As well as being a fan of the ukulele (well, duh!) one of my other musical passions is jazz in all its forms. I was therefore delighted to be sent a CD to sample by a chap called Paul Hemmings from New York. Paul is a jazz guitarist by training but became hooked on the ukulele after a trip to Hawaii. He has since brought together some friends and colleagues to create The Uketet playing jazz gigs around New York with Paul on Uke, Gaku Takanashi on bass and Mike Campenni on drums. I've gotten hold of their debut CD, called "Introducing.... The Paul Hemmings Uketet", and think its a rather nice CD!
This is a 13 track set in traditional jazz album style in terms of its content. We have original jazz numbers composed by Paul himself, some jazz standards, and some jazz treatment of more contemporary tunes.
The sounds throughout are very laid back easy listening with minimal backing that allows the uke to shine (with the exception of some extra percussion on one or two numbers) and that is the first thing that struck me - the way Pauls uke playing shines. This is no random fingerpicker, but clearly the talents of somebody who is dedicated to both jazz and the stringed instrument world. The sounds are clean, precise warm and very pleasing.
CD opener, Hemmings original Blue Uke is a really cheery uplifting jazz number with a feel to the uke chords that pierce the passages giving the uke an almost piano like quality with very bluesy accents throughout.
Then past a delicate Lennon /McCartney number given a latin makeover (If I Fell) to funky jazz in the form of The Chicken.
After some more covers another delightful Hemmings creation in Papakea with a decidedly swing feel and wonderful bass solo.
Highlights of the jazz covers for me include One Note Samba and one of my favourite jazz standards in Monks 'Round Midnight, the latter carried off with a particularly smoky aplomb.
Towards the end, Paul nods his cap to the place he discovered the uke in Honolulu Hula Girl before ending with the third Hemmings original, the sublimely titled Hymn For A Red Slippered Angel. This track lulled me in the first half as being a late night easy listening favourite before waking me with a jolt with a really rather nice driving strummed melody.
All in all there is no arguing with the talent on display on this, and it certainly is a CD of feel good music. I know I know, not everybody likes jazz (though I can't see why, as its all around an awful lot of music) but this is not far out there modern jazz, more a respectful take on the more laid back traditional sounds of the masters which is really hard to dislike. If I have any gripes its that I'd like to hear more of the compositions of Hemmings himself as they really are very pretty. I have no issue with the covers of the jazz numbers, and I know that its part of the jazz tradition for players to give jazz interpretations of pop tunes, but we have three Beatles numbers on here out of 13 tracks and can't help thinking that another original could have eased out one of the Harrison numbers.
But thats a minor gripe about a very nice album which comes highly recommended from this ukulele fan.
You can read more about The Uketet on the link in the first paragraph, and he also has a Kickstarter project to help this get off the ground. Whichever way though, I'd suggest you hunt this down.
TRACKLISTING
1 Blue Uke - Paul Hemmings
2 If I Fell - Lennon / McCartney
3 The Chicken - Pee Wee Ellis
4 Tico Tico - Zequinha de Abreu
5 Something - George Harrison
6 No Woman No Cry - Bob Marley
7 Papakea - Paul Hemmings
8 Here Comes The Sun - George Harrison
9 'Round Midnight - Thelonious Monk
10 One Note Samba - Antonio Carlos Jobim
11 Take The "A" Train - Billy Strayhorn
12 Honolulu Hula Girl - Sonny Cunha
13 Hymn For A Red Slippered Girl - Paul Hemmings
HIGHLIGHTS FOR ME
Blue Uke
If I Fell
'Round Midnight
Hymn For A Red Slippered Girl
Absolutely delighted with this. My old ukulele buddy Rae Carter has been in the studio and cut his first uke EP.
Since I started Got A Ukulele I hooked up with Rae online and have been dazzled by his progression. I announced his record deal back in Septemberso really pleased to hear this.
