while my ukelele gently weeps

I know, it’s not an original title, but after watching this a couple of times I can’t really think straight; I can only sit smiling blankly, Buddha-like, into the face of the full moon. Watch and listen as Hawai’ian Jake Shimabukuro takes the ukelele to places in the human heart and the heart of the universe that we never knew it could go.


When will that stupid network stop taking these videos down and let us tell people how good their stuff is?

Jake on Myspace

Jake on NPR

Shimabukuro named his latest CD Gently Weeps because of his affection for George Harrison. The late musician, whose primary instrument was guitar, also played ukulele and would take one along wherever he went.

“I really believe he got a lot of his ideas from the ukulele because they work so well with the instrument — songs like Something,” Shimabukuro says.

And here’s Jake performing one of my favorite Beatles songs, In My Life. Can’t disagree with the list of reasons he makes the Babewatch radar, either.

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8 Comments (+add yours?)

  1. brightfeather
    Feb 22, 2008 @ 17:51:39

    This music was really beautiful. I liked it. :-)

  2. Frontier Former Editor
    Feb 22, 2008 @ 18:46:05

    Thank you. I was trying to remember his name the other day. Heard some of his stuff a couple of years ago. Tres effin cool!

  3. Tuffy
    Feb 22, 2008 @ 19:19:14

    I have this album, actually. It’s exactly as mellow as you’d expect without being the slightest bit dull or cloying. I give it three naps.

  4. moonbeammcqueen
    Feb 22, 2008 @ 22:20:12

    Beautiful and amazing. It made me cry. I love it that he hugged Conan at the end.

  5. nursemyra
    Feb 22, 2008 @ 22:54:35

    I had no idea the ukelele could be so cool

  6. raincoaster
    Feb 23, 2008 @ 05:44:55

    Apparently Conan gave him a big break about three years ago, so this isn’t their first meeting. I suddenly love this guy, and I never knew about him before.

    Ooops, I found this via Defamer. Need to give them a link.

  7. DD
    Sep 28, 2009 @ 23:55:52

    I had an Asian History class with a Jane Shimabukuro, from Okinawa.

  8. raincoaster
    Sep 29, 2009 @ 16:04:20

    How was she on the uke?

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