Mad Tea Party Will Move You!

photo by Jonathan Welch

Happy Musical Monday, all! I’m here today to tell you about a band you may not be familiar with but one I think you really should give a listen—it’s the Mad Tea Party out of Asheville, North Carolina, Ami Worthen & Jason Krekel.

First, I must say: I like duos; I spent several years as a musical duo with my wife Eberle & we still perform together some; & I like the uke, & I like good guitar; & I like a band that can go from grungy surf-rockabilly to a lovely, lyrical country waltz in the blink of an eye without anything seeming forced or out-of-place. & I love bands that are impossible to pin down in terms of “genres”—a marketing tool, after all, & not too much more.

The Mad Tea Party doesn’t rely on any one kind of music to get their message across—& more on that message in a paragraph or three. They do use the term “rockabilly” in their self-descriptions, & it’s certainly apt in that rockabilly seems to be their default mode. Also, Jason Krekel, a guitarist who can flat out shred, seems particularly at home with the musical vocabulary of rockabilly. But Krekel is versatile—he’s a virtual one-man band, as he also plays kick drums rigged with special pedals to drive the band; as a guitar player myself, I can assure you this is not easy to do adequately—to do it with the kind of driving pulse Krekel creates is amazing. But his talents go beyond the guitar & drums, because he also plays a mean fiddle—just check out the Mad Tea Party’s rave up version of the old-timey standard “Polly Put the Kettle On” on their most recent full-length release, Found a Reason. This tune is one of the (many) high points of the album: you will never hear the song the same way again & I do mean that in the very best way possible.

Both Ami Worthen & Jason Krekel are composers & singers with talent to spare. Krekel’s voice is strong & resonant (just check out the “Every Way” video below), but he can also deliver a quieter side in a song like Worthen’s composition “Yellow Trees,” where they duet very sweetly on the chorus. “Yellow Trees” may in fact be my favorite song on Found a Reason, but picking just one song & sticking to it after hearing the rest would be hard.

Ami Worthen plays uke (& some acoustic guitar) in addition to singing. “On paper,” as it were, the mix of a soprano uke with Krekel’s heavy guitar sound might not seem promising, but it sure works. Worthen’s a very good uke player who adds all sorts of rhythmic accents to the overall driving pulse.

Photo by Sandlin Gaither

& both Worthen’s songs & singing are delightful & strong. In the press clippings I’ve read, she’s often compared to Wanda Jackson, & there's some validity to this—if you listen to “I Went Out” on Found a Reason, it actually seems spot on. I also hear a bit of Mary Ford, especially on the Mad Tea Party’s amazing 2006 release, Big Top Soda Pop—but, whatever comparisons you might make, the long & the short of it is this: Worthen’s voice is her own, & that’s what makes her a great singer; she can inhabit her voice—it fits her & it fits her music. She has great range & tone, but perhaps most importantly, she has that “other dimension” that some technically proficient singers lack: personality & heart.

In fact, this could be said of the Mad Tea Party itself, which is certainly even more than the sum of its considerable parts. I spoke earlier about “message.” It’s true—& a good thing at that—that much of the Mad Tea Party’s music is about rocking out & having a good time—I imagine they must be a very fun band live (sadly, their tour of the Northwest was in 09 before I knew about them!) But there’s more to their songs. I mentioned “Yellow Trees” before; there’s a mystical turn in that lyric—a love song set in the framework of contemplating death. Now that sounds heavy, doesn’t it? But it’s not, at least not in any pretentious or off-putting way. Also in this vein is their song “Do You Have What It Takes” from Big Top, Soda Pop. Please follow this link to hear this song because I think it’s important to experience this more lyrical side of the Mad Tea Party—both the video songs are upbeat rockers—& also because it may be my favorite song of theirs. It reminds me of something my dear friends in Ed’s Redeeming Qualities might have written—not not so much that it sounds like ERQ, but just in the way that apparent simplicity & light-heartedness can actually get pretty doggone profound. The band's message is a coherent one, it seems to me—perhaps: “life is too serious to be taken seriously,” with full weight on both sides of that statement.