I have a sample on my phone but not yet at a computer to hear it :-( work work work). But watch this space for more details and a review!
Well its that time of year again, so I will be putting up some more Christmas themed ukulele songs in order that you have some time to practice them ahead of the festivities. My current selection of Christmas songs is on the song page HERE (Scroll to the bottom)
But for a new one, how about Slades Merry Christmas Everybody!
Are you (G) hanging up the (Bm) stocking on the (D) wall ?
It’s the (G) time that every (Bm) Santa has a (D) ball
Does he (C) ride a red-nosed (G) reindeer ?
Does a (C) ton upon his (G) sleigh ?
Do the (Am) fairies keep him sober for a (D) day ? (D7)
CHORUS
So here it (G) is, ‘Merry (Bm) Christmas’,
Every- (Bb) -body's having (D) fun,
(G)
Look to the (Bm) future now, it's
(Bb) only just begun (D) .
Are you (G) waiting for the (Bm) family to (D) arrive ?
Are you (G) sure you’ve got the (Bm) room to spare (D) inside ?
Does your (C) granny always (G) tell ya’
That the (C) old songs are the (G) best?
Then she’s (Am) up and rock and rollin’ with the (D) rest. (D7)
CHORUS
Are you (G) hanging up the (Bm) stocking on the (D) wall ?
Are you (G) hoping that the (Bm) snow will start to (D) fall ?
Do you (C) ride on down the (G) hillside
In a (C) buggy you have (G) made ?
When you (Am) land upon your head then you bin’ (D) slayed! (D7)
Well, I owe a huge thank you to the guys at Lichty Guitars who came up with the brilliant idea of a gift list for ukulele players. Added to which, they chose to include my book on the list!
Lichty Guitars is the business run by Jay Lichty in North Carolina hand making sublime guitars and ukuleles. I'd urge you to look over his work - stunning!
The Christmas gift list can be looked at Here. Thanks guys!
Had some nice thank you's as a result of the half price offer on my ukulele ebook - it's staying half price until the end of 2011 for the Christmas rush!
Delighted to see the book go straight back into the UK Kindle music book chart top ten this week, reaching second place. Odd to be rubbing shoulders with The Nolan Sisters, Susan Boyle and Stacey Solomon. Top 50 is the USA too!
You can get the book on the UK kindle store, the US Kindle store, and in an array of other ereader formats such as Sony and Nook on the Smashwords site. It's also on B&N, Tower and iTunes!
This is a tune we play weekly at our ukulele jams. The version on record has a lot going on but beneath that there is just one single, very simple rolling, repeating chord progression.
Its, C, F, C, G, C, F, C, G
I found it hard to place the chords boxes on the lyrics, as it just kind of flows. Get into a groove playing the progression above with two strokes per chord, endlessly repeating.
Lyrics below.
Verse
Josephs face was black as night
The pale yellow moon shone in his eyes
His path was marked by the stars in the southern hemisphere
And he walked his days under African skies
Chorus
This is the story of how we begin to remember
This is the powerful pulsing of love in the vein
After the dream of falling and calling your name out
These are the roots of rhythm and the roots of rhythm remain
Verse 2
In early memory , mission music
Was ringing round my nursery door
I said take this child, lord from Tucson Arizona
Give her the wings to fly through harmony
And she wont bother you no more
REPEAT CHORUS
REPEAT CHORDS TO VERSE ONE WITH LOCAL DIALECT “TAI UMBA UMBA UMBA WOA WOAHH OHHHH”
Verse 3
Josephs face was black as night
And the pale yellow moon shone in his eyes
His path was marked
By the stars in the southern hemisphere
And he walked the length of his days
Under African skies
It struck me that I have quite a few ukuleles, and I do get asked often whether a certain cheap uke sounds good or whether its worth paying top money for a high end instrument.
So I thought I would do a video showing the sound of all my acoustic instruments.
