Jake Shimabukuro Announces 'Grateful' Featuring a Who's Who of Hawaii-Based Artists

On September 8th, the acclaimed Hawai`i-born `ukulele player Jake Shimabukuro will release Grateful, his most personal project to-date, featuring twenty-two collaborations with a who’s who of Hawai`i-based artists, from Henry Kapono to Kawika Kahiapo, Brother Noland to Raiatea Helm, Justin Kawika Young to Del Beazley and John Cruz to Kimié Miner.

Recorded over a three and a half year time frame, Grateful is a coming home for Shimabukuro, and his first time recording an entire album with some of his friends, mentors and heroes from Hawai’i. This collection of songs is performed live, in studio, all kanikapila style in a return to his roots. Some of the songs and artists will debut the album at the Hana Hou Music Festival on September 8th and 9th when the album will be available. For more information visit www.hanahoufest.com.

Grateful is the follow-up to the critically acclaimed duets album with artists from Willie Nelson, Ziggy Marley and Bette Midler to Jimmy Buffett, Jack Johnson and Kenny Loggins. It was these collaborations that inspired him to go back to the beginning and play with the musicians who first inspired him as he was growing up in Hawai`i. Shimabukuro shares a connection with each and every artist on this album. Produced by Michael Grande and Van Fletcher, Grateful has been a labor of love and the most intimate look into Shimabukuro’s foundation as a player.

By now, if you know the `ukulele, you might know the name, the innovator, who is Jake Shimabukuro. He has captivated audiences around the world with his unique and dynamic style. With his mother as his first teacher of the instrument, Shimabukuro embraced a deep love and respect for the `ukulele and has explored new and unexpected ways to push the boundaries of what was possible on the humble four-strings. Each album has showcased his mastery of the instrument and his ability to weave together diverse genres to create a cohesive and captivating musical experience.

Shimabukuro is undoubtedly one of the most innovative and exciting musicians of his generation, changing the perception of the instrument itself and breaking barriers of what kind of music it is capable of. In addition to his impeccable musicianship, Shimabukuro is also a gifted storyteller, weaving together musical narratives that draw listeners in and leave them spellbound. He wanted to bring the power of each artist’s stories to this album.

Once the musicians decided on the song that they wanted to record, Shimabukuro along with producer and engineer Grande and Fletcher, worked on a plan on how to best capture the live collaboration. In the studio, the musicians played through the song a couple of times and then Michael would press record. All live in the studio and tracked in the same room together, just like the old days.

The artists on the album include Brother Noland, Bryan Tolentino, Chris Kamaka, Christopher Kamaka, Jr., Connor Johnson, Del Beazley, Fiji, Henry Kapono, Herb Ohta, Jr., Ignace Jang, Jeff Peterson, John Cruz, John Feary, Pure Heart (Jon Yamasato and Lopaka Colón), Justin Kawika Young, Kawika Kahiapo, Kimié Miner, Mark Yamanaka, Pōmaika`i Keawe, Raiatea Helm, and Ron Artis II.

The title track of the album, “Grateful,” is an original song by Justin Kawika Young. The two friends toured together on the mainland and the simple message from the chorus struck a chord with Shimabukuro each night as they performed it. 

“And if it’s 10 years or two, or a lifetime with you,

I’ll just be grateful for what I got.

When only minutes remain, on the rest of our days,

I’ll just be grateful for what I got.”

And Jake Shimabukuro couldn’t be more grateful.

Track Listing:

DISC ONE

1.       Sailin’ (featuring Henry Kapono)

2.       Hualālai (featuring Brother Noland)

3.       Grateful (featuring Justin Kawika Young)

4.       Pianoforte (featuring Ignace “Iggy” Jang)

5.       Ho`okahi Akua (featuring Pōmaika`i Keawe)

6.       Song For Sin (featuring John Cruz)

7.       Have You Ever Seen The Rain? (featuring Kawika Kahiapo)

8.       Kawaikini (featuring Kimié Miner)

9.       Kahalu'u Night (featuring Del Beazley)

10.   Wai`alae/Ahe Lau Makani (featuring Herb Ohta Jr.)

11.   Friends (featuring John Feary)

DISC TWO

12.    Can You Believe (featuring Pure Heart)

13.    Hallelujah (featuring Jeff Peterson)

14.    I’ll Be There (featuring Connor Johnson)

15.    Love Will Keep Us Alive (featuring Mark Yamanaka)

16.    Kawika (featuring Nathan Aweau)

17.    Rusty Old Steampipes (featuring Fiji)

18.    Ichigo Ichie (featuring Ron Artis ll)

19.    Stars (featuring Raiatea Helm)

20.    Māori Brown Eyes (featuring Bryan Tolentino)

21.   Dreams (featuring Chris Kamaka & Christopher Kamaka Jr.)

22.   Eyes Of The I`iwi (featuring Jake & Abstract Collab)

About Jake Shimabukuro:

Over the past two decades, Jake Shimabukuro has proved that there isn’t a style of music that he can’t play. While versatility for any musician is impressive, Jake showcases his transcendent skills as he explores his seemingly limitless vocabulary – with influences in jazz, rock, blues, bluegrass, Hawaiian, folk, and even classical – on perhaps the unlikeliest of instruments: the `ukulele. Called “one of the hottest axemen of the past few years [who] doesn’t actually play guitar” (Rolling Stone), Jake Shimabukuro has become one of the most exceptional and innovative ‘ukulele players in the history of the instrument—an artist who has drawn comparisons to musical titans such as Jimi Hendrix and Miles Davis

To post a comment, you must register and login.