Jake Shimabukuro to Play Smothers Theatre, 10/30

Ukulele sensation Jake Shimabukuro returns to Pepperdine University's Smothers Theatre for another astounding performance at 8 p.m. on Thursday, October 30.

Tickets, priced starting at $25 for the public and $10 for full-time Pepperdine students, are available now by calling (310) 506-4522 or online at http://arts.pepperdine.edu/. More information: http://jakeshimabukuro.com/

In his young career, ukulele wizard Jake Shimabukuro (she-ma-boo-koo-row) has already redefined a heretofore under-the-radar instrument, been declared a musical "hero" by Rolling Stone, won accolades from the disparate likes of Eddie Vedder, Perez Hilton and Dr. Sanjay Gupta, wowed audiences on TV (Jimmy Kimmel, Conan), earned comparisons to Jimi Hendrix and Miles Davis, and even played in front of the Queen of England.

Yes - Shimabukuro has accomplished all of this with the ukulele. In his hands, the traditional Hawaiian instrument of four strings and two octaves is stretched and molded into a complex and bold new musical force. His work mixes jazz, rock, classical, traditional Hawaiian, and folk, creating a sound that is both technically masterful and emotionally powerful...and utterly unique in the music world.

The New York Times recently noted his "buoyant musicianship" and "brisk proficiency," adding, "the innovation in his style stems from an embrace of restrictions: the ukulele has only four strings and a limited range. He compensates with an adaptable combination of rhythmic strumming, classical-style finger-picking, and fretboard tapping."

With his new record Grand Ukulele, Shimabukuro's star may burn even brighter.

An ambitious follow-up to 2011's Peace, Love, Ukulele (which debuted at #1 on the Billboard World Charts), the Hawaiian musician's new record finds him collaborating with legendary producer/engineer Alan Parsons, best known for his work on Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon, The Beatles' Abbey Road and his own highly successful solo project. "It was very organic how it happened," says Shimabukuro. "He attended a couple of my shows near where he lives in Santa Barbara and the concert promoter put us in touch. I was stunned. I mean, THE Alan Parsons? We ended up having dinner before the show and he casually mentioned the idea of possibly working together on a project. It was a priceless opportunity I didn't want to pass up - he's a genius."

Parsons ended up helping Shimabukuro expand his sound, bringing in a 29-piece orchestra and a big-name rhythm section, including drummer Simon Phillips (The Who, Toto), session superstar bassist Randy Tico and Kip Winger (Winger, Alice Cooper), who helped with the orchestration.

"The best thing was that, even with all those people, we recorded everything live with no overdubs," says Shimabukuro. "It was great, tracking live with an orchestra and a rhythm section. We picked up on each other's subtle emotional cues - you could feel everyone breathing together. It was like the old days of recording - when everyone tracked together - there's a certain magic that happens."

While still highlighting Shimabukuro's musical dexterity on the uke, Grand Ukulele also shows off new sides to the musician, thanks to his newfound collaborators. That said, it's still Jake's show. "Alan wanted me to arrange each song as if I were performing it solo, then add the band around it," he says. Highlights from the album include originals like "Island Fever Blues," a beautiful and traditional Hawaiian song titled "Akaka Falls" and a unique track called "Missing Three," performed with only three strings - an entire song created during a day when Jake was missing the third string on his instrument.

Given that Shimabukuro first won acclaim for a YouTube video of him covering George Harrison's "While My Guitar Gently Weeps," it's no surprise that Grand Ukulele features a number of wonderful reinterpretations, including Sting's "Fields of Gold" (with Parsons cameo-ing on keyboards) and, most prominently, Adele's "Rolling in the Deep," a seemingly ubiquitous song given new life on the four-string.

Recently, his life and career were explored in the documentary "Jake Shimbukuro: Life on Four Strings," revealing the cultural and personal influences that have shaped the man and the musician. On the road from Los Angeles to New York to Japan, the film captures the solitary life on tour: the exhilaration of performance, the wonder of newfound fame, the loneliness of separation from home and family. Directed by acclaimed filmmaker Tadashi Nakamura, the film premiered on PBS in Spring 2013 and is currently available on Netflix.

Despite the success, Shimabukuro remains humble and admittedly "awestruck" by how his love of the uke has propelled him to such great heights. For that, he gives full credit to the instrument he has played with a passion since he was 4. "The ukulele is the instrument of peace," he says. "And if everyone played one, the world would be a better place."

The Lisa Smith Wengler Center for the Arts at Pepperdine University provides high-quality activities for over 50,000 people f­­rom 664 zip codes annually through performances, rehearsals, museum exhibitions, and master classes. Located on Pepperdine's breathtaking Malibu campus overlooking the Pacific, the center serves as a hub for the arts, uniquely linking professional guest artists with Pepperdine students as well as patrons from surrounding Southern California communities. Facilities include the 450-seat Smothers Theatre, the 118-seat Raitt Recital Hall, the "black box" Helen E. Lindhurst Theatre, and the Frederick R. Weisman Museum of Art.

To post a comment, you must register and login.