ukulele player magazine 8

what's inside...p2. Bill Tapia - The Duke of Ukep7. Livin' It Live - Bill Tapia Reviewp8. Ohana BK20-CE baritone ukep11. The Sweater Set - Surprise Visitp12. Reverb Ramblingsp13. Kala Soprano Travel Ukep14. A.J. Leonardp17. Tales From the Tropics Reviewp18. Tony Danza plays Ukulelep19. Catch It In the Mix?p20. Breakfast a.k.a. Tom Dennehyp25. Serif PagePlus X4p26. Kale Uke Give-A-Wayp27. Club Listingsp33. What's Happeningp35. Online Resources

Behind the Scenes...In other reviews, we have theCrate CMX42P 50 WATT PAsystem. This is the sort ofportable PA that a small ukuleleensemble might find handyplaying small venues andfestival tents.

We have three CD reviews..."Tales from the Tropics" from A.J.Leonard and a debut CD from"The Sweater Set". Finally, wereview Bill Tapia's "Livin' It Live"directly following our feature on"The DUKE of UKE" himself.

Remember the Kala Ukecontest for this month is theSoprano Travel Uke, next monthwill be the Tenor travel uke.

Enjoy...

issue 8

When I started publishing theukulele player I was using SerifSoftware's PagePlus. I have usedversion 8 PDF edition andversion 11 (which has betterhandling of PDF files. Now,thanks to Serif Software, I amusing PagePlus X4, their newestversion with more tools, betterhandling of PDF files, andimproved color management.

Last issue took some time toproduce and we were receivingCDs for review and interviewquestions almost to the releasetime, literally. Mike DaSilva'sinterview almost didn't make itinto the issue, but we were ableto meet the deadline.

This time around, we have aspecial feature on Bill Tapia,who just toured Japan, andinteriviews with Tom Dennehyand A.J. Leonard.

We also have a review ofOhana's BK-20ce baritoneukulele with solid mahoganytop, cut-away body, and UK-2000 pickup. Baritone ukes withpickups are pretty hard to find,but the BK-20ce is available.

Kala Ukes has provided us witha couple of brand new travel

ukes. In this issue, we are goingto review the soprano withmahogany back and sides anda solid spruce top. This ukulelewill surprise a lot of people. It ismuch louder than I expectedgiven its shallow body. Look fora review of the tenor version inissue nine when it is released.

We know there are lots ofukulele clubs out there and ourlist of clubs is not expansiveenough. If you want your clublisted, submit the informationand we will be happy to add itto the list.

If you are in a "band" or playgigs, send us a link to yourwebsites or tour information andwe can post that in themagazine. We would also behappy to list any special gigsand concerts at larger venues.That would include faires,festivals, and charity eventssuch as telethons or fund-raisers.We don't want to list every gig,just the big events, but listingyour websites will give ourreaders the ability to find youand keep tabs on what you aredoing.

Bill "Tappy" TapiaHe has been called a "LivingNational Treasure", "The Duke ofUke" and "The Oldest LivingProfessional Working Musician inthe World".

Bill "Tappy" Tapia is 101 yearsold. He played his ownarrangement of "The Stars andStripes Forever" for the troops inWorld War One. In fact, Isearched and could not findany other working professionalmusician that could make thatclaim (played for WWI troops).

In short, Tappy didn't JUST livethrough history, he made it.

At the age of seven, Bill Tapiabought his first ukulele. He wasplaying the uke before the firstukulele craze came to theAmerican music scene. That,alone, makes Bill Tapia verypossibly the last remaining linkto the Hawaiian Islands' originalukulele players.

Bill continued to play ukuleleand by the time the First WorldWar had begun, he hadarranged his own rendition ofJohn Philip Sousa's "Stars andStripes Forever" and had theopportunity to play it for thetroops. He was just a young boyat the time.

Bill matured as a musician and

grew to manhood. He took upguitar and played what mostguitarists did at that time, swingand jazz. He forgot about theuke for a while.

Tappy played jazz and swingwith lots of bands. He was acontemporary of Ella Fitzgerald,Louie Armstrong, Fats Wallerand many others. Manywebsites claim that Bill playedwith a list of jazz legends,including Ella and Satchmo, butBill told me he never played withElla and he only jammed withLouie Armstrong.

Bill was a working musician andplayed guitar for decades whilethe ukulele remained buried ina closet somewhere. Then, afterfifty-six years, give or take a few,he rediscovered his firstinstrument and started playingukulele again.

Since taking up ukulele asecond time, Bill has made thejazz music charts twice. Hislatest CD, "Livin' It Live" is on thecharts now. Look for the reviewin this issue of ukulele player.

At fifteen-years-old, Bill wasplaying the Moana Hotel withJohnny Noble's orchestra. In1927, when Bill was nineteen,he started gigging at the RoyalHawaiian Hotel. One of his "jobs"

for the hotel was driving guestsaround the island on tours andoccasionally stopping to play asong for them. At that time,though, jazz was taking hold ofhim and Bill was playing a lotmore guitar than ukulele.

While jazz was still young, Bill wasplaying the Waikiki music scene.During that time, he taughtJimmy Durante, Betty Grable,Buster Crabbe, Clark Gable,Shirley Temple, and ArthurGodfrey how to play ukulele.

It was also during that timeperiod that Bill played with Samand Duke Kahanamoku.

Some time during that era Billformed his own band called"Tappy's Island Swingers",although I could not find theactual years involved.

I wonder if he drew from thatexperience when Bill recordedhis CD "Tropical Swing" in 2004.

When I was trying to set up theinterview with Bill Tapia for thisissue I found out that he was onhis way to Japan for severalperformance dates. Bill, itseems, really does not stop. It'sbeen said before, but he keepsgoing and going...

It has been said that Bill is afraidto stop working and playingbecause if he stops, he mightnot start again.

As Bill tells the story, he beganplaying ukulele at age seven.Bill talked Manuel Nunes intoselling him a ukulele for seventy-five cents. I wonder if he still hasthat uke, Nunes was one of theoriginal ukulele builders inHawaii.

At age ten, Bill was busking forcoins and that was about thetime that he heard a marchingband playing "Stars and StripesForever". He made his ownarrangement of the tuneand itwas that arrangement heplayed for the troops.

About age twelve, Bill left schooland started playing theHawaiian Vaudeville circuit tohelp support his family (his fatherhad run off and left them tofend for themselves).

Bill was arrested while playingukulele in a gin joint (duringprohibition).

Three years later Bill beganfocusing on guitar and banjoand set aside his ukulele. Hestarted playing jazz standards.

Bill left Hawaii in 1946 (someaccounts say 1948) andpursued jazz full-time in themainland USA. While that wasgreat for his musical career, helost touch with his Hawaiianmusical friends and faded intoobscurity in the Hawaiian music

scene.

In 1998, Bill's wife, Cleo died ofcancer. Just two years later, Bill'sdaughter, Barbie, died as well.Bill was devastated anddepressed.

It was at that time that Bill metAlyssa Archambault, who wasresearching her Hawaiian familyheritage. Her family researchbrought her to Bill Tapia, whohad played music with hergreat-grandparents in somelong-forgotten age.

Bill and Alyssa quickly becamefriends and it was Alyssa thatencouraged Bill to take upukuele again.

in 2004, Alyssa helped Billrecord and produce his first CD,"Tropical Swing".

In 2005 Bill followed "Swing" withanother CD, "Duke of Uke".

Bill's newest CD, "Livin' It Live" is

reviewed directly following thisarticle and interview.

Q: You started playing ukulele atage seven, do you rememberyour first song?

A: Age Seven. My Puina. It's aHawaiian song, My Puina.

Q: Was that learned on theManuel Nunes ukulele or didyou have another ukulelebefore that one?

A: No, that was the first ukulele Igot.

Q: You paid Manuel Nunesseventy-five cents for thatukulele?

A: He wanted a dollar and aquarter. And I had seventy-fivecents saved. I said “No, seventy-five cents!” He said, “Give methe seventy-five cents and getthe hell out of here.”

Q: Do you still have that ukulele?

Making beautiful music is your passion, helping you do it is ours.A: No, I wish I had it, it would beworth a lot of money. See,Nunes was undoubtably the firstand the best ukulele maker onthe island.

Q: You were ten years old andbusking on the streets. Was thatwith the Nunes ukulele then?

A: Right... and this marchingband was passing “The Palace”in Honolulu. They were playingthis song, Stars and StripesForever. That's a war song. Iliked that song. I followed thatband about four blocks until Ilearned it. And at the middle ofthe song they gave thedrummer a break. I went homethat night and I couldn't sleep. Ilearned that song and Iimitated the drum break byplaying the drums on myukulele. I was the first ukuleleplayer to ever imitate the drumson the uke and all the otherukulele players copied me.

Q: So, Roy Smeck and all theother imitated you playingpercussion on the uke?

A: I was the first guy.

Q: How much money did youpull down a day when you werebusking on the streets at tenyears old?

A: At ten years old, I wasworking for the USO Showsentertaining service men in theArmy and Navy YMCA. At thattime, they paid you in gold. Mybrother had more school thanme. I quit school at twelve yearsold. That was all the education Ihad. My brother graduated highschool and went to University of

Hawaii and he was making thirtydollars a week and I wasmaking the same amount ofmoney as him... and I was a kid!And then, on Sundays when Ihad nothing to do I'd go out tothe park and play. The RoyalHawaiian Band would play andwhen they took intermission meand a couple of other Hawaiianboys play. We sat in the grassand put our hat in the grass andpeople would throw money inthe hat. Every Sunday, when Iwent over there, I'd come homewith about $18 or $20 bucks.That was money in those days.

Q: $18 to $20 dollars on aSunday, that's pretty good.

A: Yeah, in one day. A lot ofpeople would throw money,throw fifty cents in the hat.

Q: At fifteen years old, youstarted getting into jazz...

