Born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii, Jake s life has always centered on the ukulele. Known for his powerful strumming on the ukulele, Jake s performances incorporate elements of thoughtful, sophisticated arrangements with spontaneous, improvised passages. Being influenced by legendary ukulele players like Eddie Kamae, Ohta-San and Peter Moon, Jake also credits icons like Bruce Lee and Michael Jordan as a source of inspiration. Jake began his music career in the mid-90 s, performing at local coffee shops and in 2002, he became the first ukulele player to sign with Sony Music Japan. While his well-received solo releases positioned Jake as an established musician in Hawaii and Japan, his career skyrocketed when his cover of While My Guitar Gently Weeps went viral on YouTube with more than 13 million views, opening the rest of the world s eyes to Jake and his unique playing style.In the years since the YouTube clip aired, Jake has released 10 domestic albums and collaborated with an array of artists that include Yo-Yo Ma, Jimmy Buffett, Bette Midler, Jack Johnson, Ziggy Marley, Michael McDonald, Bela Fleck and The Flecktones, and Tommy Emmanuel. He s played at Bonnaroo, SXSW, the Playboy Jazz Festival, Fuji Rock Festival, the influential TED conference and along the way has earned comparisons to musical innovators such as Jimi Hendrix and Miles Davis.
M**L
Damn, I didn't know a uke could sound like that!
Jake "travels" through musical genres and playing styles on this album. It doesn't have a lot of the thunder and lightning of Orange World or While My Guitar Gently Weeps, but it plays like an album by a mature musician exploring a wide variety of tonal ranges and styles with the uke. As an amateur uke player, I continue to be amazed by the sounds he can get from such a small instrument. This an album for people who want to hear what a virtuoso can do with his instrument. Buy it; it will grow and grow on you.
K**U
Make another one soon
Not up to his usual standard. I am a total fan and have most of his other albums. It's as if he was sad or distracted or something. When I first heard Grand Ukelele it moved me to tears it was so perfect. His performance at Sakakuma's festival was brilliant. I compare his playing to Paganini and think of Casey Kamaka (who makes his ukelele) as Stradivarius. I hope he just keeps on and makes another album that showcases that brilliant tone he can get.
T**S
Great variety from the Uke master
Really like this album!
L**E
Always enjoyable - Jake
Just relax and enjoy the super ukelele playing
C**L
Mahalo Jake for another gem!
Another great one from Jake. His music is so beautiful, traditional and innovative. Slightly different than his previous offerings but in a good way. Love!!
D**W
Five Stars
Excellent CD. This is a copy to replace the CD that got scratched - I couldn't do without!
K**A
A continuing Work of Excellence......
Another good performance from Mr. Shimabukuro, a master in making the ukulele a serious solo instrument.
D**A
Jake Shimabukuro continued to amaze!
Jake's music is always so awesome - it couldn't get any better unless he learned how to sing, lol
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