Teachers

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Listen to Samples from UkeFest 2008 Teachers

Brook Adams

Brook Adams, ukulele and guitar player, singer and composer lives with
his family in Eugene Oregon. Performing since the late 1970's, Brook has
played at festivals including Seattle Bumbershoot, Northwest Folklife,
Oregon Country Fair, Salem Art Fair. He has also performed in France,
Canada, Mexico and Guatemala.

As well as writing his own tunes, Brook covers songs from the Sex
Pistols to Sinatra. His collection of novelty songs, tv themes, modern
pop and swing-era classics is a musical cartoon of the 20th century. His
latest show is "Abbey Road On Ukulele", where he performs the entire
classic Beatles album with only his voice and a ukulele. Find more at
www.brookadams.com

UkeFest Workshops: Swingin' 60's, Super Simple Songs

Jim Beloff

Jim Beloff is the author of The Ukulele—A Visual History (Backbeat Books) and author, compiler and publisher of the popular Jumpin’ Jim’s series of ukulele songbooks. This series has sold well over 250,000 copies worldwide and is distributed by the Hal Leonard Corp.
 
Jim has also recorded two CDs of original songs performed on the ukulele (Jim’s Dog Has Fleas and For The Love Of Uke), produced Legends Of Ukulele, a CD compilation for Rhino Records, and made two how-to-play videos for Homespun Tapes entitled The Joy Of Uke #1 and #2. In 2004 he released The Finer Things, a recording of sixteen songs he co-wrote with ukulele master, Herb Ohta. In 2007 he released “Paradise Lost And Found” a concept compilation CD that included 4 of his songs.
 
In 1999 Jim and his family introduced a new, colorful and low-cost ukulele called the FLUKE that has won admirers all over the world. In six years over 25,000 FLUKE and FLEA (a soprano sized sibling of the FLUKE) ukuleles have been sold. In November 1999 he premiered his Uke Can't Be Serious concerto for ukulele and symphony orchestra. It was commissioned and performed with the Wallingford (Connecticut) Symphony.  Most recently, Jim and his wife, Liz, were consultants on “The Ukulele And You” exhibit at the NAMM Museum Of Making Music in Carlsbad, CA. Their company, Flea Market Music Inc., is dedicated to the ukulele and they believe very strongly that "Uke Can Change The World." You can reach Jim through the Flea Market Music web site at www.fleamarketmusic.com.

UkeFest Workshops: Songwriting On The Ukulele, Have A Nice Uke

Jere and Greg Canote

Jere and Greg Canote from Seattle, WA, are as renowned for their affable attitudes and humor as they are for their music. Greg on fiddle, and Jere on guitar, and both on banjo ukes, perform zany concerts, play for dances, lead songs, and promote a good time! The twin brothers started singing soon after they were born and haven't closed their mouths since. They spent their early years in California's Sacramento Valley, inventing songs with their father at the piano and tagging along with their parents' folk and square dance group. They honed their skills performing in many bands and discovered old-time music in the mid 1970s. In 1978 they attended the Festival of American Fiddle Tunes in Port Townsend, WA, and eventually became frequent teachers there. After touring the country with dance caller and singer Sandy Bradley for four years, they returned to the Northwest for a thirteen year stint on Seattle's National Public Radio show, "Sandy Bradley's Potluck," as Sandy's affable side-kicks. The rigors of finding new material for a weekly radio show kept the twins on their toes, mining and performing gems of American music of the past as well as writing new songs in those styles.

Jere and Greg regularly provide workshops on ragtime music and ukulele.
www.canote.com

UkeFest Workshops: Strum Fun for Everyone, Party Uke

James Clem

James has been a musician for over thirty years and has a wide knowledge of American Roots music from the 1920s and ‘30s Jazz, Pop and Blues to Western Swing, and ‘50s and ‘60s Rock.