They are all set up as well as possible and are using either Worth or Aquila strings throughout. I've tried to play the same sequences as well - a bit of strumming, a bit of picking to make for a fair comparison.
Let your own ears tell you what you think!
The obvious bad ones to my ears are the Vintage and the Mahalo. The Mahalo in particular is pretty much un fixable economically - when it arrived, not only is the bridge not set accurately, but a couple of the frets are misplaced too. Before I get flamed, that isn't to say ALL Mahalo ukes are bad - but it does highlight that when buying cheap you really need to try to play the instrument you are buying first (or get a shop to look over it, set it up, and if appropriate, fit better strings)
I felt I had to do a review of this little number!. I've been reading quite a few mumurings on social networks about the fact that the German bargain store Lidl have an offer on for a VERY cheap ukulele setup. When I say cheap I mean £17.99 cheap. Too good to be true? I had to find out.
Now, as you know, I play some nice high end instruments, but am a sucker for a good cheap player. I often plug the greatness of the Makala Dolphin which, when set up well is a fine instrument for very little money. I am also conscious that this is a blog aimed at beginners, and in many cases beginners are not keen throwing too much money on a first ukulele. The downside to that is that there are a LOT of really bad instruments out there. Some so bad they are liable to put you off for life. That is a travesty. Lidl however (like their German cousin Aldi) are famous for offering weekly deals on items at very very low prices. They are renowned for offering everything from power tools to digital cameras, with brands we have never heard of, on one week deals. I read reviews from people that in a lot of cases the quality is actually rather good. You see they buy once, in bulk, and pass on the savings. Could this be done with a ukulele?
Clifton Ukulele Set
The ukulele comes billed as a "Ukulele set" at Lidl stores for the bargain basement price of £18.99. As part of that boxed set it comes with an instruction guide, CD, "case" and a plectrum. Before we move on to the uke, lets say a little about the other items.
The case is not really a case, its a cover - it will protect the uke from nothing but minor knocks. That said it is significantly thicker than the cover that comes with Mahalo and Makala ukes that cost more money, and has a shoulder strap.
The book is a very simple guide to the uke, tuning, holding etc and comes with some strum patterns for 13 songs. A warning - being German based, the book teaches the tuning of A, D, F#, B. There is nothing wrong with that tuning on a Soprano, but it is nowhere near as common as the GCEA tuning most often found on internet resources. As such if you plan on using the vast amount of tabs on the net with this uke the book is kind of unhelpful, as is the ADFB chord chart in the back.
The CD accompanies the book and provides full and playalong versions of the songs in the book. Don't get too excited at the song choices. We are talking more Baa Baa Blacksheep, When The Saints and Old Macdonald than Lady Gaga and Eddie Vedder. Still for beginners and children I suppose its a nice touch.
Then there is the pick. Its a thick sharp piece of plastic. I don't like playing uke with a pick but I know some do. Please, please don't use this one - get a much softer flexible pick. This one will take the finish off the instrument in ten minutes.
Ok, lets move on to the instrument itself. Its a soprano uke in standard shape. It's billed as being made of "Limewood" (answers on a postcard please) with a rosewood fingerboard. There are no country of origin markings but I'd bet my life its from the far east despite the German wording on the label inside the body. Incidentally that label also says "Hand Made Quality Ukulele".... hmmm, take with a pinch of salt..
Clifton Soprano Ukulele body
The body may well be lime wood, I have no idea - but it IS a full laminate instrument that has a thin matte reddish stain over it. In places the knots or grain in the wood show through, but very randomly and actually end up looking like flaws. The finish is actually quite nice and very smooth and nice to touch - Its a tactile instrument, and certainly a nicer finish to hold than my beloved Makala Dolphin. Sure there are some finish flaws, but I have seen much worse on instruments that cost considerably more. The bridge appears to be made of rosewood in a traditional design with a plastic saddle an two faux mother of pearl markers. There are huge glue drops around the bridge where it is fixed. Incidentally, that slotted bridge as opposed to a tie bridge certainly makes string changes easier for a beginner.
