Since he first came to the world’s attention with his deeply beautiful and original take on George Harrison’s “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” in a viral video that dominated YouTube in 2005, the Hawaiian-born Jake Shimabukuro has virtually reinvented the four-string instrument, causing many to call him “the Jimi Hendrix of the ukulele.”
Throughout his rich and varied catalog of albums, Jake has captured the many moods of the ukulele, fearlessly traversing boundaries and putting his inspired touch on everything from island standards, to popular tunes and classical symphonic concertos. He has collaborated with artists from Yo-Yo Ma, Jimmy Buffett, Jack Johnson and Cyndi Lauper to Ziggy Marley, Dave Koz, Lyle Lovett and Bette Midler, and he haswowed audiences at SXSW, Bonnaroo, the Playboy Jazz Festival and the cutting-edge TED conference. This year, he founded Shima Ukulele with his brother, a fellow artist and teacher, Bruce Shimabukuro, which aims to make quality ukuleles accessible for anyone interested in learning to play.
Shimabukuro, one of the most exceptional and innovative ukulele players in the history of the instrument, will release his newest record, The Greatest Day, on August 31, 2018 via Mailboat Records.
The album was recorded at Music City’s famed Ronnie’s Place studio with producer R.S. Field – the same city, studio, and producer as 2016’s “adventurous and dazzling” (Associated Press) Nashville Sessions. Returning as the ace rhythm section are bassist Nolan Verner and drummer Evan Hutchings; the group added guitarist Dave Preston to expand upon the sound they started creating two years ago.
Shimabukuro is now on an extensive tour of the United States and begins a tour of Japan this fall. “I’m really excited to play the new songs in my shows,” he says. “Making my new record was one of the highlights I’ve had in the studio. I couldn’t be happier with the sounds and arrangements. But most of all, we had a ton of fun making it.”