He started playing Blues slide guitar when given an old National resonator guitar as a teenager and met many of the original Delta Blues artists that played the Ash Grove Club in Los Angeles where he grew up. Soon he started his own Blues band and in the ‘70s joined Chicago Bluesman Chick Willis’ band playing blues dives nationwide.

In the ‘80s James had a Rockabilly group in Los Angeles and then lived in London, England playing with the ‘50s Rock/Swing band, Real Rock Drive. He returned to LA and fronted his own Blues group Tobacco Road before switching back to the music that originally inspired him… solo acoustic Delta Blues. James plays and sings a mixture of ragtime, slide and Lonnie Johnson style blues. The ukulele has become an ever-larger part of his act and his uke playing leans more towards ‘20s and ‘30s jazz-pop and western swing rather than blues. John Fogerty has called him “a great guitar player. I’m a fan!”

James recently completed a live guitar and uke DVD and is recording a new CD to be released this summer. He lives in Portland OR.
www.jamesclem.com

Ukefest Workshops: Go, Cat, Go! Le Jazz, Blues Hot.

Francis Doo

Francis Kanaeaupuni Doo is originally from Kailua, Hawai`i. He has been living in Oregon for the last 24 years, and playing the ukulele for over forty years. Francis has been able to share his culture with many people through his weekly gigs in Portland. A hula dancer and now a teacher of the hula, he has also been able to share that aspect of his life with others.

UkeFest Workshops: Hula 101

Joel Eckhaus

Joel Eckhaus (aka Ukulele Eck) is a “native” New Yawker, and now lives in far off and exotic South Portland, Maine. He studied uke and tenor banjo for two years with Roy Smeck, Vaudeville’s Wizard of the Strings. He performs solo and with his group, Ukulele Eck and the Fabulous Lacklusters. Joel is also a luthier. He owns and operates “Earnest Uncommon Musical Instruments” and builds acoustic and electric ukuleles, mandolins and tenor guitars. www.earnestinstruments.com

UkeFest Workshops:Uke-A-Billy, Chord Melody a la Smeck

Mark (Spanky) Gutierrez

Mark Guiterrez was born and raised in Omaha Nebraska (corn fed!). Mark is a multi-instrumentalist who has played guitar since the fifth grade and took up the ukulele in 2002. He was introduced to the world of ‘ukulele through Jump n’ Jim’s web site which led him to the 2002 festival in New Jersey. Since then he has attended 6 festivals, been to Hawaii twice and his ‘ukulele collection has greatly expanded. Mark counts among his many ukulele influences: Brian Tolentino, Byron Yasui, and Benny Chong. Mark is currently studying jazz guitar at the University of Nebraska at Omaha.
www.myspace.com/spankyomaha

Piper Heisig

Piper Heisig, from San Luis Obispo, California, is a musician, singer, songwriter, teacher and producer. A professional musician since 1977 and teacher since 1987, she can be heard singing and playing bass or percussion in a number of bands, on the Central Coast. Among the styles she has played through the years are, Swing, Western Swing, Old Time, Country, Bluegrass, Traditional Jazz, Blues, Rock and Roll, Paraguayan and Persian. She has recorded over 20 albums and her name has appeared on many band rosters including, "Old Mother Logo", "Lone Star", "Those Darn Accordions" and "Cats & Jammers". Piper is the music director for hula halau "Na Mele 'O Ke Kai" in Morro Bay, California. She is currently studying hula and the cello and is a certified Fashion Therapist. (Photo by Sally Mingo.)

UkeFest Workshops: Unobtrusive Percussion, Na Mele ‘O Hawai’i (Hawai’ian Songs)

James Hill

The `ukulele is hotter than ever, embraced worldwide by a crop of young musicians eager to push the instrument into uncharted territory. Leading the charge is Canada's James Hill. With the recent release of his third solo album, A Flying Leap, this "imaginative and versatile" 25-year-old virtuoso continues to "tear up the uke" (AcousticGuitar.net). Seven of the album's ten tracks are genre-bending originals ranging in style from the bluegrass-tinged 'Song for Cheri' to the jazzy 'Fleas My Dog Has' to the remarkable 'One Small Suite for `Ukulele,' an ambitious work in three movements written for `ukulele and string quartet.