Inside looks fairly uninspiring - simple bracing and un notched / un slotted kerfling holding the back and top to the sides. Functional I suppose. Inside the uke smells of glue and paint, not wood.
The body on this thing is thick and heavy - clearly this is no delicate instrument and you can feel the thickness and weight immediately. Not a good thing. A thinner body allows the sound to resonate more and provide a better sound. Thick bodies are the hallmark of very cheap instruments and tend to sound limited, muted or boxy. Its a common misconception that a laminate instrument is a bad instrument. That is plain wrong. There is good laminate that can sing and there is bad thick laminate.
On to the neck which is three piece with a traditional heel finished in the same reddish stain. The headstock is simple but I quite like the slight curve and nice finish. Across the face of the head is the name "Clifton" and underneath "Finest Musical Instruments" The fingerboard does look rosewood, adorned with more faux mother of pearl fret markers (no fret markers on the side). The frets are nickel silver which is surprising too at this price. The biggest surprise was that this is close to a concert scale neck with 17 frets. That is unusual for a soprano, and I suspect somewhat overkill for a beginner, but I'm not complaining. The frets are finished and set well (no sharp edges) too. The nut is similarly plastic looking, but finished well with slots that are just about right (more on that below)
Clifton ukulele rosewood neck
Clifton ukulele headstock
Now onto the tuners and the first big issue I have. It was nice to see small buttoned tuners (they are geared) on the uke as opposed to the normal mickey mouse ear type favoured by cheap ukes. Turning it over though and .....WHAT? These things are HUGE - I have never seen such enormous, ugly casings for geared tuners. Why couldn't they have just gone with open gears - surely they would have been cheaper and looked far better? Not only are they ugly, that much metal stands a chance of making the uke neck heavy and unbalance. To be fair though, because the body is so heavy, you don't seem to notice, but still, they are horrible. They work equally as horribly. Two of them are extremely loose, one extremely tight, and the other alternates between loose and tight on tuning. That makes for a tricky tuning experience when trying to be precise. They hold tune well, but are a pain to use. Oh well though, that is my first major gripe on an 17.99 uke, and at the end of the day they can easily be changed if you so wished.
Clifton ukulele MONSTER tuners...
On to how it sounds. Out of the box this uke is strung with generic 'plasticy' sloppy black nylon strings. I did persist with them (after much stretching) and they (as I suspected) sounded dead and lifeless. They also sounded flat and felt bad on the fingers. Quickly whipped them off and put on a set of trusty Aquila strings. The great thing about Aquilas is that they have a knack of making a cheap instrument come to life. The difference was night and day.
Now I am not saying the sound is great - it sound boxy and very one dimensional as a result of all that thick wood in the body, but it works, particularly for rhythm. Volume is also surprisingly good. What stood out most of all though was the action, intonation and general setup. It avoids the common cheap uke fault of a high nut leading to notes going sharp at low frets - in fact the nut height is spot on. Intonation down the neck is pretty great up to the 7th. It then tails off a little to the 10th and gets a bit worse at the 12th upwards. Thats reasonable for this price, and may be improved slightly if I take down the action by lowering the bridge saddle a tiny bit. It's slightly high but acceptable. But generally speaking I am really rather amazed at the setup. No buzzes, no odd notes and good tuning across most of the usable fretboard. Sure, it doesn't "sing" but for learning to play it gets the notes and chords out there adequately.
(n.b. - I accept that maybe I picked up a "good one" - I often advise beginners to be careful buying cheap ukes without playing as they are never setup and its common to find bad ones. I very much doubt Lidl set these up before sale!)
So in a nutshell - its quite an eye opener I suppose. The price point is the cheapest uke I have ever bought, but I will honest and say it is far far better than many other entry level ukes I have played. Its not without its faults at all, and sound wise is no match for the more rounded sweeter sound the Makala Dolphin can create, but its perfectly adequate as a beginner instrument.