Photo by Scott McCormick

The Mad Tea Party has four full-length albums: Found a Reason (08), Big Top, Soda Pop (06), Flying Saucers (05) & 73% Post Consumer Novelty (all the links are to CDBaby, but the albums are also available thru Itunes—see the band's website). They’re all worth having—the two earlier releases showcase a lot of the band’s roots—which are eclectic & really give an understanding of their sound: everything from 30s novelty tunes to old-time music & more. In fact, they still do some beautiful cover songs—how about a rockabilly send-up of Melanie’s “I’ve Got a Brand New Pair of Roller Skates” on Big Top, Soda Pop! If you want to buy one for starters—geez, that’s tough. I really like Big Top, Soda Pop a lot, but there’s a lot to like about Found a Reason. I say, you decide—you can’t go wrong either way.

& let’s not forget: the Mad Tea Party also has two EPS: 2009 O Sh*t, It’s Christmastime & this year’s Zombie Boogie.

Here’s hoping there’ll be many more releases from this really talented duo—& I hope they make it back to the Pacific Northwest someday—or perhaps somewhere near you! In the meantime, you can follow them, as I do, on Ami Worthen’s blog, Ukulele Rockstar or on Twitter as @themadtea.

Enjoy!

Pix from the Mad Tea Party's Web Site, used with their kind permission

“Toward a Patronage Society”

Today, something perhaps a bit different….

I’ve been giving a lot of thought lately to free versus pay content.  Over the past few months, as I’ve used Twitter more, I’ve seen a lot of musicians tweeting about this—in fact, in its broadest implications, this is a huge issue for anyone involved in the arts.  & so, I have a video I’d like to share—a talk by cabaret singer/composer/pianist/uker Amanda Palmer about these very issues; & tho the talk is focused on the music industry, I think some of the general principles apply to online content from other art forms.

By the way, I should note that I was originally put onto this talk thru Twitter by blogger 9to5poet of everything feeds process, an excellent & frequently updated site about the creative process, complete with exercises 9to5poet assigns herself, & the results thereof.  You really should check it out; & I also should mention the fiction blog Soulless Machine—another writer I’ve “met” thru Twitter.  I know some folks have negative feelings about Twitter, but I'm finding that it has great potential as a networking tool.  & I will admit: it took me a while to figure it out at all.  The TweetDeck browser really helped.

Hope you enjoy this talk & spend some time thinking about the issues Amanda Palmer raises—& you might consider checking out Amanda Palmer’s brand new release Amanda Palmer Performs The Popular Hits of Radiohead on Her Magical Ukulele—84 cents or more  as a digital download!  You know I love all things ukulele.

Pic: Yours Truly & Tip Chick busking at the Council Farmer's Market last August

People Who Uke #3

As promised last week, here’s the third installment of People Who Uke. Here we consider folks who are known as ukulele players—but with one or two exceptions aren’t well-known to the non-uking public. Hope you take this as a springboard to check out more uke music—a good uke in the hands of a good player doesn’t sound like one of those $20 models that won’t stay in tune—it’s as real as an instrument gets, & is capable of producing beautiful music.

& even better than listening is playing (so I believe); & while the vast majority of us may not be capable of playing at the level of the folks I’ve written about over the past couple of weeks, the uke is an instrument that’s relatively easy to learn & can be very rewarding even if played at a pretty basic level—just saying….

Israel Kamakawiwo'ole: Also known as Bruddah Iz, this large man played the uke beautifully & sang in a voice that had a transcendent clarity, both in terms of emotion & pitch. Iz was a founding member, along with his brother Skippy, of Makaha Sons of Ni’ihau in the 70s. Although his brother died in 1982, the Makaha Sons of Ni’ihau stayed together & their repertoire of traditional music was extremely popular in Hawaii. Kamakawiwo'ole began his solo career in 1990; three other solo albums were released prior to his death in 1997 & four albums have been released since Iz passed away. Of course the best known of these is Facing Future, which had his biggest hit—the reggae-inflected medley of “Over the Rainbow” & “What a Wonderful World.” The songs are a natural pair (the Alice in Wonder Band did them as a medley, too, but with yours truly on guitar, not uke), & Kamakawiwo'ole’s rendition of them is achingly beautiful; his version has also made “Over the Rainbow” an almost crucial song in any performing uke player’s repertoire. When Iz died in 1997 at age 38, the Hawaiian flags flew at half-mast, & he was laid in state in the capitol.