A: At twelve years old, they tookme out of school. I played inVaudeville. We played in everytheatre on the Island. When Iwas about fifteen and a half, Ididn't like the ukulele. I wantedto play guitar. I had to play withbig bands and they didn't useukulele. So I gave up the ukuleleand didn't play it again for 56years. I played guitar and stuffand I played with big bands.

After my wife died, I picked upthe ukulele again.

I heard they had a lot of ukuleleclubs going on, so I said, I”vegotta grab a ukulele and startplaying, and I did, and I'vebeen playing concerts all overthe country. I haven't beenplaying the guitar for seven oreight years, I've been playingthe uke.

Q: So you gave up guitar?

A: I didn't say I gave it up, I'mrusty now, I haven't beenplaying it for a long while.

Q: So you played swing and jazzwhen you were fifteen. Whowere your influences?

A: At that time, I heard EddieLang, and Nick Lucas, DickMcDonald and those guys...that's on the guitar.

Q: In 1946 you headed to themainland?

A: That was right after World WarTwo. During World War Two, Ihad a big band in the Islands. Ihad an eighteen piece band –the biggest band in the Islands.

Q: Was that “Tappy's IslandSwingers”?

A: That was “Bill Tappy's IslandSwing Band”. My name wasTapia, but my nickname was“Tappy”.

Q: I saw online somewhere thatsomeone said the band wasnamed “Tappy's IslandSwingers.”

A: I went by that, too, that's right.“Tappy's Island Swingers”.Sometimes they put it in thepapers “Tappy's Swing Band.”

Q: When did you play with EllaFitzgerald, Louie Armstrongand...

A: I never did play with EllaFitzgerald. I never played inLouie Armstrong's show, LouieArmstrong didn't hire me. I wasworking with a beat band at theBeverly Wiltshire Hotel. That wasa conservative place. Richpeople would go there anddress in a tux and all that. Butthey played “straight music”because they didn't want allthat rough stuff.

So, I heard one day that LouieArmstrong was in town so I tooka night off and I went there andI jammed with the band. Heand I became friends, but Inever worked steady with thatband.

I worked in the Beverly WiltshireHotel with George Olson's band.And then I worked with anumber of bands around there.

I left the Islands to come to themainland and I worked withCharlie Martin and many others.

Q: When you were jamming

with Louie Armstrong, were thereany funny things that happenedat the time, any funny storiesyou can tell our readers?

A: When I left Honolulu, it wassort of a Missionary Town. Placesof business would close at 12:00at night. You couldn't be openlater than that. Sundays, nostores were open, no business.So, when I got to the mainland,it was different.

I never heard of that marijuana.So when I went and jammedwith Louie Armstrong a guy inthe band gave me a marijuanaand I didn't know how to smokethat. I just smoked a couple ofdrags and I put it away for nexttime. [Next time] I smoked thewhole thing. My lips weretingling and I had sensations allover my body. I thought I wasgonna die.

Q: When you were playing atthat time period, did you havea favorite guitar?

A: Yeah, I had a Gibson. Thatwas a good guitar, Gibson L5. Isold it to a disc jockey up northin California. I wish I hadn't. I'vehad a whole lot of guitars in mylife. Right now, I have a coupleof Epiphones.

Q: Epiphone Casino or one ofthe other archtops?

A: Yeah, yeah. Archtop guitar.See, I had a lot of guitars that Isold. I had an EmperorEpiphone. That one was givento me by the factory becauseat that time I was kinda popularand they wanted me toadvertise it. I had a Super 400

by Gibson. It was too big so Iwent to the L5, the L5 was myfavorite Gibson.

Q: Did you ever play the guitarbehind your head? I know youplayed the ukulele behind yourhead?

A: Not guitar. Ukulele I playedbehind my head. I think I wasthe first guy to play that in backof my head, the ukulele, andthen, I'd put it under my legs,and then I'd play it with mymouth. I'd pick the strings withmy teeth. I still do that in theshows that I perform.

Q: You released your CD,“Tropical Swing”, in 2004. Whatukuleles did you play on it?

A: At that time, I had a Martin.Now, I have two ukuleles madeby a guy in Honolulu. His nameis Lymana Ashikawa. He makesthe best ukulele I ever played.When I bought it, it was a fewyears back, $4500 (USD). Theysell for about 'five grand now'($5000) now, to about $5500.

Q: You released “Duke of Uke” in2005, who came up with thename?

A: What's his name... MarkTaylor. He's the guy that told youabout me. He manages mewhen I go on the road.

Q: I love the photograph withyou and the car...

A: That's my car. It's a “PTCruiser” that I bought and then Ihad it all revamped. I took thewheels off and put wire wheelson it, and I hunted all over for

“Gangster White-wall-tires. I putall wood in the body. [editor'snote – like the Classic “WoodyWagon” or “Chevy Nomad”] Iput in a false convertible top. It'sthe most beautiful car you'veevery seen.

Q: “Livin' It Live” ...You havetwelve tracks on there. Stars andStripes Forever, at the very end,is that the same arrangementthat you did when you were tenyears old?

A: That's the same arrangementI played when I was ten yearsold.

Q: Do you have a favorite songfrom the album?

A: I like some of the obvious.

[Tappy didn't actually pick afavorite. I get the impressionthat he loves them all.]

Q: I have seen references toyou playing guitar, ukulele, andbass. What other instruments doyou play?

A: I play guitar, ukulele, bass,steel guitar, mandolin, andbanjo. I haven't been playingthem lately, but I haven'tforgotten how to play it. I'vebeen just playing mostly theukulele.

Q: Big Question... Do you haveany future plans? Anythingmusically that you'd like toaccomplish?

A: I just came back from Japantwo weeks ago. I played inJapan for twenty-one days. Iplayed nine concerts there and

I filled every one up. They hadto turn 'em away. They treatedme like a king over there. I wasso surprised, I didn't know Japanwas like that. That Japan, ohman, it makes New York looksick. I didn't know they hadthose beautiful buildings. Andeverything, Oh God, it's a goingplace. So, I wanna play until I'mgone.

Q: Is there anything musicallythat you've felt you haven'tdone yet that you really want todo?

A: Well, I wanna start me a nicergroup if I can, something I cango on the road with. I've beenusing mostly ukulele, drums,and a good bass player. Iwanna get something different.I wanna get a ukulele, a flute, abass, and a jazz soloist. I wannaform that and hopefully recordlike that, with that group.

Lately, I haven't been feelingtoo well and haven't hadenough time and I wanna forma group like that. It would be anodd group, you know what Imean. It'd be jazz.

Q: What year will it be when youhave played ukulele onehundred years? You were bornin 1908, right?

A: I will be One Hundred andTwo on New Year's Day. I wasborn on New Year's Day. Mymother was born on New Year'sDay. My father was born on NewYear's Day. And my mother'ssister, which is my auntie, allwere born on New Year's Day.

Q: You're a few years away from

playing a ukulele for a century.That has to be a one of a kindaccomplishment.

A: Right now, I am the only guyever played professionally at thisage. Right now, I teach musicall the time. I play gigs likebirthday parties. And I go on theroad.

[editor's note: I looked that upand I couldn't find record ofanyone else – Tappy is the oneand only professional workingmusician over 100 years old)

Q: How many shows do you doa year?

A: I don't know. Let me see, thelast time I went on the road withMark (manager), we did tenshows, one after the other. ThenI rest some and... I do abouttwenty-fve to twenty-seven ayear.

-----------------------------------

I'd like to thank Bill Tapia and hismanager, Mark Taylor, formaking time to talk with me.

Bill Tapia doesn't just play twentysome shows a year. In addition,he teaches private classes on aregular schedule. Bill, literally,doesn't stop working. When Icalled his home for thisinterview, he was just ending aprivate lesson and I had to waita few minutes before we couldstart.

I get the feeling that Bill has theenergy to do what he doesbecause he is never idle.

Indeed, Bill Tapia is amazing.

"Undecided" is an instrumentaland kicks-off this collection ofjazz and Hawaiian music. Thissong sets the mood of the CD.There is a great drum breakabout two-thirds the way intothe song. This is classic swing.

"I Want to Learn to SpeakHawaiian" follows. This song hasan Island Vibe to it. Bill Tapia'svocals are delivered with a stylethat is timeless. He then takesthe lead playing ukulele. Here,he shows that he still has thechops he had when he was amuch younger man.

"Secret Love" is an old classicand Tappy covers it well. "OnceI had a secret love..." Followthat tune with "Nearness of You"and you have a pair of classicmelodies and great swing style.This is jazz.

"E Ku'u Morning Dew" featuresMihana on vocals. There is along instrumental portion beforeMihana starts singing. She has asilky smooth voice and exhibitssuperb control. I'd love to hearthis in a studio version withbackup vocals, too.

"Honeysuckle Rose" featuresLedward Kaapana in thisinstrumental number. This tune isfollowed by "Satin Doll" withspecial guest Lyle Ritz.

Bill Tapia - Livin' It Live Ledward and Lyle lend their skillsand style to this fine collectionof jazz tunes.

"All of Me" features Mihana onvocals again. This is anothersweet song. She really has awonderful voice, the vocals area bit buried in the music on thisnumber.

"The Sheik of Araby" is an oldstandard. I have heard severalrenditions and this is one of myfavorites. Ledward joins Tappyon this number.

"The Lady Is A Tramp" is anotherclassic number. Lyle Ritz joinsTappy once again. I'd love tosee these two great performerson stage together. If you get thechance, don't pass it up.

"In A Mellow Tone" is a smoothtune that will have you relaxedin no time.

The Album ends with Bill Tapia'sgreat rendition of "The Star's andStripes Forever". This is the samearrangement that Bill madewhen he was ten-years-old.

This is a great collection of jazztunes and I really enjoyed it.What is amazing is that Tappywas in his mid to upper 90swhen he recorded these songs.Even more, at 101, Bill Tapia istouring and playing these songswith as much style as ever.