During his teenage years he honed his skills as a key member of the renowned Langley Ukulele Ensemble under the direction of Peter Luongo. After touring for twelve years with the Langley Ukulele Ensemble, James embarked on a solo career in 2002. In performance, James is energetic and captivating, mixing colourful anecdotes with a versatile repertoire that stretches from Schubert to the Beatles and beyond. He is heard frequently on CBC and NPR National radio, and has shared billing with the world's foremost `ukulele players including Herb Ohta (Ohta-San), John King, Lyle Ritz and Benny Chong. www.ukulelejames.com/

UkeFest Workshops: Forget Fishing, Teach the Man to Play Ukulele!, Confessions of a Uke Nerd: Secret Strums That Could Change Your Life

Kimo Hussey

Kimo Hussey, Executive Director of the Pacific Music Foundation, www.pmfhawaii.com, has 30+ years experience in training as well as facilitating workshops in various disciplines. He is degreed in music (choral conducting), published, recorded and quite experienced in vocal and instrumental performance worldwide. His knowledge and experience with ukulele span 50 years and has resulted in consistent and numerous invitations to share his music through concerts and workshops.

UkeFest Workshops: Recognizing Common Progressions -- Most Effective Methodology in Learning New Songs, Create Introductions Using Chords Playable Anywhere on the Fretboard

John King

John King lives in St. Petersburg, Florida and is a member of the Ukulele Guild of Hawaii and the board of directors of the Ukulele Hall of Fame Museum. He is a contributor to the Hawaiian Journal of History and the Galpin Society Journal and is the author of two collections of ukulele music published by Mel Bay and Hal Leonard. Currently, Mr. King is co-authoring a scholarly history of the ukulele for the University of Hawaii Press. He has released two recordings: Johann Sebastian Bach Partita No. 3 for Unaccompanied Ukulele and Other Baroque Masterpieces, and Royal Hawaiian Music featuring compositions of King Kalakaua, Queen Liliuokalani, Princess Likelike, Prince Leleiohoku, Captain Henri Berger, and others. www.nalu-music.com/

UkeFest Workshops: Pulling Strings, Ukulele Ensemble

Casey McGill

Casey MacGill recently celebrated 50 years of owning a ukulele, receiving his first (a Kamaka) in Honolulu, Christmas, '57.  Casey has played the uke as accompaniment to folk music, early 60's, jug band and blues, late 60's, and music of the 20's-40's from the early 70's to the present.  MacGill played the uke with a group on the infamous Gong Show in 1977, in the movie Frances, and opened the broadway show, Swing, doing a solo turn with his Kamaka lili'u.  He can be heard several nights a week with his group The Blue 4 Trio in Seattle, and enjoys the opportunity to share his playing style and musical knowledge with fellow uke-ists.

UkeFest Workshops: My Three Strums (to the theme of My Three Sons), The Uke in Tin Pan Alley

Lil'Rev

Voted the best folksinger in Wisconsin in 2004 (WAMI), Lil Rev specializes in Blues, Rags, Folk, Old Time Country and Original instrumental music for the Ukulele. He is author of The Hal Leonard Ukulele Method Book #1 & DVD, as well as his popular recordings The Fountain of Uke Volumes #1 & #2.

Lil Rev tours nationally teaching and performing on Ukulele, Mandolin, Harmonica, Guitar and Banjo.

Lil Rev is endorsed by G-String Ukuleles of Hawaii.

His website is www.lilrev.com

UkeFest Workshops: Blues Ukulele Class, Building Ukulele Technique

Del Rey

Del Rey started playing classical guitar when she was four. As a teenager, she met bluesman Sam Chatmon who inspired her to become a blues queen. Her guitar playing combines country blues, stride piano, classic jazz and hillbilly boogie through the sensibility of an autodidact trailor-park esthete. Her live show is full of complex guitar grooves and sly humor.