Herb Ohta, Sr.: Here’s a musician that’s almost venerated by the ukulele community, but who remains virtually unknown to the general public in the mainland US. Ohta-San is a true master of the ukulele—playing in a traditional style with a thumb strum, he is able to create masterful interpretations of music from any number of genres—from Bach to Bacharach, from traditional Hawaiian melodies to the Beatles, & with any number of old jazz standards sprinkled liberally & beautifully throughout. Ohta-San has also been a prolific composer; the Ukulele Hall of Fame website notes that his “Song for Anna,” recorded in the 1970s, is the biggest selling uke record of all time. Make sure you check out the video below of Her Ohta’s taking a lovely spin thru “When You Wish Upon a Star.”

Lyle Ritz: Mr Ritz is in a similar position to Herb Ohta, Sr—he’s idolized as an innovator & a master player in the uke community, but his music is unfamiliar to the public at large, at least here in the States. Oddly, a lot of folks have heard Mr Ritz play another instrument—actually two—the upright & electric basses. Lyle Ritz had a thriving career as a studio bassist, & his playing has been featured on any number of songs, including such hits as “Good Vibrations” & “I Got You Babe.” But here we’re concentrating on his uke playing, mostly done on a tenor uke tuned down to DGBE (the typical tenor tuning is GCEA, so Ritz plays his tuned down a fourth). This “guitar” tuning for tenors has gained popularity mostly based on Ritz’s playing. In fact, Gibson produced a line of tenor ukes in the 50s that were designed for this tuning, & Ritz got his start on one of these instruments. In the 50s he recorded two ground-breaking albums, “50th State Jazz” & “How About Uke.” These showed off the uke’s capacity for jamming on old standards, & the albums are well-worth a listen not just for the uke playing, but for the music overall. Ritz is also a masterful arranger, & has published three books of uke arrangements thru Jim Beloff’s “Jumpin’ Jim’s Uke Masters” series.

Jake Shimabukuro: The reigning uke virtuoso, Shimabukuro combines jazz, pop & rock & lightning fast finger work to bring a new, rock star like twist to uke playing—this has earned him the title of “Jimi Hendrix of the ukulele.” In addition to six solo albums, Jake Shimabukuro has also worked in the groups Pure Heart & Colon; he has also worked with Béla Fleck, Jimmy Buffet & Tommy Emmanuel. Shimabukuro may be best known for his cover of George Harrison’s “While My Guitar Gently Weeps”; according to Wikipedia, internet videos of this song have received over 4 million hits; he has successfully covered a number of songs on the uke, however, from Erroll Garner’s “Misty” to Sarah McLachlan’s “Ice Cream” to Chick Corea’s “Spain”; & he’s a prolific composer himself. There’s no doubt that Shimabukuro is the new hot player on the uke.

Roy Smeck: I’ve written about Roy Smeck before on Robert Frost’s Banjo, so I don’t want to be too redundant here. Suffice it to say that Mr Smeck was a virtuoso on string instruments in general; anyone compiling a list such as this for the tenor banjo or the lap steel guitar would have to include his name; & while his guitar playing is less well known, his skills on that instrument measure favorably against virtually any other popular guitarist. Smeck was blessed with amazing instrumental gifts & cursed (or blessed, depending on how you look at it) with no singing ability whatsoever. To compensate for this Smeck not only took his instrumental abilities to the highest level, but also introduced any number of gags into his act—playing instruments behind his back, spinning them around without missing a beat, playing with his teeth & so forth. Unless you’re as gifted as Smeck, these sort of gimmicks wear out their welcome fairly quickly; when they’re combined with virtuoso playing it’s a different matter. Smeck had a long association with the Harmony Guitar Company, which produced a number of instruments—including ukes—under his name. He also wrote instructional material for all the instruments he played. Although I didn’t choose a Smeck video for this post, you can see some fantastic ones over at Citizen K’s blog here.