Bill Tapia has been called "TheDuke of Uke" and at the age of101 years, Bill is not just a ukuleleplayer, he is the oldest livingprofessional "working" musicianin the world. At least, I can't findone older (I have looked).

At the tender age of 101 years,Bill "Tappy" Tapia has releasedhis ukulele album "Livin' It Live",and that is exactly what he isdoing. He's livin' and playin' live.

"Livin' It Live" is a top-notchcollection of recordings. The CDfeatures Bill Tapia on ukuleleand vocals, Ruth Daview onstring bass, Akira Tana on drums.

There are special appearancesby Lyle Ritz, Ledward Kaapana,and Mihana.

The CD is a mix of tunesrecorded in 2005, includingHawaiian songs, and jazz.Here is the line-up:

1. Undecided2. I Want to Learn to Speak Hawaiian3. Secret Love4. Nearness of You5. E Ku'u Morning Dew6. Honeysuckle Rose7. Satin Doll8. All of Me9. The Sheik of Araby10. The Lady Is A Tramp11. In A Mellow Tone12. Stars and Stripes Forever

Livin' It Liverecorded in aseries ofconcerts fromthe road in2005. CatchTappy inconcert.

and the EQ can go from softand sweet at the low end tohard and almost guitar-like atthe other end of the spectrum.

The tuners are smooth and holdvery well.

I like baritone ukes with fast, lowaction, so we did a customsetup on this one to put it rightwhere we wanted it. Wechanged the GHS strings withwhich it came to D'Addariosand started jamming.

The sound was robust.Recorded, it had a rich, full tonethat made everything soundbetter. Thanks to the EQ, wehad great control of tone andfound that this uke could beused across multiple genrewithout having to tweakextensively in the mix. Theinstrument has a great voiceand comes through nicely inthe mix.

Ohana sets up the action onthis uke at the high side to giveit more volume. With the factoryinstalled GHS strings, that is abenefit. If you lower the actionlike we did, you will want to useD'Addario strings or Aquilas.Remember, lowering the actionwill make an instrument playeasier, but, you will lose somevolume. Setting up a ukulele is aseriers of trade-offs. The factory

setup on the BK20-CE waschosen to maximize outputvolume acoustically, so, if youlower it, keep that in mind.

This is a really beautifulinstrument and sounds greatacoustically or plugged into aPA or acoustic amp. If you are astage performer, give this one atest-drive. It will really fill in thebottom end nicely.

I love playing baritone ukulele.Maybe it is the "guitarist" in me,but there is something warmand inviting about the tone of anice baritone ukulele. Noukulele ensemble should bewithout one.

Ohana's BK-20CE is a reallygreat ukulele for working andrecording musicians. This ukehas a laminated mahoganyback and sides with a solid top.It gives you the durability of awell-made laminatedinstrument with the fullness androbust voice of a solid-wooduke. Unplugged, it has plenty ofvolume. Plugged, this uke rocks.

The body of the BK-20CE is abeautiful matte finish and thebinding gives it a nice cleanlook with a touch of style. Theneck is straight and true and thefret markers are traditional roundpearlescent dots.

The neck and body color blendperfectly and the over-allbalance of the instrumentmakes it easy to hold and play,even though this ukulele weighsmore than a solid-woodbaritone, like Ohana's BK-32does.

Ohana picked the UK-2000pickup system for this instrumentand it is a great choice. Thetone is even across the strings

Ohana BK-20CE

Baritone ukuleles often soundvery quiet. That is due to thefact that most of the instrumentson the market today are all-laminated bodies and most ofthose are strung with GHS stringsfrom the factory. They are notbad strings, they just don'tproduce as much sound assome other options. They arewidely available and easy onthe wallet, so they are typicallythe choice of manufacturers.

When you play a baritone ukewith a solid mahogany top, thefirst thing you will notice isconsiderably more volume. Asolid-wood baritone, like theOhana BK-32 will be evenlouder. But, baritone ukes havelong necks and low stringtension. They are tuned thesame as guitars (DGBE) and the

result is that the instrumentsounds rich and full. That is why Ihighly recommend adding abaritone to any ukuleleensemble or band. They are notas over-powering as a guitar,and the nylon strings are mucheasier on your fingers.

What I love about the BK20-CE isthat the uke has both a pickupand a cut-away style body. Thatgives me easier access to theupper frets which I find usefulplaying a lot of songs,especially adding lead lines.

Louis Wu, of Ohana Ukuleles,asked for my feedback onbaritone ukuleles and if I had a"wish list" of what I'd like to see inukuleles in general. I told Louisthat I'd love to see more ukeswith pickups there are not

enough of them out there.Many working musicians andstudio players prefer to beplugged into PA system ratherthan mic the instrument.

I'd love to see a similar modelto the BK20-CE with a deepercut-away to get even farther upthe neck without stretching.

A "D" shaped sound hole wouldbe another cool option givingthe instrument a Django, Gypsyguitar sort of look. That mightalso add some volume as well.

The BK20-CE is a nice baritoneuke and a good performer. It isa well-built uke at a price that isattractive and the pickupsystem is growing in popularitybecause it sounds terrific andhas great tonal range.

Wild Child EmbroideryMade Our Hats!

Chuck Wilson of Wild Childmade the ukulele player hatsyou see on the right.

These hats have our magazinelogo embroidered on a high-quality ball cap. They look greatand feel comfortable.

We have kicked around theidea of offering them for sale,so, We'd like your feedback. Areyou interested? If so, we canwork out the details with Chuckand make them available tothe general public.

Until now, we have only usedthem for promotional purposes,so, not many people havethem. But Chuck did such afantastic job and they lookabsolutely fabulous!

Meanwhile, if you want hats foryour club, your festival, or yourband, talk with Chuck.

Wild Child totally ROCKS!!!

You can tell us what you think atthe download page for themagazine.

Send us your comments on theform at the bottom of thedownload page.

BTW... Chuck makes the "UkeThong" you see in the picture onthe right.

We will give away a Uke thongto one lucky winner in this issue.If you have entered one contesthere, you are in them all.

W i l d C h i l d E m b r o i d e r y8 1 6 - 8 2 2 - 9 8 2 9

c h u c k 1 5 @ m i n d s p r i n g . c o mh t t p : / / h o m e . m i n d s p r i n g . c o m / ~ c h u c k 1 5 /

C u s t o m o r d e r s f r o m 1 t o 1 0 0 0

UKE THONG

The Barnkickers - Steve Boisen and Amanda in ukulele player hats.

The Sweater Set - Surprise VisitI was contacted "The Sweater Set"about doing a CD review of the dou'snew album, Surprise Visit.

The Sweater Set girls are MaureenAndary, from Washington D.C. andSara Curtin of Brooklyn, New York.Together, the girls play a mix of folkmusic, pop tunes, and jazz. They playlive in New York City and the DC area,including the "Washington Folk Festival"(a pretty nice event if you can makethe trip).

Surprise Visit is ten tunes. Here is thelineup:

1. Roger That2. List of Things3. I'm Sure You're Hip4. It's Not Me5. Cop A Feel6. Stick Around7. Home Together8. Nostalgia9. Dreamlife10. Truly I Do

"Roger That" jumps right at you. Thevocals are clear and there is aharmonizing kazoo intro to the song.The CD volume is high, so if you domost of your listening withheadphones, consider this a warning.Set the volume low and raise it to yourcomfort level when the music begins.

The mix is designed to feature thisduo's vocals. There is a strong finger-snapping percussion beat and themeter is solid.

"List of Things" comes down a bit involume. The harmonies on this songare beautifully done. The mix isexcellent on this song and the vocalblend is perfect. There is a xylophoneaccent, cool. That is an instrumentthat you seldom hear and it's use here

is an unexpected bright spot.

"I'm Sure You're Hip", if you listen to thelyrics, you have to wonder whoinspired this song. This is a song ofwanting someone, anyone... living.

"It's Not Me" is another song of longing.There is a section that sounds asthough it is sung in unison. It finallysplits into two of those wonderfulharmonies. These ladies can sing.

I"d love to sit down and put togethersomething as complex as some ofFreddie Mercury's vocal tracks withQueen with these ladies. There is someenormous potential in their vocalpower.

"Cop A Feel" is a song that made melaugh. It is just a little naughty and tooshort.

"Stick Around" is another song aboutrelationships. In fact, that is the themeof the entire album. This song featuresa beautiful flute accent. Once again,those vocals shine.

"Home Together" is a tune to follow"Stick Around". I expected the song tobe about staying home together. Ifyou listen to the lyrics, the man isstarting to escape. The lady is wantingto convince him that there is noonebetter out there.

i"Nostalgia" s just too short. It was gonebefore I knew it. This song starts with "Ihaven't seen you in years" and then itmoves forward slowly. This song is acomparison of a past love that stillwarms a girl's heart. She has beenseeing others, but, the spark is notthere. She is remembering what "they"had and what she is missing.

This song has a doo-wah sort of vibe to

it. It reminds me of something from amusical. I picture a scene like " I lovethe flute. One again, their signatureharmonies shine near the end of thissong.

"Dreamlife" has a hauntingly beautifulflute track in it. The meter is so steadythat you'd almost think it is played by acomputer. The flute is wondeful.

"Truly I Do" is a melancholy number.The song is moody and mournful andthe chord structure accentuates thatmood beautifully. I can picture thisnumber being sung in a smoke-filledscene in a gin-joint.

The mood of this song really gave methoughts of these gals singing thisnumber alongside Craig Robertsonwith his fedora pulled down low andhis collar flipped up. One on eachside with their tight harmonies andCraig's famous growl filling in thebottom of the song.

These gals can sing. If their vocalscome across this strong on liveperformances, they could really havea sound all their own.

I'd like to hear what else they perform.Given a steady stream of material andsome promotional work, I have thefeeling that they would have no placeto go but up.

