You couldn't make it up dept. no.43: World's greatest player on... you'll never believe it...
As a rule, this series features funny, improbable and sometimes stupid things. This is different. To begin with, I regard the Beatles' While My Guitar Gently Weeps as musically the greatest piece of pop music ever written. The lyrics are nothing short of stupid - hippiedom at its worst - but they hardly matter: melody, harmony, counterpoint - there is hardly one classical composer who would not have killed for music as stunning as this.
On the other hand, I have been known to make ukulele jokes. Who hasn't? But there is a man in the US state of Hawaii, by name Jake Shimabukuro, who can give not just a creditable, but a simply stunning account of this masterpiece on the ukulele. And if you don't believe me, here's the link. http://youtube.com/watch?v=-J30S6hkiyU&search=ukelele
Well, in front of such musicianship I just fall silent and salute. Jake Shimabukuro is said to be the greatest ukulele player of all time, and I can well believe it. But one still has to wonder - if you are good enough to do that on the ukulele, why play the ukulele at all? Ah, well, lie back and enjoy.
On the other hand, I have been known to make ukulele jokes. Who hasn't? But there is a man in the US state of Hawaii, by name Jake Shimabukuro, who can give not just a creditable, but a simply stunning account of this masterpiece on the ukulele. And if you don't believe me, here's the link. http://youtube.com/watch?v=-J30S6hkiyU&search=ukelele
Well, in front of such musicianship I just fall silent and salute. Jake Shimabukuro is said to be the greatest ukulele player of all time, and I can well believe it. But one still has to wonder - if you are good enough to do that on the ukulele, why play the ukulele at all? Ah, well, lie back and enjoy.