Bill Tapia: I’ve also written about the Duke of Uke a couple of times on Robert Frost’s Banjo (here & here, & the latter one has a video of him playing “I’m Gonna Sit Right Down & Write Myself a Letter”). Mr Tapia is 101 years young as of this writing & is still doing shows! It’s absolutely mind-boggling. He began performing at age 10 in 1918—no, that’s not a typo—& has had a musical career both as a ukulele player & as a jazz guitarist that’s spanned 90 years. It’s true that Mr Tapia retired from music after a mere 50-year career, much of which involved his guitar work. He kept up his uke chops playing for his wife, who passed away (as did his daughter) in 2001. In the period following this, Tapia was re-discovered as a uke master & began a new musical career in his 90s. For those who haven’t heard Bill Tapia play, I’ll just say this is way more than a gimmick—although his singing voice has lost something to age (but he’s still a fun singer who gets the most out of it), his playing chops would be first-rate at any age. I’d really encourage you to check Mr Tapia out—he’s such a fine musician & his story is so inspiring.

Tiny Tim: Last but not least, eh? I have to admit to mixed feelings about Tiny Tim. Once upon a time good pal Audrey Bilger asked me if I thought the uke could ever recover from Tiny Tim. While my answer was an emphatic “yes,” I knew what she meant & felt she had a point. Tiny Tim’s irony was so deep that it almost seemed un-ironic, & this seemed to reflect on the instrument; or conversely, he was so un-ironic, it seems ironic; his act really was post-modern in this way. On the other hand—hey, I’m an entertainer in my own small way, too, & everyone needs a shtick of sorts. Also, truth be told, other players who appeal to me more—for instance, Ukulele Ike & George Formby—also had some pretty madcap elements to their acts—& like those guys, Tiny Tim actually could play the uke—it was a lot more than some sort of self-conscious prop for him. For those of us who grew up in the 60s with Laugh-In & the other variety shows, there will always be a connection, good, bad or indifferent, between the ukulele & Tiny Tim. &, you know, that’s an accomplishment for any musician, & one that deserves respect.

People Who Uke #2

The recent People Who Uke post was quite popular—I really appreciated all the support & enthusiasm. A couple of tried & true followers did miss their own uking favorites, however, & in response to this I’m posting a couple of follow-ups. While the original People Who Uke involved people who are well known for something other than the fact they play uke, the next two posts will involve people who are known for playing the ukulele.

Of course, here the questions of inclusion may be a bit more problematic—there are any number of exciting & talented uke players around right now, & trying to include all of them wouldn’t be possible—even with two posts it would be impractical in terms of size, & ultimately there’s be any number of oversights.

The original post included 14 famous folks who also play uke, so as an arbitrary figure, I’ll limit these posts to a total of 14 as well. Because I’m writing more about each player than in the original People Who Uke, I decided it would be best to make two posts: the second one will be next Tuesday, “same bat time, same bat channel,” & will continue in alphabetical order. Some names are obvious; others aren’t well-known to the general public, but are highly thought of among uke players. I do believe all of these players made some significant contribution to “uke history.” Hope you enjoy.

Jim Beloff: A solid uke player (& composer), but best known as the man behind Flea Market Music, one of the best sites for uke-related merchandise (including Beloff’s “Jumpin’ Jim” series of uke songbooks) as well as home to the Flea Market Music Bulletin Board, a major cyber gathering place for ukers of all descriptions. Also, along with his sister & brother-in-law, Beloff developed the Fluke & Flea brand ukuleles—odd looking critters, but nice players that a person can buy for a very reasonable amount of $. Would the uke be a hot item today without Beloff?—possibly. But he’s done a lot to raise consciousness about this wonderful instrument.

May Singhi Breen: Not as well known as she should be, Ms Breen was an early (1920s) player who was also influential as an arranger & teacher; in fact she was a major force in convincing music publishers to include uke arrangements (many by her) on most sheet music produced from the '20s & beyond (a tradition that lapsed some time ago). She was also instrumental (as it were) in getting the Musician’s Union to recognize the uke as a legitimate, sanctioned instrument. Ms Breen was married to songwriter Peter DeRose & they performed on radio for a number of years as “Sweethearts of the Air.” May Singhi Breen was also known as “The Ukulele Lady”—not as the inspiration for the song, but one who could make the song come to life.