Some of the writing is frivolous andsome just fun. Some is moremeaningful and though-provoking.The final number is darker soundingand moody. I have to say that the lastnumber was absolutely wonderful andthe best track on the album.

One of the keys to making a goodshow of it is leaving the listeningaudience wanting more. That's where Iam right now. I'd like to hear more of"The Sweater Set". I'd love to hear whatthey could do with some classic jazzcover tunes.

Ladies, I love those harmonies. Keepit coming. The xylophone was a nicetouch. The flute was wonderful. Let'shear some more.

http://www.thesweaterset.com

Digital ReverbWhen digital recordingequipment first hit the scene alot of long-time players, meincluded, were not impressed.Digital sounded cold and sterile.

In the old (analog) days, studiosused tube-based equipment to"master" your recordings andthe results were warm andsweet. Tons of digital filters havebeen created over the years toaddress the problem and onlynow they are beginning tocome close to what the oldanalog (tape) recording systemsused to produce.

While things are much betterthan they used to be, there isstill one filter that I have wrestledwith continually... reverb.

I have tweaked, pinched,prodded, sculpted, and pusheddigital reverb as far as I can butI really haven't been very happywith the results.

Digital reverb tends to be toowet. It goes from ineffectual towhoa, backup, that's way toomuch in a slight push of thedigital switch.

Funny, because it is not reallyreverb itself that is the problem,it is the change in tone thattakes an otherwise warmrecording and turns it into acold, clammy sort of sound thatreminds me of yelling into astorm sewer (don't ask).

The work-around, after addingthe reverb you want, EQ the mixto bring back the warmth.

Got Uke?

You can find Kala Ukuleles atwww.ukeladymusic.com

Kala Soprano Travel Ukefind yourself constantly tuningthe instrument.

Kala Ukes come with Aquilastrings these days and they area great choice for this uke. Theaction is a little high, but thatmay be by design. If the stringswere really low, this uke wouldproduce a lot less sound.

The nut and saddle appear tobe bone and they are cutperfectly for the Aquila strings.There is no buzzing and theintonation is perfect all the wayup the neck on our sample.

The shape of the neck feelscomfortable in my hands andthe heel of the neck is perfectlysymetrical and small, allowingfor easy access to the upper-most frets.

There are fret markers on thefifth, seventh, and tenth frets onboth the fretboard and the top-edge of the neck to facilitateplaying its full length. The neck isbound in black to match thebody. This is a really classylooking little ukulele.

Playing this uke is a pleasure. Ithas a size that rivals sopraninosand would feel much like one ifnot for the added weight of thegeared tuners. The balancepoint on the neck is the seventh

Mike Upton, of Kala Ukes, sentme two travel ukes for reviewand to give-away to ourreaders. The soprano travel uke,the "KA-SSTU", sports a solidspruce top, sealed-gear tuners,a 1½ laminated mahogany,curved back, a mahoganyneck, and comes with its ownKala Ukes embroidered logo gigbag.

First off, let me say that the gigbag is really cool. I love theembroidered logo. This bag iscustom-made for the ukuleleand it fits like a glove. The uke iswell-protected inside this bag.

The fit and finish of this uke iswonderful. Its "voice" is verychipper and much louder than Iactually anticipated, thanks tothe solid spruce top. The neck isperfect and the frets are nicelydressed. There are no sharpedges whatsoever.

The rosette is a conservativetriple stripe and is a perfectmatch for the minimalist blackbinding. The bridge is rosewood.

The first thing I noticed aboutthe tuners is that the "knobs" areblack. They are not too big, butthey are not too small, either.They are easy to adjust andsmooth as silk. The uke holdstune very well, so, you won't

fret, so it doesn't feel top-heavywhen you are playing it. Thatwas a pleasant surprise.

If you want a travel uke that willfit comfortably in your luggageor as a carry-on, this uke is oneto consider. The KA-SSTU is a funlittle ukulele with a big voice.The gig bag is really cool andthis is one toy that is sure to wina lot of smiles.

Over the years Australia hasproduced some amazingmusical talents. Anyone whohas ever heard of acousticguitar genius Tommy Emmanuelwill tell you how they are blownaway by what he can do.

I can think of numerous musicalgroups that came from "DownUnder". Little River Band had astring of hits years ago, so didOlivia Newton John. Then, AirSupply churned out one hit afteranother for a decade.

Australia's contribution to theworld of ukulele is A.J. Leonard.

A.J. has been called a "virtuoso"player, but, he doesn't just play,he sings, too, and he does agood job at that.

I have enjoyed watching A.J.

play in various "gigs" thanks tothe internet and YouTube, inparticular.

A.J. is quite a showman. Heplays a range of cover songsold and new and writes some ofhis own material as well.

After enjoying the videos I foundonline, I had the opportunity tointerview A.J. for this issue.

---------------------------------

Q: When did you first startplaying ukulele?

A: 1973

Q: Do you remember your firstukulele?

A: My very first ukulele was acheap and nasty Skylark that Ididn’t know how to tune but myfirst serious uke was an Australianmade Maton soprano that Ibought second-hand for $20 in1973. I have seen the oddMaton appear on EBay for$500-$600.

[editor's note: Maton guitars aresensational. Tommy Emmanuel,perhaps the world's bestacoustic guitarist plays Maton]

Q: You play a Martin 5K in someof your videos. How many ukesdo you own and what are they?

A: Unfortunately the Martin inthose videos belongs to TerryChapman, a close friend ofmine and a serious Martincollector. Thanks to Terry I havebecome more interested insoprano ukuleles.

I don’t have a large collection; Iown four ukes including theMaton soprano. I have twotenors, both made by Kamaka.The older one is a Lili’u 6 string Iacquired in 1978 and the otherone is a 4 string I picked up inHawaii in 2006. I also have aLanakai baritone. I used to owna rare Maton baritone made in1976 but it mysteriously“disappeared”.

Q: What other musicalinstruments do you play?

A: Guitar, bass, mandolin,bouzouki, tenor banjo, quatro,piano, keyboard andpercussion.

Q: You have played with many"bands" over the years. In whichones did you play ukulele? Whatgenre of music did you play ineach group?

A: I played ukulele in the earlydays with a duo called CoolWater and then a band calledYasmin & the Tealeaves whoreleased a self-titled album in1980. The 80’s saw me playingelectric guitar and keyboard invarious original and coverbands. I also did solo piano barwork. I started playing someukulele again in 1990 when I

A.J. LeonardAustralia's Own "Virtuoso" Uke Player

discovered the Penguin CaféOrchestra a band that plays aninteresting cross-section ofinstrumental music utilizingguitar, piano, ukulele, cello,violin, trombone etc. I joined theLightning Creek Band, whichperformed music for childrenand wrote some children’ssongs on ukulele for a couple ofalbum releases. In 1992 Iformed a six piece originalband called Arpeggio A Go Go,which included violin, cello,flute, clarinet and percussion. Iplayed guitar, ukulele, keyboardand mandolin and featured theidea of mixing songs withinstrumentals. By the time werecorded our only album InAnother Lifetime in 1996 theband name had changed toFree Reign.

Q: Tell us about your currentmusical duo.

A: My current musical duofeatures ukulele and celloperforming songs andinstrumentals. The cellist JennyRowlands has been with mesince Arpeggio A Go Go/FreeReign. We started the uke/cellocombination in the late ninetiesplaying mainly covers. The duoexpands into a four piececalled Tropical Lounge andincorporates more ukulele,guitar, accordion, keyboard,percussion and vocal harmony.

Q: A few months back youreleased "Tales from theTropics", a full-length CD. Didyou play everything yourself? Ifnot, who played on thatproject?

A: Jenny Rowlands played the

cello on Island Girl and TheRoad To Hana. I playedeverything else.

Q: Are there any projects in theworks at this time?

A: I am putting the finishingtouches on a new CD entitled12 Seasons: Two-Part PreludesFor The Ukulele. It featurestwelve instrumentals, one ineach key and performed onukulele only. It will be the firsttime I have ever featured myMaton soprano on a recording.

I have another ongoing projectentitled American Songbook incollaboration with David Billingswho is a part of TropicalLounge. The idea behind theSongbook is to include songsthat convey hope, promise,optimism or just a positive spinon life. A second Tales From theTropics has been started and Ihave at least another twoprojects in the planning stages. Iam trying to make up for somelost time.

Q: Have you played with anyother ukulele celebrities? Withwhom have you shared thestage?

A: I am yet to share the stagewith other ukulele celebrities butI plan on a global assault ofukulele festivals in the future. Iwas invited to play New YorkUkulele Festival this year butcouldn’t organize myself in time.I would have loved to haveseen Bill Tapia and NellieMcKay.

Q: Who, would you say are yourmusical influences? How did

they influence you?

A: I have many, many musicalinfluences that include theaforementioned Penguin CaféOrchestra, Schubert, Brahms,Schumann, Satie, Bing Crosby,Al Bowlly, Jean Sablon, FrankSinatra, Dean Martin, PerryComo, Bert Kaempfert, TheShadows, The Beatles, TheBeach Boys, Simon andGarfunkel, Jimmy Webb, JoniMitchell, John Martyn, RandyNewman, Ry Cooder, JJ Cale,Radiohead. There is also themusic of Fiji and Hawaiiparticularly Jake Shimabukuroand Ohta-San. I know it’s a longlist but I feel they have allinfluenced me either directly orindirectly. My record/CDcollection contains examples ofmost kinds of music.

Q: Have you had a chance toplay with any of them?

A: I would love to have seen AlBowlly with the Ray Nobleorchestra in the late 1930’s butthe closest I have come ismeeting Randy Newman in the1980’s and Jake a couple oftimes. Every man and his dogseems to end up doing a duetwith another artist sooner or laterand audiences enjoy seeingdifferent artists performing orrecording together. I would liketo do this in the future but I haveto get out of Australia first as myinspiration comes fromelsewhere. Some duets with JJCale or Ry Cooder would begood.

