Jake Shimabukuro to Play the Paramount, 4/26; Tickets on Sale Now

Jake Shimabukuro will perform at The Paramount on April 26, 2014 at 8:00PM. Price: $25.00 - $45.00, not including fees. Seating: Reserved. On Sale: Now!

Ticketing Information: Available online at Tickets.com, Paramount Box Office, 24-hour kiosks at The Paramount, Moore and Neptune Theatres, or Sonic Boom Records in Ballard, For more information visit STGPresents.org.

In his young career, ukulele wizard Jake Shimabukuro 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.

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 (she-ma-boo-koo-row). "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.

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.

STG's mission is to make diverse performing arts and education an integral part of our region's cultural identity while keeping three historic venues, The Paramount, Moore and Neptune, alive and vibrant. STG presents a range of performances from Broadway, off-Broadway, dance and jazz, to comedy, concerts of all genres, speakers and family shows - at these three iconic theatres in Seattle and venues throughout the Puget Sound region and in Portland, Oregon. STG is the 501 (c)(3) non-profit arts organization that operates the historic Paramount, Moore and Neptune Theatres in Seattle, Washington.

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