Cliff Edwards (Ukulele Ike ): Most folks wouldn’t know this now, but in the 20s, Ukulele Ike was the “cat’s pajamas”—he was a star of Bing Crosby dimensions, & was invited to introduce a number of well-known standards, including such Gershwin works as “Lady Be Good” & “Fascinatin’ Rhythm;” he also introduced “Singin’ in the Rain” long before the movie was even a gleam in anyone’s eye. Besides being a master of the uke, Edwards developed a strange & wonderful style of scat singing which he called “effing.” (hmmm….) Ukulele Ike is known to film buffs by his given name, Cliff Edwards—he acted & sang & uked in films in the 30s, tho his biggest role came as the voice of Jiminy Cricket (singing “Give a Little Whistle” & “When You Wish Upon a Star”) in Disney’s Pinocchio. Ukulele Ike could get pretty ribald in his vaudeville songs, but he could show a soft side too. He did a ballad version of “Only a Paper Moon” that’s superb. Edward's also produced a series of ukulele instruction books in the 1950s.

George Formby: OK, speaking of ribald, there’s British music hall king, George Formby. I believe our British & Canadian readers will be pretty familiar with George Formby, but he's not well-known in the U.S. except in the uke community. Like Ukulele Ike (& roughly contemporary with him), Formby was a star as a singer & a film actor, & for all the comic nature his act, was a masterful banjo uke player. As I mentioned in the first People Who Uke post, Formby was a big influence on the Beatles. Thankfully, his recordings (like Edwards) are available, so you, too, can treat yourself to such delights as “Leaning On a Lamppost” (yes, Herman’s Hermits covered Formby!), “When I’m Washing Windows” & others; & you can see George Formby in action in the video clip at the end of this post. As Formby would say, “Turned out nice again.”

Arthur Godfrey: We’re now in good times for the ukulele, & that’s been the case for a while. As I mentioned in the first entry, that’s true in no small part to Jim Beloff. Well, the 50s were also a good time for ukes, & Arthur Godfrey was a big factor in that resurgence. He played the uke on his radio & TV shows; he had plastic ukes sold under his name (actually, these 50s plastic ukes—made by Mario Macaferri of Django Rheinhardt guitar fame—are really decent instruments), & he played a very large role in the design & introduction of the baritone ukulele. Godfrey wanted something that was easier to play than a guitar, but more “guitar-like” in tone than the smaller ukes, & the baritone ukulele was born. It’s the one form of uke that didn’t directly descend from the original Portuguese instrument.

Ernest Kaleihoku Kaai: Perhaps the most obscure name on the whole list, but very deserving of recognition. Kaai was an early 20th century uke virtuoso—according to the Ukulele Hall of Fame, he may have been the first player to perform “chord melody,” which means playing a song’s melody using chords—it’s a challenging but enjoyable way to play a full arrangement solo, without the necessity of a rhythm guitarist or second uke playing chords behind the melody. Kaai also was instrumental in developing uke tablature & published what is believed to be the first uke instruction book: "The Ukulele, A Hawaiian Guitar and How to Play It." This came off the press in 1906, quite some time before the first mainland ukulele boom in the 1920s.

Eddie Kamae: Mr Kamae has been a true champion of Hawaiian culture since he began playing ukulele in the 1940s. While many of the hot Hawaiian uke players were concentrating on jazz standards or “hapa-haole” songs—essentially Hawaiian tin pan alley tunes such as “My Little Grass Shack,” “Sweet Leilani,” or “Pearly Shells.” A number of these (tho not all) were written by Anglo songwriters & while admittedly fun to play, can present a somewhat stereotyped picture of island life. Kamae has concentrated on more genuine Hawaiian music, & along with his legendary band, the Sons of Hawaii, has been able to keep some gorgeous traditional music alive. In addition to his considerable uke playing skills, Kamae is also a talented composer—his song “E Ku’u Morning Dew” is simply lovely. Sadly, I couldn’t find a YouTube video featuring Kamae’s playing, but the Sons of Hawaii’s cd are available. I’d also encourage folks to check out Eddie Kamae’s website: Hawaiian Legacy Foundation. A quote from Kamae on the home page is worth contemplating: “All cultures evolve & change, but it is important to identify the heart & soul of a culture—that part is irreplaceable.”

Hope you enjoyed this look at some great uke players, & hope it may inspire you to check out some uke music—or perhaps even consider playing yourself! Don’t forget the inimitable Mr Formby’s video, & be sure to check back for the thrilling conclusion!

People Who Uke

Just for fun: some folks you know posing with ukuleles:

The Beatles: Well, 3 of 4 anyway. The Beatles were big fans of British music hall star George Formby, who played a banjo uke & sang some rather racy songs during his career that began in the 1920s & ended with his death in 1961. George Harrison in particular liked the ukulele & was quite accomplished as a uker. In fact there’s a blog devoted to recording the entire Beatles’ song catalog on uke.