Q: You play lots of instrumentals,but you also sing (Pretty well, Imight add). Which do you enjoy

more?

A: Thank you for thecompliment. It’s a funny thing,when I first heard my voice on arecording at the age of 12 Inever thought I would make aliving as a singer. All I wanted todo when I started learning wasto play all the great guitar riffs ofthe time. The 60’s was a fertileperiod for instrumental music sothere was a great opportunity tolearn and appreciateinstrumentals as a valid andinspiring art form.

When I heard Penguin Café Iwas intrigued with the idea thatyou could be an instrumentalband only. I modeled ArpeggioA Go Go on Penguin Café butrealized fairly quickly that I wasalso a singer and enjoyedsinging live.

I have always liked variety andwhen I perform I like to mix it up.As to which I enjoy more, songsor instrumentals, it’s a bit liketossing a coin.

Q: Some of your recorded worksare straight-up, live sounding, ifyou will, and others are heavilyorchestrated. Do you have apreference when it comes tostudio work?

A: I tend to overdoarrangements at times but I justcan’t help myself. Sometimes Ihave an idea in my head whereto take an arrangement and atother times I experiment byadding whatever comes tomind, arranging on the hop soto speak. I have recentlydiscovered the joys of simplicitywith the recording of 12 Seasons

by consciously choosing to limiteach track to a two-partarrangement. I guess I don’treally have a preference.

Q: Do you produce your ownmusic?

A: Yes, but mainly out ofnecessity and convenience notchoice.

Q: You play a lot of cover-tunes.Do you have favorite "artists" youconsider when you pick cover-tunes? What are your criteria?

A: I think my criteria might bemore song-based than artist-based. I respond to music thatmoves me, that has aninexplicable quality defined bythe melody and sometimes thelyrics. When I do a cover versionI like to tinker with it and try andcreate something new andinteresting.

Q: Do you have any futuremusical goals you can sharewith us?

A: Recording and performingare ongoing passions for meand I hope to reach a wideraudience in the future. As far asthe ukulele is concerned I havebeen a bit slow out of theblocks considering I startedplaying a good while ago.When I started in the 70’s therewas no one else in Australiaplaying ukulele of a highstandard that I was aware ofand I didn’t have a clue aboutwhat was happening in the restof the world. But now, as moreand more people are aware,the ukulele is undergoing aglobal resurgence. In the last

five years at least a dozenukulele clubs have started up inAustralia. There is now a wideraudience for ukulele and I hopeto be able to inspire peopleand make them understand theamazing possibilities that theonce humble uke has to offer.And if there are any celebritiesout there interested in someprivate tuition from a capableteacher I give very reasonablerates.

Q: Have you set a time to meetBosko & Honey in the nextUkulele Safari?

A: I will be performing at theinaugural Melbourne ukulelefestival (MUF) at the end ofFebruary 2010 where I plan tomeet up with Bosko & Honey.Bosko has contacted me andgraciously requested to includeme in the Australian installmentof the Ukulele Safari.

---------------------------------

I'd like to thank A.J. Leonard fortaking the time to answer ourquestions. He has a pretty busyschedule.

We'll keep watching and checkout Bosko & Honey's UkuleleSafari - Australia and lookforward to catching Bosko,Honey, and A.J.

Meanwhile, you can check outA.J. Leonard's music and videoson his MySpace page:

http://www.myspace.com/ajleonard_uke

and his official website:

http://shenanigansmusic.com.au/ajleonard.html

Tales From the TropicsA.J. Leonard

A.J. Leonard's "Tales From theTropics" is a collection ofupbeat original tunes and aresure to get your toes tapping.

Here is the line-up:

1. Away From It All2. Dance For Jake3. Meet Me In Hawaii4. Makawao5. Island Girl6. The Sound of Rain7. The Road to Hana8. Big ISland9. On the Mariposa10. Flutter (Kapalulu)11. Watching the World Go By

"Away From It All" starts slowly,then it jumps into a faststrumming, vocally harmonioustune that reminds me of theBeach Boys. The harmonies inthis tune are very tight and therhythm is really rock-solid. Theukulele playing is wonderful.

"Dance For Jake" is a funinstrumental tune. I found myselfsmiling, my toes tapping andhead bouncing. This rhythmcatches hold of you. The song isshort and sweet.

"Meet Me In Hawaii" starts withbeautiful finger-picking style. Incomes the steel guitar and the

rhythm is smooth as silk. Thissong has a beautifulinstrumental and vocalarrangement. A.J. has a richbaritone, but he can also reachthe tenor range with comfort.The backup vocals are right oncue and the music is tight. Thedrums lay a solid foundationand the beat rests squarely onit. A.J.'s timing is superb.

"Makawao" starts with abeautiful instrumental intro thatslides into a fully orchestratedarrangement that sounds rightat home in the tropics. The songis not overdone, not too busy.This is a song that could easilybecome a standard in theIslands. I love it.

"Island Girl" starts with cello andfinger-picking. A.J. comes inwith the lead vocals anddisplays just how sweet he cansing. The song is dreamy and itdoes set the mood exactly asintended. I can picture thebeautiful Island Girl in the surf.

"The Sound of Rain" is anotherdisplay of excellentmusicianship and composition.This is a beautiful piece. It doesremind me of raindropsdancing on palm leaves. I lovethe rhythm and mood.

"The Road to Hana" has a reallynice drum beat in it. Theorchestration is well done and,again, A.J.'s voice is well-suitedto the song.

"Big Island" has a classic rock"organ" sound. The guitar workand ukulele are very tight andthe keyboard is well done. Thissong reminds me of a popularrock tune from the Seventies.This is an instrumental and thereare lots of differences, but it issimilar.

"On the Mariposa" has analmost Latin beat to it. I canpicture dancers moving to thebeat in some old cantina. I likethe guitar work in this song, verytasteful. The steel is very nice. Itmakes a great accent.

"Flutter" is appropriately named.The music is a fanciful flight. Ienjoyed it. Very nice ending.

"Watching the World Go By" is agreat ending to a great CD. Thisis a wonderful array of songs.The mood is tropical andsoothing, as the name implies.A.J. Leonard did a superb job inwriting, arrangement, andperformance. I recommend it.

Tony Danza is enjoying newthings these days. At the end ofhis days on the sit-com "Taxi",Danza took up tap-dancing.More recently, he took upukulele and has been seen onthe Bonnie Hunt show and otherplaces playing a "Flea" from theMagic Fluke Company.

Tony recently entertained thetroops, so to speak, on the setof "The Producers".

Tony says that the ukulele helpshim relax. I say, good for you,Tony.

BTW... Tony played his "antique"Favilla on "The Daily Danza", thetune, "Five Foot Two". http://www.wsukes.com

http://www.ukulelecosmos.com - excitement, music, lively discussion, and a whole lot more...

http://www.ukulelenoir.com/

ukulele player is created usingSerif PagePlus page layout andgraphic design software.

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Tony Danza Plays Uke

Got Uke?

You can find Kala Ukuleles atwww.ukeladymusic.com

Catch It In the Mix?(Sure you will)

.I can't tell you how many times Ihave heard people say that.

You are in a recording sessionand things are really soundinggreat, then someone bumps amic stand or something elsehappens that adds someunwanted noise to an otherwiseperfect track. Or, maybe youjust slip off a string in that leadbreak and there is one twangthat is a little too audible.

Someone says, "We'll catch it inthe mix." So, the mix is doneand you are finally home andlistening to the "final mix" andyou hear that little noise as if itwere blasting at 95 dbs.

I used to record in a studio withtwo engineers, Bob "Do It Again"Fyster and Ed "Catch It In theMix" Whitney.

When you recorded with Bob,any flaw whatsoever and youcould count on redoing it. WithEd, there was no such thing asa second take. Which is better?My vote goes for "Do It Again".

With home recording gear whatit is, you don't have to settle forsecond best. You can take yourtime and do it until it's right. But,remember, it is important tolisten to the mix again after alittle rest and relaxation, like thenext day - when your ears arefresh.

Don't be afraid to re-recordsomething more than once.You'll be glad you did.

Uke For Breakfast (Tom Dennehy)by Jeremy dePrisco

We met in early 90’s whileplaying the open micscene in Bloomsburg,

Pennsylvania, a small collegetown. At the time, Breakfast (akaTom Dennehy), was heavily intoWeird Al Yankovic and noveltymusic. I was into Jethro Tull andwhat I perceived as more“serious” songwriting, so reallywe could not have been moredifferent. Somehow we struck upa friendship and stayed in touchover the years.

For the 15 or so years that I’veknown Breakfast, he has beenout of the state or, more likely,out of the country. If you look up“globe trotting” in the dictionary,you will see a picture ofBreakfast, probably playing a

uke. Like the sophists anditinerant minstrels, Breakfastalways brought news from farflung places. His first letterscame to me from BerkleeCollege of Music, then laterfrom Pune, India, written onflimsy blue paper with Sanskritmarkings and tales of hisadventures scrawled in themargins.

To say Breakfast is a traveler isan understatement. Travel is akey component of who he is asa person and artist. Whether it isteaching English or herdinggoats, Breakfast lives simply andalways finds a way to makeends meet while he alsopursues his musical journey. Asa result, he is an inspiration tohis peers (yours truly included)because he does what many ofus say we’d like to do, but maynot be able to based ondifferent life choices or lifegoals. What’s more, Breakfast isa genuinely compassionateperson who cares about musicin terms of its human impact,and its place in the scheme ofsocial interaction.

Breakfast has always been a“musician’s musician,” not onlyexcelling on uke, but alsopiano, guitar, saxophone and

composition in general. He’salso one of my favorite people,not only as a player, but as afriend. As his student andoccasional performing partner,I’ve always learned a lot fromour interactions. Breakfast is atrue maverick, not happy withthe usual, and willing to breakdown boundaries (fast). So if thisinterview seems like a bit ofmusic industry nepotism, Iapologize (I’m also friends withthe editor, so there). It’s actuallyquite good for readers,because I am not sure enoughfolks know about Breakfast, andI really do think Breakfastdeserves a broader audience.

