Mr. Shimabukuro, Mick Fleetwood, the legendary drummer of Fleetwood Mac, just so happened to be a longtime Hawaiian resident. After years of discussing working on a project together, the two men finally carved out time to convene at Fleetwood's Maui studio. The results of their collaborations can be found on the new instrumental album Blues Experience, which features eight classic blues and rock covers plus the original tune "Kula Blues."
"Because Mick Fleetwood is like the greatest blues drummer of all time... we kind of knew we wanted to go back to that direction," Shimabukuro says. "And I think Mick was excited about it too, because that's his passion. And so when we went into the studio, we just thought we'll take a handful of some iconic blues tunes and just kind of see what happens."
While Shimabukuro grew up loving blues guitar players like Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck, he admittedly felt some hesitation approaching the genre. But the apprehension began to melt away once he and Fleetwood started getting in the groove.
"That's what was so great about working with Mick Fleetwood. He was really encouraging," Shimabukuro says. "He was really pushing me to get out of my comfort zone and just try new things. Just go for it. Don't be afraid. Don't hold back. So when you have that kind of encouragement from a legend, it's such an incredible feeling. You feel like you can do no wrong, you know?"
"Mick just has this amazing natural ability to just be such a leader and a mentor," he continues. "He's kind of like a really great point guard on a basketball team — he just sets everyone up for success. And when you have a band leader like that — oh my goodness — it's just such a joy to play. If we get a take and Mick is smiling, then you feel like, 'OK, that was a good one.'"
The album's live recording setup had Shimabukuro and Fleetwood facing each other and flanked by bassist Jackson Waldhoff and keyboardist Michael Grande. While Shimabukuro plays the same tenor ukulele throughout the album — which differs from guitar players, who tend to switch axes throughout a season to vary tone — he did find different voices for his instrument by playing through Fleetwood's Fender Princeton amp and employing a host of effects pedals. Shimabukuro and Fleetwood's physical proximity also led to one of the ukulele player's favorite aspects of the album's sound.
"We were all in the same room, and the ukulele and the drums were the only two acoustic instruments, right? Because we had the electric bass and the keyboard," Shimabukuro says. "So the neat thing about that was that because I have an open mic in my ukulele, Mick's drums were actually feeding into my ukulele mic. So even if you were to mute all the instruments, and just listen to the solo ukulele track, you could still get a bit of the drums. What was neat about that is that because his drums were feeding into my ukulele, it was actually feeding into all my effects and everything. So every time I would use my delays or my effects, his drums were going through that, too. I thought that really made this kind of cohesiveness between the ukulele and the drums on accident. But it was a really happy accident."
Blues Experience's most touching moment comes when Fleetwood and Shimabukuro cover the classic Fleetwood Mac Rumours track "Songbird" in honor of Mick's late bandmate Christine McVie. This new rendition thunderously echoes with a mournful grace that's a safe bet to get Fleetwood Mac superfans tearing up.
"The tribute to Christine McVie — 'Songbird' — it was one of those chicken-skin moments," Shimabukuro says. "Even Mick said when we recorded that, he felt Christine's presence in the studio with us. That was really special."
Those wanting to see Shimabukuro's ukulele blues shredding in action will also need to be ready for a bit of seasonal cheer, as his "Holidays In Hawai'i" tour is making a stop at the Bing Crosby Theater on Monday, Nov. 18. The show will feature Blues Experience tunes and Christmas classics played by the ukulele ace. When I mention his Spokane date is billed as the one "regular show" amid a slew of holiday tour dates, Shimabukuro seems a bit caught off guard and makes it clear that listing is probably just a technicality because the concert was booked later than the other gigs on the tour.
"It'll be a surprise holiday show!" he says with a laugh.
Shimabukuro is bringing along one of his best musical buddies, singer-songwriter Justin Kawika Young and bassist Waldhoff, to help bolster the festive spirit and spread musical joy. After all the blessings he's had over the course of his career, Shimabukuro makes sure to reflect during this time of year on how special it is that the people in his life — from his mom to Mick Fleetwood — have brought so much joy to his musical and personal life.
"I just love this time of year, because for me it just always reminds me of family, spending time together, and just that love and that joy," he says, "and not taking these moments for granted." ♦
Jake Shimabukuro • Mon, Nov. 18 at 7 pm • $32-$65 • All ages • Bing Crosby Theater • 901 W. Sprague Ave. • bingcrosbytheater.com