Bette Midler: Bette photographed recently with a very “blinged” Fluke brand ukulele. The Divine Miss M does play the uke in her stage act.







Bing Crosby: Bing posed in publicity shots with a uke—& he played one in A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court. Other classic film stars who uked include Irene Dunne, Buster Keaton, Laurel & Hardy & Ginger Rogers.









Doris Day (with David Niven): On the set of Please Don’t Eat the Daisies; looks like Niven is giving Doris tips on how to play a chord.











Eddie Vedder: Yes, the Pearl Jam guitarist does uke, tho we can’t endorse his stage show in which he smashed one.








Elvis Presley: This is a publicity shot for Blue Hawaii. The 50s were a pretty big time for ukes, too; & having film stars pose with ukes to publicize movies set in Hawaii goes way back.










The Lidell Sisters: Yes, that Lidell—Alice of Alice in Wonderland. Since this pic was taken by Charles Dodgson (Lewis Carroll) before the “invention” of the instrument known as the ukulele, the instrument the Liddell sisters are playing is the Portugese “machete.” However, the machete is a close ancestor of the uke. That’s Alice to the left, with her sister Ina in the middle & Edith to the right.




Lucille Ball: Don’t know much background on this, but the uke sure looks natural in Lucy’s hands.












Marilyn Monroe: See the video clip from Some Like it Hot below for more on Marilyn & the ukulele.











Taj Mahal: Don’t know any background on this one, but it sure is fun to see the great bluesman with a uke.











Warren Buffett: Yes, in between counting $ & making pronouncements on the economy, billionaire Buffett really does play the uke. At least he wouldn’t have any problem buying as many as he wants.






Zooey Deschanel: Last, but not least, the talented actress & singer who is really into the uke & plays one in her chanteuse incarnation. Here Ms Deschanel is playing a banjo uke.

& let’s not forget Ms Monroe “Running Wild”:

Happy 101st Birthday, Bill Tapia!

Bill Tapia, the Duke of Uke, turns 101 years young today—what a remarkable man & a remarkable musician! Since I’ve already profiled Mr Tapia in an earlier post, I won’t go into the details of his story here, but please: do yourself a favor & give this man’s music a listen. He’d be a uke player worth hearing if he were a quarter of his age. The fact that he’s playing at this level as a centenarian is simply mid-boggling.

Here’s a video that showcases The Duke of Uke’s singing & playing at a show sometime in 2008. A nice uke solo on a great tune—the guitar solo’s none too shabby either. Enjoy! —& a warm aloha from snowy Idaho to the Duke of Uke.

Ukes for Peace

I just ran across this item on the Ukulelia blog, & wanted to get it posted on Robert Frost’s Banjo asap—it was posted on Ukulelia a week ago, so I’m a bit behind my time. As faithful readers here know, the uke is dear to my heart, so I love to see it come up in something as idealistic & hopeful as “Ukes for Peace,” an organization that’s devoted to bringing Israeli & Palestinian children together as part of a ukulele orchestra in the towns of Tira and Hod Hasharon (not far from Tel Aviv).

Needless to say, this is a very worthwhile organization, one that’s trying to address one of the most tragic & impossible situations—& a situation that, as it currently stands, has powerful ramifications far beyond the Middle East, but most importantly now generates daily strife & misery for the people who are directly affected. There are a couple of ways to support “Ukes for Peace”; there’s a cd available for a $20 PayPal donation, & there’s also a tab ebook—with tab put together by some big names in Ukedom such as James Hill, Mark Nelson, Brian Hefferen & Dominator. The book is $15 until Christmas, & then $17 thereafter.

So any ukers out there (or, as far as the cd goes, any uke music lovers), this is a chance to make a small, relatively painless contribution that could make a difference to an organization with a really important goal.


The pic above is taken from the Ukes for Peace site.

Goodbye, Ukulele Mama

Some sad news that comes belatedly to Robert Frost’s Banjo—Estelle Reiner, AKA “Ukulele Mama” died on October 29th in her home in Beverly Hills. Ms. Reiner was 94, & died of natural causes.

