well, i just stumbled across this record, i can't even remember what i was searching for. but i'm a uke player and i've heard a ton of people re-enacting the early jazz era with their ukes. the problem usually is that they only serve to remind one of how much better the original recordings from the 20s/30s etc sounded. not so here, the period is evoked, but the compositions are all original and are ...hm...hard to describe but maybe it's like if you think of the little ways Thelonius Monk might add something more harmonically piquant or melodically angular to a cliche -- that's kind of what you're getting here. the uke playing is virtuosic in just the right way, which is to say, in order to realize a musical idea. a very nice unlikely blend of things, accessible, slightly nostalgic, but fresh and thoughtful. And i can't tell you how many uke-oriented projects trade on the cuteness or novelty of the instrument. Here we have something that works musically on its own terms, and the uke seems like a pleasing timbral choice. complaints? only trivial ones -- there are some slap-bass tunes and the bass is maybe recorded a little funny (lots of slap, not so much low-end beef compared to the more conventionally played tracks).
Read more...
This CD was listed under the "Weird Jazz" category, and after hearing it, I'm unsure as to why. Is it the fact that an instrument known in the jazz world is collaborating with an instrument from Hawai'i? What's so weird about that? Let's investigate.
'Ukulele is pronounced ooh-koo-leh-leh, not you-kuh-lay-lee, this is important. In Hawaiian, the word translates to "jumping flea", although its true roots come from the Portuguese who immigrated to the Hawaiian islands for what would amount to slave labor. There were a lot of language barriers among those who were also brought to the Hawaiian islands (Japanese, Chinese, and Filipino) but two things they had in common was a love for food (the mixtures of which now make up modern Hawaiian cuisine/comfort food) and to play music. While the 'ukulele was not indigenous to Hawai'i, what Hawaiian musicians did was come up with their own set of tunings and style of playing with the instrument known as the braguinha (commonly heard in certain styles of Brazilian music, along with music from Portugal and Spain). In time, it would be identified as a Hawaiian instrument. A few years after statehood, Hollywood did something to Hawai'i and Hawaiian culture that unfortunately has not been undone. While it did shed light on "paradise in the middle of the sea", it also focused on the stereotypes of what they thought Hawai'i and Hawaiians were. It involved exaggerated movements, a mock-language (i.e "huki luki muki haka hiki"), and non-Hawaiians portraying Hawaiian people. That was the negative. At the same time, Hawaiian music became one of the most popular music in the United States during the 1920's and 1930's, with artists playing a mixture of traditional Hawaiian songs, newly created hapa haole songs (a sub-genre meant to suggest a song with a Hawaiian theme, but primarily written in English), or expanding on the lap-steel guitar. These early steel-guitar records would be taken home by tourists, and in time would inspire musicians to incorporate it into what would become country music. A musician or two brought records to India, and in time would spawn a style of Indian playing that would involve a modified guitar. Vishwa Mohan Bhatt is one of a small handful of pioneers who turned the Hawaiian steel into something that is now his own.
The 'ukulele suffered a bit, for people perceived it as simple and novel. In fact, a lot of novelty songs were written and performed with the 'ukulele, and for generations that became "the sound". While many Hawaiian 'ukulele musicians would prosper in the islands, people outside of Hawai'i rarely treated the 'ukulele in a serious manner. It didn't help that toy makers would turn it into a cheap instrumen, and while Tiny Tim was very serious in his love of the music from the early 1900's, his persona of the freaky man with the uke did more damage that has yet to be undone. With a few exceptions.
In Hawai'i, the 'ukulele continues to be a very important part of Hawaiian music history, with festivals regularly held to honor the best. Here in the mainland, it is still a mixture of those who use it as a novelty, those who want to use it as a curiosity, and those who truly love the sound and want to expand its capabilities. This is what Matt Weiner & Del Rey do on their first album together as duo called At The Ukeshack #1: 'Ukulele and Bass Duets (Hobemian). Throughout recorded history, there have always been unique recordings where two musicians will just jam and play some incredible sounds, often with great results. In Indian classical music, they call this "jugalbandi". In this case, it wasn't just about jamming for the sake of discovering what will come next, each of the songs were written and arranged specifically for the project, with a small handful of covers thrown in for familiarity.
The music. Bassist Matt Weiner is the one that guides the listener throughout each song, even without looking at his bio for a background, you can tell he has a lot of experience on the bass. At times he'll play it in a fashion that would make Ron Carter proud, and then reach over to the bow to play the bass in that fashion, not unlike a Jimmy Garrison or Charles Mingus at times. While Weiner's name may be listed first on the CD, it is Miss Del Rey who directs the cruise throughout the album. As with any familiar instrument, you will hear what you want to hear, and for me I immediately hear a Hawaiian sound, which is very bright and delightful. What Rey does as the CD moves forward is play the songs differently, so that it doesn't have what might be called a "stereotypical 'ukulele sound". "Orange Blossom Honey From Sorrento" would have worked well in the 1920's as it does in 2007. By the time it gets to track 3, "Hollywood's Emerald City Bull Fiddle", the tones and coloring of the 'ukulele begin to change, and one senses that Rey is into finding out what else can be done other than play "my dog has fleas". In her playing you can hear the influence that can also be found in the style of Brittni Paiva, but also some folk and country influences. Things then go into "Brazilian Theme", and I'm not sure if it was their intention or not, but through music and their playing they're wanting to take the 'ukulele on a trip back to its roots, only to discover that the instrument is very much at home regardless of the clothing one puts on it. With "Cousin Willy", they bring in some friends to play a wide range of 'ukulele, including a Kamaka lili'u (try to find one of those). If you know your Hawaiian music, you know how precious the Kamaka can be, and it's not unlike hearing a rock, country, or folk recording when someone plays an Ovation. When you hear it, you know, and hearing it used here shows a respect for the music and the instrument itself.
Is it "weird jazz"? Weiner and Rey get jazzy at times, but you'll hear a wide range of styles that would make it anything but jazz. It's folk, it's blues, it's country, and it's very much Americana, and it comes from musicians who want to keep the spirit and passion alive for any and all stringed instruments. I definitely want to hear more from Matt Weiner, and perhaps one day Del Rey will go to Hawai'i to play and jam with some of the best 'ukulele players around.
Read more...