Gently Weeps

Description

Hawaiian-born ukulele virtuoso Jake Shimabukuro releases
his newest album GENTLY WEEPS, which captures the energy of his live show and
features the solo performance repertoire that’s causing fans from Lost Angeles
to New York to New Orleans to Chicago to hail Jake as the next musical legend.
You’ll forget all the Tiny Tim, Don Ho, and Hawaiian-music jokes
about the ukulele when you hear Gently Weeps, which leaves behind the Roaring
Twenties strum and plinky-dink sound of most such music. Jake Shimabukuro sets
the tone with the lead-off track from which he takes the album’s title, George
Harrison’s “While My Guitar Gently Weeps,” unfolding the vulnerable undertow
of Harrison’s epic lament. A string of covers follows, as Shimabukuro touches
the serene with Schubert’s “Ave Maria,” evokes a Japanese koto on a Zen-like
version of “Sakura,” and turns “The Star-Spangled Banner” into a lament. But
Shimabukuro’s original tunes are just as full of plucked nuance, especially
“Heartbeat Dragon,” where he uses a slight delay to create a quietly joyful
Celtic air. However, don’t think it’s all wistful melancholy. Shimabukuro
whips it out on original tracks like “Let’s Dance,” alternating hard rhythmic
chops with flamenco-like strums. His take on Erroll Garner’s “Misty” is a
little jive, though I’m sure the hot jazz middle-section pumps the crowds up.
Chick Corea’s “Spain” fares much better and still scores high on the flash
quotient. You just can’t keep a fret-burner down, even when his fretboard is
toy-sized. You can’t keep the Hawaiian out either. Its gentle sway turns up on
the sweetly laconic “Angel.” A few bonus tracks of generic fusion at the end
detract from the solo purity and intimate mood that Shimabukuro creates, but
Gently Weeps is a joy until then. –John Diliberto

Features:

Product Details:

• Is Discontinued By Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ No
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Product Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 4.83 x 5.54 x 0.24 inches; 1.92 Ounces
• Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ Hitchhike Records
• Item model number ‏ : ‎ 2107515
• Original Release Date ‏ : ‎ 2006
• Date First Available ‏ : ‎ January 28, 2007
• Label ‏ : ‎ Hitchhike Records
• Country of Origin ‏ : ‎ USA