There are a few reasons you should know Estelle Reiner. She was married to comedian & comedy writer Carl Reiner, & she was actor-director Rob Reiner’s mother. Ms Reiner also delivered a well known line while making a cameo appearance in her son’s When Harry Met Sally. In the scene, she watches as Meg Ryan fakes an orgasm in a restaurant; when the waiter comes to take Estelle Reiner’s order, she says, “I’ll have what she’s having.” The American Film Institute rated this as the 33rd most famous movie line of all time, ahead of Lauren Bacall’s come-on to Humphrey Bogart in To Have & Have Not: “You know how to whistle, don’t you, Steve? You just put your lips together and blow.”

Those are both good reasons to know Estelle Reiner, but I knew her as Ukulele Mama. Apparently Ms Reiner always wanted to be a singer, & so took it up as a career at age 65. She released four albums as a singer thru the 90’s, all focusing on “Great American Songbook” material. Then, in 2000, when she was well into her 80’s she put out the wonderful album Ukulele Mama, on which she not only sang but also accompanied herself on ukulele. She was backed by a solid piano-bass-drum trio (Tom Garvin: piano; John Leitham & Trey Henry: bass; & Kendall Kay: drums), & also featured some lovely solos by various musicians on trumpet, clarinet, trombone, & violin. She followed this up in 2003 with Ukulele Mama 2, & then in 2004 with Estelle Reiner Sings Grown Up Songs for Kids, again accompanying herself on uke, & with many of the same fine back-up musicians.

Estelle Reiner was not a uke virtuoso, & she had a pleasant but unspectacular singing voice, if you’re talking about tone. What she did have was oodles of spirit & élan; you only have to listen to about one bar of music to know she loves these songs & that she loves singing them. She also brought her comedic skills to her singing—not in any heavy-handed way, but in the sense of timing & wit, & in the sense of getting inside a lyric & bringing out various meanings, including some of the double entendres in those old songs. Some of my favorite takes from the original Ukulele Mama album are “Lulu’s Back in Town,” “On a Slow Boat to China,” “My Baby Just Cares For me,” & “It All Belongs To Me.” I’ll be taking a trip to the Golden State late this week, & I’ll certainly be bringing Ukulele Mama as a sing-along companion.

If you love uke, or want to hear a unique take on some wonderful old tunes, you should check out her cds, which are available at her website. The spirit Ms Reiner was able to communicate thru her singing & uke playing is one of wit & laughter &, to use an old British word, pluck. She will be missed.

“The Duke of Uke”

& if you should survive to a 105,
Think of all you’ll derive just from being alive;
& here is the best part—you’ll have a head start
If you are among the very young at heart.
Young at Heart, lyrics by Carolyn Leigh, music by Johnny Richards

Folks sometimes talk about how the uke can be a great instrument for senior citizens, because the instrument’s size & relatively easy playability don’t require as much dexterity or hand strength as a guitar or banjo (or a number of other instruments). However this post is about a guy who proves that so thoroughly he can outplay most folks a quarter or even a fifth his age —yes, a fifth or a quarter, not half or a third. The fellow is Bill Tapia, the “Duke of Uke.” Mr Tapia turned a cool 100 earlier this year, & is still a ukulele player of the highest order & a regular professional performer.

While I let your mind try to encompass this, you can ponder the fact that Tapia’s professional music career spans close to 90 years. He began playing on the Oahu streets for tips as a boy, & started performing in Hawaiian vaudeville at 12. At 16 he joined a professional dance band that left the islands to tour stateside. Tapia continued this career, at first doubling on uke & guitar, then later switching to guitar exclusively as the uke fell out of favor in the big bands. He played as a sideman, in TV orchestras, in various professional bands, taught guitar, & kept up the uke just as something he’d play at home for his family.

Then several years back, Mr Tapia lost both his daughter, Cleo (then aged 60), & his wife Barbie (they’d been married for 64 years). He was devastated, & couldn’t seem to break free from depression. As chance would have it, he walked into a music store in California, ostensibly to see about getting his guitar repaired, & began playing a uke. In short order he’d pretty much blown the minds of everyone in the shop.