Breakfast is currently based out

There’s music and languagesI’ve never heard

All kinds of people,and houses and words

Long lost friends that I’ve never metDon’t know where I’m going

but I know my path is setNo worries, no regrets,no matter where I go

Each stranger is my family, everycountry is my home

of San Francisco (goat-herdingwhen he is not playing music),though from what I can tell fromhis MySpace page he doesn’thang out there very much.France, Morocco, Hawaii… younever quite know where he willturn up. As a result, the majorityof this interview was conductedthis summer via email.

The variety of Breakfast’s set listspans the globe. At his mostrecent show at Brews N Bytes inDanville, PA, he opened with aMiddle Eastern tenor ukeimprovisation, then moved onto some light classical piano,followed by several songs onuke, including originalcompositions “Intestines” and“Cilantro.” His lyrical songs areoften humorous, sometimespolitical or down right strange.They provide a witty andintrospective look at the worldfrom someone who has been tosome pretty far-flung placesand seen humanity in manyforms.

Fan favorites include “Turtles inthe Oven”, “Niacin”, “Tea TreeOil” and a uke/kazoo renditionof some Bach pieces. BesidesEnglish, Breakfast is often servedin Spanish, French, Hindi, with aside of Arabic and Japanese.

A cover of the Tom "T Bone"Stankus classic, “Existential Blues”usually appears in his set, andthat song alone shows Breakfastto be a great entertainer withoutnecessarily being commercial.For all his travels, he is relativelyunder the radar, though he hasrecorded extensively at WVIApublic radio, our local NPRstation who has a local musicprogram.

Q: How did you get into music?

A: I got into music some time inthe womb. I grew up in amusical family in Danville, PAand so there was always musicaround me when I was growingup. My first favorite songs werecamp songs I learned from theBoy Scouts, one reason why I'vealways been attracted tonovelty music.

I started taking piano lessonswhen I was seven, startedplaying sax with the junior highschool band, played with a fewrock bands in high school, got adegree in professional musicfrom Berklee College of Music,studied North Indian classicalvocal music in India for twoyears. When I lived in Chicagofrom 1998 to 2000 I wasintroduced to North Africanpercussion, which later led tome studying the music andrituals of mystic trance societiesin Morocco. While there I also

sang in a few choirs, playedwith a quasi-Moroccan improvgroup called Tok-Tok, andjoined a psychedelic marchingband called EnvironmentalEncroachment, who I still playwith from time to time.

Q: Who were your favoriteteachers?

A: Edith Wolf, who taught mepiano from age seven toseventeen; Paul Semicek, thedirector of my high schoolmarching band; variousteachers from Berklee, includingMitch Hapuers (ear training), PatPattison (lyric writing), DavidFuentes (counterpoint), HenryTate (history of art), and WayneNaus (harmony).

In addition to all these greatpeople, the two most significantteachers of mine have beenWarren Senders and his teacherShreeram Devasthali. I studiedKhyal singing, the most popularform of North Indian classicalvocal music today, with thesetwo men for about two yearseach. Both superb musiciansand inspiring human beings ingeneral, these two teacherswere very generous with theirknowledge, pushed me to workvery hard, and gave meenough material to study for therest of my life.

http://www.myspace.com/breakfastsongs

Q: When did you first pick up auke? Why?

A: When I was about 12 or so,my mom gave me a uke. Ilearned how to tune it and playa couple chords and thenforgot all about it. When I was26 a teacher at the schoolwhere I taught in Japan mademe a uke as a going-awaypresent. From what Iremembered playing the ukefor one day 14 years earlier,plus what I had learned on theguitar during that time, I wasable to teach myself basicukulele playing in a couple ofweeks.

Q: What do you like about it?

A: It's small and portable, theperfect travel instrument. It'scharming. It lends itself tohumor and perhaps thereforemost of the ukulele players I'vemet are a bit quirky.

Q: Who are some of yourfavorite uke players?

A: Israel Kamakawiwo'ole ofcourse was great and totallydeserving of his popularity. I likeUkulele Dick from Santa Cruz.He's got a wide rangestylistically. I've heard him dovery good renditions of Beatlessongs and I have a CD of himdoing old jazz standards.Everything I've heard him dohe's done well.

There's a kahuna I like on the BigIsland in Hawai'i named Kahliko,who I saw do a couple shows atthe Aloha Outpost in Pahoa. Heplays traditional songs and haswritten some good tunes of his

own. Jake Shimabukuro isamazing. The only thing I'veheard him do is While My GuitarGently Weeps on YouTube, andit's one of the bestperformances of anyoneplaying anything I've everheard.

One time at a Polynesianfestival in Hayward, California, Isaw a Canadian guy namedJames Hill take the stage. Hestarted with a well-done Greekfolk song, followed by a cleverand solid arrangement of theSuper Mario Brothers thememusic, and he finished off hisset with a smokin' rendition ofFlight of the Bumblebee.Excellent player. I've heard anumber of great young ukeplayers in San Francisco overthe past year, most of whommake me feel like a second-rate hack. Unfortunately, I can'tremember any of their namesoff the top of my head.Everyone will know about themsoon enough.

Q: What do you think of therecent increase in ukepopularity?

A: I'm strongly in favor of it. It'snot just a passing fad. Ukuleleconsciousness is spreading allover the world and I think it'llbecome a major feature of theemerging global culture.

Q: How does it work into yourwriting and performance?

A: Ukulele lends itself surprisinglywell to Indian ragas, and I oftenopen my shows this way. Whenpickin' at a bluegrass jam, Iusually bring a uke instead of a

guitar. I do about half of mysongwriting on the uke. I likerearranging well-known tunes,especially classical music, forthe ukulele and kazoo. Peopledon't expect to hear, say,Mozart or David Brubeck oninstruments that have beentraditionally considered toys. Iwant to help elevate theseinstruments to something thegeneral public will take seriously.

Q: What do people think of itwhen you play?

A: People usually smile before Iplay a note. When I hold aukulele while hitchhiking I tendto get rides faster, as nothingsays 'non-threatening' quite likea uke.

Q: Do you have any favoritebrands/technical tips? If so,what are they?

A: I've found that many brandshave the full range from cheapbeaters to professional models,so no, I don't have any favoritebrands. I do really like theJohnson resonator uke, which issteel and good for outdoorplaying when it helps to have avolume boost. However, they'rea bit heavy to lug around. I'vealso got a hundred-year-oldSovereign with a warm sound,good intonation, and ivoryfretboard.

Q: What do you want people toknow about you and the uke?

A: I'd like people to know mysongs, but I don't care whetheror not they know anything aboutme; songs tend to live a lotlonger than people do. And

about the uke, I'd like people toknow that it's not just a toy or awall decoration, but aninstrument that can be every bitas expressive as a violin or asaxophone or a 40-pieceorchestra.

Q: Does size matter?

A: The small size of the ukemakes it easy to travel with. Idon't have to check it as anextra piece of luggage when Ifly and most ukes weigh lessthan a pound.

Q: I had to laugh when youreferred to most uke players as"quirky". How do you deal withthat perception yourself? Afterall, you are quirky.

A: Good question. Perhaps it'sthe legacy of Tiny Tim. Perhapsit's the goofy vibe I get at theUkulele Club of Santa Cruz,where every meeting starts withall one hundred or so inattendance playing Under theBoardwalk together. Perhaps it'sbecause most of the ukeplayers I know are more funrather than serious. That beingsaid, I should add that the wordquirky doesn't describe very wellany of the uke players I sawwhen I was living in Hawai'i.

Q: Whether writing on uke orother instruments, where do youget your inspiration?

A: It comes from my musicalbackground, life experience,snippets of sound I hear hereand there, and my imagination.

Q: When you mentionedelevating the uke I was

reminded of a pastconversation about wanting toshow people that anyone canmake music. Is the uke part ofthat philosophy, and if so, how?

A: I meet a lot of people whowant to play guitar but getdiscouraged quickly becauseguitar has a steep learningcurve and it takes a whilebefore they can play somethingthat sounds okay. I encouragethem to pick up the uke andthey're usually pleasantlysurprised at how much they canlearn to play in just one sitting.It's a very accessible instrumentthat way, and if you look atplayers like Jake Shimabukuro orJames Hill, you also see that theuke holds as much possibility forpersonal expression andtechnical sophistication asanything else.

Q: When hitchhiking, though theuke is non-threatening, haveyou ever considered using it asa weapon? Are you trained inuke combat?

A: Unless you're packing aJohnson steel resonator uke,you're better off fighting withyour hands. Most ukes are toolight and flimsy to use that way.In any case, no one has evermessed with me when I've hada uke in hand. Anyone whotried would probably feel badfor assaulting a uke player; itwould be like attacking SantaClaus.

Q: What do you want people toknow about Breakfast right now,besides that it is the mostimportant meal of the day? Anyexciting trips coming up?

A: I'm just finishing up myexciting trip of the moment herein Europe and I have no othertrips planned for now. If any ofyour gentle readers are inPennsylvania or California in July2009, I encourage them tocheck out my MySpace pageand come to one of my gigs.And if any of your readers live inthe Bay Area, I want 'em toknow that I teach a wide varietyof things musical and that I'mavailable to play for parties,festivals, schools, bars, cafes,crack houses, weddings,funerals, bar mitzvahs, naturaldisasters, or any other venue.

Q: What have been your mostmeaningful musicalexperiences?

A: When I was living in SantaCruz from 2004 to 2006 I spenta lot of time playing on thestreet. I formed a band calledLove Gutter with two guys I metthere. One guy plays a 55-gallon plastic water treatmentchemical barrel with clawhammers and the other guyplays kitchen pots and panswith safety pins ducktaped to hisfingers. They play only oddmeters and I improvise saxmelodies on top. We added abass player a while ago, butbecause of geographicalreasons, I've played with himonly twice.