If you are thinking of getting a first uke, 17.99 may persuade you to do so, and if your model works as well as mine, you may not be disappointed provided you can stomach paying another six pounds for Aquila strings and fitting them yourself. Don't be swayed by the extras included as I don't think they really change the deal. I think I would still suggest paying more and getting a Dolphin from a real music shop and having Aquilas fitted, but I certainly wouldn't knock you for picking one of these up and giving it a go. I would repeat, I have played a LOT worse for more money.
In summary:
THE GOOD
Generally nice finish throughout, particularly the neck.
Extra frets on fingerboard
Good tuning, intonation and setup
Amazing price
Slotted bridge - easier for beginner string changes
THE BAD
Boxy sound
Terrible tuners (though they do hold tune)
Even more terrible sound with the supplied nylon strings
Heavyweight!
Clifton soprano uke
As a final note - this review may actually become redundant very quickly - the nature of these cheap weekly deals at Lidl is that after one week they disappear. It may come back into stock, but who knows when. As such, if you want to buy (and I probably would give you a recommendation if you can stomach the string change) is that you have another six days to do so!!
To help you further I have included the Clifton in this extensive video comparison of ukulele sounds.
SCORES
Looks - 4.5
Fit and finish - 4.5
Sound - 5
Value for money - 8.5
What a great tune. Even non country lovers will like this and that killer line about shooting the man in Reno. This one needs a fast, steady strum that will make your arm ache if doing it right. This key works well on uke, though I play on guitar in E.
[G] I hear the train a comin' it's rolling round the bend
And I ain't seen the sunshine since [G7] I don't know when
I'm [C] stuck in Folsom prison and time keeps draggin' [G] on
But that [D7] train keeps a rolling, down to San An[G]tone
[G] When I was just a baby, my mama told me son
Always be a good boy don't [G7] ever play with guns
But I [C] shot a man in Reno just to watch him [G] die
Now when [D7] I hear that lonesome whistle
I hang my head and [G] cry
[G] I bet there's rich folks eating in a fancy dining car
They're probably drinking coffee and [G7] smoking big cigars
Well I [C] know I had it coming I know I can't be [G] free
But those [D7] people keep moving
And that's what tortures [G] me
[G] Well if they free me from this prison, If that railroad train was mine
I bet I'd move it all a little [G7] farther down the line
[C] Far from Folsom prison that's where I want to [G] stay
And I'd [D7] let that lonesome whistle blow my blues a[G]way
Well, here we are, in the run in to Christmas 2011 - are you getting a ukulele for Christmas?
I thought that in view of it being "the season", I could offer a Christmas treat with my ebook. It's now been listed at half price and will stay that way from now until the end of December.
Its available on a variety of outlets, most notably Amazon UK and Amazon USA for those of you with Kindles, and in all other ebook formats at the Smashwords site.
Grab a copy for yourself or another uke player in your life while it's hot!
And, yet another article on the ukulele boom, this one from Kansas City.
----
Great to hear that the Norwich Ukulele Society are doing something for a good cause. They have released a ukulele single, Raise A Glass To Santa, with proceeds going to the hugely popular BBC Children In Need. Link to their site to buy a copy HERE.
Time for something that deserves to be strummed (or picked) slowly and minimally. A glorious tune by a glorious songwriter. Bird On A Wire for ukulele, by Leonard Cohen.
Some odd looking chords in here, but worry not, they are not too complicated. The ASus4 is just played 2200 (second fret on G and C strings, the other two open). The E7+5 is easy too. Just play the normal E7 elsewhere in the song (1202) but move your pinky on the A string up one fret to the third so its 1203. A good trick here to make it sound better is to Hammer On from the 2nd fret on the A string to the 3rd. To do this, play the E7 using your ring finger on the 2nd fret and when you need to change to the E7+5, leave that finger in place and add the third fret with your pinky. You can find that doing this you can hammer the pinky finger on and off and switch between E7 and E7+5 quickly.
