AUGUST 22, 2012
Jake Shimabukuro Announces New Album
Grand Ukelele Due Out October 2nd
by Tom PryorOur old friend, Hawaiian ukelele virtuoso Jake Shimabukuro announced the release of his next album earlier this week.
Tihe album is scheduled for an October 2nd release and will be called Grand Ukelele, and was produced by Alan Parsons. Naturally we're going to call this Jake's "Alan Parsons Project".
Check out the full press release on the album below, and watch Jake perform at Nat Geo Music's NYC office earlier this year.
Jake Shimabukuro will release his new LP 'Grand Ukulele,' a collaboration with producer Alan Parsons (The Beatles' 'Abbey Road' and Pink Floyd's 'Dark Side Of The Moon'), on October 2nd.
'Grand Ukulele' is the follow-up to 2011's 'Peace Love Ukulele,' for which critics lauded Shimabukuro as the "Jimi Hendrix of the ukulele" (Guitar Player) and "the greatest living ukulele player" (Boing Boing).
Shimabukuro "fuses a multitude of genres" (Billboard) on the new LP, which can be heard on album highlight "Island Fever Blues," merging classical & blues over a fast-paced flamenco beat. Elsewhere on the album Jake tackles the playing style of the mandolin ("Gentlemandolin"), rockabilly ("More Ukulele") and surf rock ("Ukulele Five - 0"), and even transforms his instrument to mimic the intricate melody of a music box ("Music Box"). 'Grand Ukulele' also features covers of Adele's "Rolling In the Deep," Sting's "Fields of Gold" and the Judy Garland classic "Over the Rainbow."