Santa Cruz is a small city with alot of street musicians, a lot ofthem not so good. The city hasresponded by criminalizingstreet music in general, soplaying music there hasbecome a controversialpolitical act. Most of Love

Gutter's performances endwhen the police show up.There's a drum circle everyWednesday at the farmer'smarket there. Again, not thegreatest music, but it's moreabout the community. To stopit the city council passed anordinance making it a crime tobe in a parking lot (that's wherethe drum circle happens) formore than fifteen minutes.When musicians resisted thislaw, the police showed up withtear gas and two people gotarrested. I've been out of town,but from what I hear, it's beentense. Anyway, this experienceand others like it have mademe think a lot about the role ofmusic in society, what it meansto different people, and thefunctions it has aside from artand entertainment.

Q: Where you are trying to gowith your music these days?

A: I'm trying to tie up all thedifferent musical threads I'vestarted and weave themtogether into a single project. Iwant to form a band andperform as much as possible,do some touring. I want tocollaborate with other musiciansand artists. I'd also like to takeon some students for privatelessons.

Q: I notice many of your songs(original and cover) arecentered around food. Is thatintentional?

A: I've noticed too that a lot ofmy songs have food themes.This is not deliberate nor does ithave anything to do with thename Breakfast. Perhaps this is

Weird Al's influence making itselfunconsciously felt. Or maybefood is just a fun, easy thing towrite about.

Q: What is your position onpolitics and music? Is music trulyeffective as a tool for socialchange, or is it tooencumbered by market forcesand media hype?

A: Music is definitely still a vitalforce for social change. Marketforces and media hype don'tmatter so much, especially notthese days in the internet age.

Q: What do you think of showslike American Idol?

A: I don't think anything aboutshows like American Idol.They're irrelevant. Sure, it'spopular now and it's launcheda few careers, but in the end Ithink its impact will benegligible.

DiscographyAnimal Suite & Sour (2001) India/PAhen na tanuki (2001)City In A Fence (2001)Breakfast (2005, and a slightly different2006 version)

About the author: Jeremy dePrisco isa songwriter and performer whocurrently studies interculturalcommunication at BloomsburgUniversity in Pennsylvania. Jeremy hasseveral CDs to his credit, and asidefrom music enjoys hiking, naturephotography and reading Sufi poetry.If you liked this story, check out moreof Jeremy’s writing and music atwww.shivasongster.com

Editor's Note: Jeremy dePrisco and Ihave been friends for many years. Heperformed with "Breakfast" a.k.a. TomDennehy during Tom's years in EasternPennsylania.

http://psychichamster.com/

http://www.ukulelenoir.com/

http://www.ukecast.com/mp3/

Serif PagePlus X4A Desktop Publishing Powerhouse

If you have a ukulele club ormusical act and want to keepyour fans in tune with news andevents, nothing beats a gooddesktop publishing application.

PagePlus X4 is Serif Software'slatest and greatest desktoppublishing powerhouse. It doeseverything that a professionalgraphic artists needsto do at a fraction ofthe cost of Adobe orQuark's page layoutproducts.

PagePlus makesdesigning anewsletter or websitea snap. It is aWYSIWYG design tool(what you see is whatyou get) that canbuild websites with style-sheets,javascript, and other fancyfeatures. It can also be used forbrochures, posters, awardcertificates, newsletters, evenmagazines (ukulele player isdesigned using PagePlus andwe used it for our businesscards, too).

When you complete yourpublication, you can convert itto a PDF file (Acrobat Readerformat) and post it online orsend it to your member list viaemail.

PagePlus X4 includes all theessential tools for your publishingneeds. There is a logo designapplet, a photo-editingapplication that is prettypowerful, and there are lots ofcool special effects that can beapplied to virtually everyelement on the page.

The advantage of atrue desktop publishingprogram is that it's notjust a word processor.You have total control

of your layout and canplace elements in

multiple layers. If youuse Photoshop for

page layout, like manydesigners do, you are

just making thingsharder than they really

have to be.

I introduced my wife to SerifSoftware, and PagePlus inparticular, when we were firstmarried. Today, she teachesgraphic design and digitalscrapbooking classes using SerifPagePlus and people areamazed just how easy it is tolearn and how powerful it is.

With ukulele clubs spanning theglobe and various websitesbeing built all the time, I agreedto write this review of PagePlus

and pass my recommendationalong to our readers.

Serif generously gave me theupgrade to their latest softwarebecause I am using it to createukulele player. Perhaps thereare more than a few Serifprogrammers and decision-makers that will read themagazine and decide to givethe ukulele a go. That, in myeyes, is a win-win situation.

I do not use PagePlus to designthe Tricorn Publications websiteand ukulele player downloadpage. I use another tool forthat. But, I have used PagePlusto design a really fancy onlineportfolio for a fashion modelwith whom I worked, and I wasreally impressed with the results.She loved the website, too.

Every musical act needs a presskit, business cards, posters,signs, a website, and anewsletter in PDF format wouldbe a big benefit, too. Thesoftware can do all of that andmore and Serif's online tutorialsare great.

If you have a club, or youorganize a festival, you shouldtake a look at Serif PagePlus X4If you already have PagePlus,check out the upgrade deals AtSerif's website.

Here is a link to the website:

http://www.serif.com/pageplus/

PagePlus is a fraction of the costof Adobe's InDesign, or thePhotoShop Creative Suite. It'sthe best desktop publishingvalue on the market.

ukulele player and kala present...ukulele player and Kala Ukuleles came together to bringyou this exciting opportunity. One lucky reader will winthis ukulele.

All you have to do is submit your name, an e-mailaddress, and a shipping address so that if you are thewinner, we will be able to ship it to you. You only need tosubmit your information one time and you will be in therunning for all of the Kala Ukulele give-a-ways.

You read about the Kala KA-SSTU ukulele in this issue ofukulele player, now, here is your chance to win it. Followthe instructions below...

We will not share your contact information with anyonefor any reason.

note: if you have trouble with the form, e-mail your entryto [email protected] name, shipping address, e-mail address.

http://www.tricornpublications.com/uke_contest.htm

Thanks for reading ukulele playerand thanks to Kala Ukuleles for their support.

http://www.wsukes.com

If you would like to list your club here, submit contact informationat this website:

http://www.tricornpublications.com/uke_player.htmor e-mail me at this address:[email protected] will add you to our list.

USA

Arizona

Scottsdale Strummers, Scottsdale AZ, Contact Pat McInnisweekly daytime meeting, monthly evening meetingemail: [email protected]: azukulele.com

Tucson UkestersTucson, AZMeet weekly - usually on Monday afternoonContact: [email protected]

California

Nuked UkesWe are in Auburn California. Welcoming players from all levels.contact: Loyce [email protected]/loyce'sblog

Ukulele Society of AmericaContact: Richard Douglas(760) 458-6656300 Carlsbad Village Dr.Carlsbad CA, 92008http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/ukulele_society_of_america

Ukulele Club of Santa Cruzwww.ukuleleclub.com

One of the Largest Ukulele clubs in America! Usually meets every third thursdayat Bocci's celler in Santa Cruz, but check the website, cause it sometimeschanges. Or email [email protected] for club information.

Ukulele Club Listings...

German Village Music Haus

We Sell Ukulelesexpert setups for your fine

ukuleles and guitars.

350 S. Grant AvenueColumbus, Ohio 43215

Bill Foley, owner and luthier.www.gvmh.com(614) 228-8467

email: [email protected]

Ukulele Clubs continuedConnecticut

The Ukulele Club of Southern Connecticut and theKookeeUkie Ukulele Band.

We welcome players of all skill levels and offer classesfor those new to the ukulele. Check our web site athttp://www.orgsites.com/ct/uke-club/index.html.Pete [email protected]

Florida

Tampa Bay Ukulele Societywww.meetup.com/tampabayukes

Each meeting will start with a group lesson followed by an informal jam sessionfor players of all levels. Everyone gets a chance to call a few tunes.Kansas (and Western Missouri)

Kansas City Ukestershttp://www.kcuke.com

Kentucky

Kentucky Ukesmeeting the fourth Sunday of every [email protected]

Minnesota

StrumMn ukulele playershttp://strummn.nexo.com/

New Mexico

The High Desert Sand FleasMeet the 2nd & 4th Thursday of each month at theAlbuquerque Press Club [6pm - 9pm]2101 Highland Park Circle, Albuquerque, New Mexico - USAcontact: Stephen Hunt via email: [email protected]://sites.google.com/site/hdsfgcea/

New York

Ukulele Club of Potsdam (New York)meet-up every other Friday at 5PM at Tim's Comic & Game, 6 Main Streetcontact: Tim Connolly [email protected] call: (315) 268-1598.Loaner ukes available. Bring your uke and leave your cares at home!

Ohio

COUP (Central Ohio Ukulele Peeps)[email protected]

South Carolina

Lowcountry Strummers Ukulele ClubCharleston, SC metro area. We meet twice a month. One beginner class andopen Jam each month. All are Welcome.www.lowcountrystrummers.com e-mail [email protected]

Texas

Robert S. [email protected]

Lone Star Ukulele Club (in North Dallas)http://groups.yahoo.com/group/lonestarukuleles

The Dallas Ukulele HeadquartersGo to www.meetup.com and search TheDallas Ukulele Headquarters to join the group. Lots of fun events and jams!

CHUG - Coffee House Ukulele GangFort Worth, Texas

This wild west ukulele gang meets the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of every month.Contact Steve for more info. ([email protected])

Vermont

Vermont Ukulele Societyemail: [email protected] on the second and fourth Mondays of each month.