(APOLOGIES FOR BLOCKING OUT THE LYRICS - LAWYERS ARE CLAMPING DOWN ON MUSIC TABS AND CLOSING SITES. I DO NOT WANT GOT A UKULELE CLOSED DOWN, SO SADLY THESE PEOPLE WIN. YOU WOULD HAVE THOUGHT PEOPLE PLAYING SONGS WOULD BE GOOD FOR RECORD SALES, BUT SADLY, LAWYERS DONT THINK THAT WAY.....)
Enjoy
Verse
Like a [A]xxxx xx x [E7]xxxx like a [A]xxxxx in a xxxxxxxx [D]xxxxx
I have [A]xxxxx xx xx [E7]xxx xx be [A]xxxx [Asus4] [A]
Like a [A]xxxx xx x [E7]xxxx, like a [A]xxxxx xxxx some xxx xxxxxxxx[D]xxxx
I have [A]xxxxx xxx xx [E7]xxxxxxx for [A]thee. [Asus4] [A]
Chorus a)
If [D]I, if I xxxxx xxxx un[A]kind
I [B7]hope xxxx xxx xxx xxxx xxx it go [E7]by
If [D]I, if x xxxx xxxx un[A]true,
I [B7]hope xxx xxxx xx xxx xxxxx to [E7]you [E7+5]
Verse
Like a [A]xxxx xxxxx[E7]xxxx, like a [A]xxxxx xxxx xxx [D]horn
I have [A]xxxx xxxxx[E7]one xxx xxxxxxx xxx for [A]me.
But I [A]xxxxx xx xxxx [E7]xxxx and by [A]all xxxx x xxxx xxxx [D]wrong
I will [A]xxxx xx [E7]all up to [A]xxxx. [Asus4] [A]
Chorus b)
I [D]saw a xxxxxxx xxxxxxx xx xxx wooden [A]xxxxx
He [B7]said to me, xxx xxxx xxx xxx xxx xxx [E7]much.
And [D]a xxxxxx xxxxx xxxxxxxx xx xxx xxxxxxxxx [A]door,
She [B7]cried xx xx, xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx [E7]more? [E7+5]
End
Like a [A]xxxx xx x [E7]xxxx, like a [A]drunk xx x xxxxxxxx [D]xxxxx
I have [A]xxxxx xx xx [E7]way to be [D]xxxx [A]
The massively popular Creep by Radiohead is also deceptively simple on ukulele.
The chords below are in line with the recording, but personally I prefer to play in a different key as on the ukulele I think the transitions sound more resonant and "sadder". If you want to play my way, just replace the repeating chord progression with C, E7, F, Fm. In fact that is the way you will hear me play it on all my ukulele review videos!
Following my post yesterday of the wonderful Amanda Palmer performing Radioheads No Surprises on ukulele, I thought I would follow up with the chords.
Its a supremely easy song to play, though you will need to do some practice on the picked intro - that famous intro that everybody knows. I am sure you will figure it out as it is just simple slow picking over the chord shapes of G and Em.
NO SURPRISES
Intro: [G] [Em] x4 (picked)
A [G] heart that's full up like a [Em] landfill, A [Em] job that slowly [C] kills you, [D] Bruises that won't [G] heal [Em] (repeat fingerpicked intro)
[G] You were so tired, happy, [Em] Bring down the government, [C] They don't, they [D] don't speak for [G] us [Em]
[G] I'll take the quiet life, a [Em] handshake of carbon monoxide
[Am] No alarms and [D] no surprises, [Am] no alarms and [D] no surprises [Am] No alarms and [D] no surprises [G] Silent, [Em] silent [G] [Em]
[G] This is my final [Bm] fit, my final [Em] bellyache with [Am] No alarms and [D] no surprises, [Am] no alarms and [D] no surprises [Am] No alarms and [D] no surprises [G] please [Em]
Middle instrumental: [D] [Cm] [D] [Cm] [Am]
[G] Such a pretty house, [Em] such a pretty garden [Am] No alarms and [D] no surprises, [Am] no alarms and [D] no surprises [Am] No alarms and [D] no surprises [G] please [Em] [G] [Em] [G WHY NOT DONATE TO HELP KEEP GOT A UKULELE GOING?