This led to a new career at the age of 94. He began playing in clubs, in restaurants, in Hawaiian jam sessions. He even struck up acquaintances with older musicians who’d known about him during his first career & who now assumed he was dead. He found a friend & manager in 27-year old Alyssa Archambault, & has gone on to record two excellent cd’s—Tropical Swing & The Duke of Uke. He performs with other legendary ukers such as Lyle Ritz (sadly, legendary ukers are about as recognized in the culture at large as “renowned poets”). There’s also a documentary about him, the 2006 To You, Sweetheart, Aloha (referring to a song he often played for his wife & daughter); & Mr Tapia was inducted into the Ukulele Hall of Fame at age 96 (if anybody deserves to be referred to as “Mr” it’s a 100-year old guy who’s still a professional musician).
It’s true that Mr Tapia’s no longer a great singer, though there’s a lot of warmth & humor in his voice, & he’s pleasant to listen to—& geez, the guy was 96 was he made Tropical Swing! His chops on the ukulele are still first-rate, however (he plays a tenor, & I believe he typically uses the low g tuning). Tapia has a marvelous sense of melody & phrasing, & like his singing, his playing projects both warmth & humor (& unlike his vocals there’s absolutely nothing to explain away or apologize for when he’s playing the uke). He mixes old jazz standards (great versions of “Mack the Knife” & “Mood Indigo,” & one of the whackiest versions of “Misty” ever recorded, with uke & trumpet trading phrases) with Hawaiian tunes such as “Manuela Boy,” “My Little Grass Shack,” & “My Honolulu Hula Girl.” His back-up band is top-notch, & they give him great support—Tapia’s the show, & they give him a solid foundation to ride on. The band typically consists of guitar & upright bass, but on Tropical Swing a Hawaiian steel guitar is also added.

My recommendation: get both cd’s! If you want to start with just one, I guess I’d give the nod by just a whisker to Tropical Swing, though there are some fantastic moments on The Duke of Uke—a lovely version of “Black Orpheus,” a couple of charming takes on “My Little Grass Shack” (a studio take & a live take, the latter with the great Lyle Ritz doubling on uke in a lower tuning & Fred Sokolow on dobro). Both cd’s also have some vintage takes from the 30’s, & all those old takes feature spectacular uke solos. Tapia’s 1936 medley of “Sweethearts on Parade/Stars & Stripes Forever” on Tropical Swing is not to be missed…. he’s absolutely burning the fretboard up. These were back in the days when he played with lightning speed & did stunts like playing the uke behind his head (see pic below); further proof—along with Roy Smeck—that the rockers didn’t start those types of shenanigans.

If you have any interest in uke music, old jazz, or Hawaiian music, or if you’d just like to be wowed by someone who continues to beat the odds & maintain his talent & passion at an advanced age, check out Bill Tapia. You can also read a couple of interesting articles about him here & here. At any rate, when you hear his uke playing & his singing, you’ll definitely get the idea of the old adage about “you’re as young as you feel.”

Young at Heart is © 1954 Cherio Corporation

Uke Goes to the Movies

Another list for your amusement today—scenes from films featuring the ukulele. There are a few surprises here.

Buster Keaton: The Balloonatic (1923-silent)
Buster Keaton: Steamboat Bill, Jr (1928-silent)
Cliff “Ukulele Ike” Edwards: Hollywood Revue of 1929 (1929- a number of other films too)
Oliver Hardy: Sons of the Desert (1933)
Ginger Rogers: Stage Door (1937)
Irene Dunne: Love Affair (1939)
Gracie Allen: Honolulu (1939)
Alice Faye & Betty Grable: Tin Pan Alley (1940)
Bing Crosby: A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court (1949)
Marilyn Monroe: Some Like It Hot (1959)
Elvis Presley: Blue Hawaii (1961)
Jason Robards: A Thousand Clowns (1965)
Steve Martin: The Jerk (1979-actually played by Lyle Ritz—Martin is faking it)
Steve Martin: Pennies from Heaven (1981)
Mia Farrow: The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985)
Tom Hanks: Joe Versus the Volcano (1990)

There are ukes in other movies—& oddly, even more in publicity pix & posters—Bob Hope & Bing Crosby are shown playing the uke in publicity shots for The Road to Singapore (1940) & The Road to Zanzibar (1941), though they don’t play ukes in the film. Crosby also was pictured playing the uke in publicity stills for Waikiki Wedding (1937).So be on the lookout—you never know where the uke will turn up….