Washington

Seattle Ukulele Players Association (SUPA)www.seattleukulele.org/

UKEngland

Ukulele Society of Great Britain43 Finstock Road, London W10 6LUTel: 020 8960 0459Email: [email protected]

Cambridge Ukulele Co-operative [Cuckoo]Meet alternate Sundays 2pm-6pm

Ukulele Clubs continued

Ukulele Clubs continuedThe Portland Arms Cambridge CB4 3BAIfIf you're cuckoo about ukes come and join us.http://www.myspace.com/cambridgeukuleleclub

Ukulele Philharmonic Orchestra of SudburyTuesdays evenings from 7.00pmThe Institute, Station Road, Sudbury Suffolk CO10 2SPBeginners Welcome

Uke Wednesday JamEvery Wednesday 7 till closing Downstairs @ The Royal GeorgeCharing Cross Road, London, WC2H 0EA, U.K.contact: Quinc email: [email protected]://ukeweds.intodit.com

SCUPA - Second City Ukulele Players Association

We meet weekly on Tuesdays at 7:30pm in the upstairs roomat The New Billesley Pub, Brook Lane, Kings Heath,Birmingham, West Midlands B13 0AB

We accommodate all players beginners to experienced.Call or text Jon 0787 353 1161 or email:[email protected] for more information.Stockton to Darlington Ukulele ExpressMeeting monthly in Darlington, northeast England new members alwayswelcome. contact Simon at [email protected]://ukuleleexpress.blogspot.com

Whickham & District Social ClubSimonside View, Whickham, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE16 4AQ.We meet every 2nd Wednesday 7:30 PM to 9:30 PM.http://tunearmy.blogspot.com/

UkeGlos Ukulele ClubMeets Every Mondays every month, 8.00pmThe Exmouth Arms, Bath RdCheltenham, GL53 7LX

Wooden & banjo ukes welcome. All levels of playing ability & song styles. Forfull details visit: www.ukeglos.co.ukhttp://www.ukeglos.co.uk

Ukulele Sundays host:Tim Smithiesemail: [email protected] host a Ukulele Jam session on Sunday evenings in Sheffield UK called 'UkuleleSundays' All welcome - 8.30pm onwards. Riverside Cafe Bar.http://www.ukulelesundays.co.uk.

"Brighton ukulele Sundays"Meet first Sunday of the month at the Brunswick Pub in Hove East Sussex UK.Visit Facebook Brighton Ukulele Sundays for more details.

Ukulele Clubs continuedIreland

UKULELE [email protected] ukulele club meets on the second saturday ofeach month.Players from all over Ireland. Ukeplayers of all levelswelcome. Ifyou are a visiting uke player please feel free to come along. The meetups areheld at 2, eden park, Dunlaoire, Co. Dublin.

Scotland

Monday UkearistEdinburgh’s very own ukulele gathering. We gather once a fortnight onMondays from 7 to 10(pm!) at Mackenzie School of English near the foot ofLeith Walk

6 John’s Place,EH6 7EPContact: John Hobson, +44 (0)7940 513969, [email protected]://ukearist.co.uk

South Wales

Ukulele Nightsmeet on the 1st and 3rd Mondays of every month at 8.30pm.The Albion, Glebe Street, Penarth, Vale of Glamorgan, South Wales

Contact: Sarah Thomas: [email protected]: www.ukenights.blogspot.com(for songbooks, directions and more. Beginners very welcome)

Germany

Ukulele Club of [email protected] (home page)www.ukulelenboard.de (message board)

Deutscher Ukulelenclubc/o Raimund SperKorneliusstrasse 1D-47441 Moerstel. +49/2841-394837fax + 49/2841-394836www.ukulelenclub.de

Holland

Ukulele Jamboree in Rotterdam - hosted by 'The Uke Box'The night is comprised of a workshop, performances & open mic.To Join the Mailing List send an e-mail to: [email protected]

Ukulele Clubs continuedTo read more about this and our other ukulele projects go to:http://www.ukulele-interventie.blogspot.com (Dutch)Visit my personal blog spot and click on 'Ukulele' under "Contents" (English)http://www.shelleyrickey.blogspot.com

Note: Shelley has an Etsy store where you can find ukulele related items forsale, check it out: http://www.thejumpingfleamarket.etsy.com

France

Ukulele Club of ParisThursday starting 7:30 PMMeetings are announced on the website King David Ukulele Station at this URL:http://www.ukulele.fr

C.O.U.L.E.Club Olympique de Ukulélé de Lille et des Environshttp://www.COULE.fr

"Stay cool, come and play with the C.O.U.L.E."

Spain

Club del Ukelele de Madrid (SPAIN)http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=131466486122

"Para todos los aficionados al ukelele que viven enMadrid"/"For all the ukelele fans living at Madrid"Now preparing their first festival and meeting very soon -stay tuned!

USALone Star Ukulele Festivaldates are 4/30-5/2 in DallasUkeLadyMusic and The Dallas Ukulele Headquarters are organizing the event.more information coming soon.

Hawaii State Society of Washington, DCOct 9-11, 2009.

Herb Ohta, Jr. and Keale are the ukulele players that weare featuring as the ukulele instructors.

UK Ukefest

July 24th, 25th, 26th, 27th 2009Run CottageHollesleySuffolk IP12 3RQmore information available soon onwww.ukulelecosmos.com/phpBB2/index.php

London Uke Festival And World Record Smash!!!Calling All Uke players! All ages and abilities, 1000 Uke players in an afternoonof entertainment with bands, food, drink, very special guests and a charitymoney raising World Record attempt!!Devonshire Square, London EC2.contact Quincy at [email protected] June: Noon till 6pm,

France

Paris ukulele FestivalLe 4 juillet 2009 / July 4th 2009 "La Bellevilloise"http://www.myspace.com/[email protected]

Making beautiful music is your passion, helping you do it is ours.

This year edition will happen on July 4th with :Kelli Rae Powell (USA) www.myspace.com/kelliraepowellTim Sweeney (USA) http://www.timsweeney.us/Elvira Bira (Sweden) www.myspace.com/elvirabira

Ukulele Zaza (Belgium) www.myspace.com/ukulelezaza

Marie Darling (France) www.myspace.com/mariedarlingPatti Plinko and her Boy (UK)www.myspace.com/pattiplinkoandherboyLes Ukulélé Boyz (France) www.myspace.com/ukuleleboys47

Vonck and Vlamtouring from Holland to Istanbul - this summer...www.vonck-vlam.euCheck out the Website... that's great entertainment!

WORLD MUSIC DAY at Auburn Preserve Parkfrom Noon to 5pm June 20th. No fee. Join us for fun: For Festival Info contact:NUKED [email protected]

What: Tampa Bay Ukulele Society presents "open mic"at New Harmony Coffee & TeaWhen: August 29, 2009 2:00 PMWhere:New Harmony Coffee & Tea1949 Drew StreetClearwater, FL 33765

Essential Links from the World-Wide-WebUkeTalk - http://uketalk.com/links.html"Ukulele Spoken Here" is one phrase that comes to mind. It you want to talkukulele or catch all the news that is news, this is a can't miss website.

Brudda Bu's Ukulele Heavenhttp://www.geocities.com/~ukulele/index.htmlIf you'd like to learn the history of some of ukulele's greatest players, this site isabsolutely essential.

Ukulelia - http://www.ukulelia.com/The World's Greatest Ukulele WebLog" Need I say more?

Ukulele Cosmos - http://www.ukulelecosmos.comOne of the hottest ukulele forums on the web. Don't Miss It!

Ukulele Undergroundhttp://www.ukuleleunderground.com/forum/index.phpAnother really popular ukulele forum, lots of Hawaiian players and folks from theWest Coast of the Mainland USA.

Flea Market Music - http://www.fleamarketmusic.com/default.aspThis is Jumpin' Jim Beloff's website. He has lots of great resources and anexcellent forum as well. You can buy Flukes and Fleas there, too. Jim also haslots of songbooks, DVDs, and other great stuff there.

UkeLadyMusic - http://www.ukeladymusic.com/Auntie Noel runs a really great shop. Her passion is ukulele and it shows.Contact Us: phone 214-924-0408or email [email protected]

Kiwi UkuleleNew Zealand's Ukulele Companionhttp://www.kiwiukulele.co.nz/

Bounty Musichttp://www.ukes.com/

Bounty Music Maui111 Hana Hwy. #105Kahului, Maui, HI 96732open 9 :00 to 6:00 Monday thru Saturday * Sunday 10:00 to 4:00

Phone: (808) 871-1141Fax: (808) 871-1138

German Village Music Haus

We Sell Ukulelesexpert setups for your fine

ukuleles and guitars.

350 S. Grant AvenueColumbus, Ohio 43215

Bill Foley, owner and luthier.www.gvmh.com(614) 228-8467

email: [email protected]

http://www.ukecast.com/mp3/

Online Resourceshttp://[email protected]=Website listing:

Home of Tiki King Ukuleles since 1999. lots of neat Ukulele stuff,such as the webs largest Ukulele makers database, Custom HandBuilt Tiki King Ukuleles, and ukulele stuff to see and buy. We haveFlukes and Fleas, Ukulele Art Gallery, Ukulele classes, chordcharts, CD's and more!

Bonsai Garden Orchestraemail: [email protected]: http://www.bgo.nuMySpace: http://www.myspace.com/bonsaigardenorchestra

World Music Festival "glattundverkehrt" on july 22nd .www.glattundverkehrt.at

UkePicsAssorted Ukulele Picture Exposéhttp://www.ukepics.com/

How High The Moon PublishingPublisher of the Jam Book "Play Well with Other"9826 James A. Reed Rd. Kansas City, MO 64134816-965-0183 or 816-728-6936http://www.moonbookstore.com

Uke Farm - http://www.ukefarm.com/home.HTMLUke Farm Radio - http://www.live365.com/stations/ukefarm

GoChordshttp://www.gochords.com"GoChords™ is an easy-to-use writing and playing tool withmoveable chord tablature!"

Live 'UkuleleTabs, lessons, and info for 'ukulele enthusiastshttp://liveukulele.com/

ukulele player magazine 8

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