Del Rey plays concerts world wide and also presents a concert/lecture on women musicians called Women in American Music. She collaborates and tours frequently with Austin guitarist Steve James and she plays ukulele with The Yes Yes Boys. Since 2004 she has been collaborating with Maria Mulduar on tributes to Sister Rosetta Tharpe and Johnny Cash, and she is featured on Ms. Muldaur's latest cd Sweet Lovin' Old Soul. Del Rey also writes about music for various publications, including Acoustic Guitar.

Del Rey has recorded three solo albums, an album with the Yes Yes Boys and two albums with Steve James, and two with Del Rey and the Blues Gators. www.hobemianrecords.com/

UkeFest Workshops:Fingerstyle Raggedy Blues, Four String Horn Section

Lyle Ritz

Lyle Ritz is known throughout the world as one of the original "masters" of the 'Ukulele. Also a professional bass player, Lyle has performed and recorded with the 'ukulele for over 40 years. That's Ritz playing bass on the Righteous Brothers' "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling," on the Beach Boys' "Good Vibrations," and on Herb Alpert's "Taste of Honey." In 25 years as an LA studio musician, Ritz recorded with everyone from Sinatra to Sonny & Cher, from Ray Charles to the Chipmunks But after 5,000 studio sessions and hundreds of hits, it is a pair of jazz 'ukulele albums Ritz recorded in the late '50s that may be his most enduring legacy. These albums, are "How About Uke?" and "Fiftieth State Jazz." In Hawai'i, Ritz's innovative 'ukulele riffs inspired a generation of players with names like Peter Moon, Moe Keale and Roy Sakuma. His proficiency at 'ukulele jazz chords is now legendary in all of the music industry.

Lyle Ritz was inducted to the Ukulele Hall of Fame at a ceremony at the Portland Ukulele Festival in June 2007, and inducted to the Musicians Hall of Fame in Nashville TN in November 2007.

UkeFest Workshops: Open Studio with Lyle Ritz, Cure For The Common Chord

Gerald Ross

Gerald played with the Lost World String Band from 1979 - 2001. He has delighted audiences with his guitar, steel guitar and ukulele performances locally and nationally since 1970. His ukulele recordings include Ukulele Moonlight and Shadows (2007), and Ukulele Stomp (2005). Other recordings include Hawaiian Steel Guitar Tracks (2002), and Romance & Adventure (2000).

Gerald has performed in concert with Bonnie Raitt, Arlo Guthrie, Doc Watson, Johnny Gimble, Riders In The Sky, Brownie McGhee and many other nationally known artists. Gerald is the winner of the 1993 WEMU Jazz Competition (solo artist category). His radio work includes appearances on National Public Radio’s ‘A Prairie Home Companion’ with Garrison Keillor.

UkeFest Workshops: Introduction to Swing Ukulele, Advanced Swing Ukulele, Introduction to Hawaiian/Western Swing Lap Steel Guitar

Ralph Shaw

He hails from Yorkshire, England, but these days Ralph Shaw, the "King of the Ukulele," resides in Canada where he is a nationally known figure. As well as his many appearances on National CBC Radio and Television, Ralph is very well known in his community of Vancouver as a performer of the songs of the 1920s, 30s and 40s which he does with a joy and skill that is rarely heard. He sometimes busks at the Granville Island Market and he runs the Vancouver Ukulele Circle (now in its 4th year).

Whether he's re-creating George Formby, Fred Astaire, The Inkspots or Tiny Tim, Ralph brings the past to life and laughter to the present. Ralph's Tuition Video: The Complete Ukulele Course (on VHS and DVD) has been touted as one of the best ukulele courses ever made.

Ralph recently completed a teaching video for children entitled: The Children's Ukulele Course which stars members of his kids ukulele class! www.RalphShaw.ca

UkeFest Workshops: Ukulele Performers Workshop, The Life and Music of George Formby, Strum-cersizes and Ornamentology: Strumming Workshop