Well, I suppose I had to go with one more - another Amanda Palmer ukulele video.
This one is quite haunting and taken from her Ukulele EP.
Im just a big fan of people doing things slightly different with the uke, and Amanda is certainly a different than normal face on the little axe. Just love this.
Many thanks to Shelley Rickey for alerting me to this ukulele video via Twitter.
Amanda Palmer and Stephin Merritt play ukuleles on the Late Show performing Science Fiction / Double Feature from the Rocky Horror Picture Show. Ably supported by Moby on guitar and Neil Gaiman on toy piano. Whats not to like?
Oh, and if you want the chords -
G
F
Michael Rennie was ill the day the
Earth stood still
Eb
D
But he
told us where we
stand
(same chords)
And Flash Gordon was there in silver underwear
Claud Raines was the invisible man
Then something went wrong for Fay Wray and King Kong
They got caught in a celluloid jam
Then at a deadly pace it came from outer space
And this is how the message ran
C
D
G
Em
Science
fiction
double
feature
(same chords)
Doctor X will build a creature
See androids fighting Brad and Janet
Anne Francis stars in Forbidden Planet
C
D
G
Em
G
Em
Oh, at the late night double
feature picture
show.
I knew Leo G. Carrol was over a barrel
When Tarantula took to the hills
And I really got hot when I saw Jeanet Scott
Fight a triffid that spits poison and kills
Dana Andrews said prunes, gave him the runes
And passing them used lots of skill
But when worlds collide, said George Powell to his bride
I'm gonna give you some terrible thrills, like a
Science fiction double feature
Doctor X will build a creature
See androids fighting Brad and Janet
Anne Francis stars in Forbidden Planet
Oh, at the late night double feature picture show
I wanna go
Oh, to the late night double feature picture show
By RKO
Oh, at the late night double feature picture show
In the back row
Oh, at the late night double feature picture show.
Science Fiction double feature
Frank has built and lost his creature
Darkness has conquered Brad and Janet
The servants gone to a distant planet
Oh, at the late night double feature picture show
I wanna go
Oh, to the late night double feature picture show.
Well, after a mammoth amount of entries, the competition to win a copy of my ukulele book closed on Monday evening. Drumroll please!
The draw has taken place, under the guidance of an independent adjudicator (my 11 year old daughter!) and I can announce that the winner is Peter Kimbley!
The correct answer to the question "What year was Jake Shimabukuro born?" was 1976.
Well done Peter - check your email and let me know your mailing address, and a copy of the book and a Got A Ukulele badge will be winging its way to you very soon!
Thanks everyone for the entries. For the unlucky ones, the book is available on Amazon
I've had several UK ukulele players ask me about sourcing the paperback version of my book, What Ukulele Player Really Want To Know, in the UK via Amazon. Previously, Amazon, in their wisdom, allowed you to get the paperback through the UK site, but the book was actually coming from the US, and the postage cost was a bit silly. Well, I'm pleased to say that's changed!
You can now buy direct in the UK, with the benefits of cheaper postage and MUCH quicker delivery. The book page is Here
Worldwide readers of the blog can still purchase the paperback from Amazon.com
If you enjoy this blog, donations are welcomed to allow me to invest more time in bringing you ukulele articles. Aside from the Google ads, I don't get paid to write this blog and for reasons of impartiality a not sponsored by brands or stores. Your donations all go back into the site to allow me to keep bringing you reviews, and in the end the ukuleles acquired are given to local schools and charities.
