Imagine "Imagine"

I'm still plinking along with my ukulele.  Boy, it took a long time just getting to intermediate stage, but it's about the journey, not the destination. Strumming with The Ukes has helped me more than lessons, plus it's more fun than sitting in my rocking chair practicing solo (kind of sad.) And now I'm part of the wacky amateur Seattle ukulele scene.  Who knew there were so many of us?  When I tell John  about the song circle politics, he says it sounds like a Christopher Guest mocumentary. He's right.

The Ukes play in West Seattle at the senior center on Monday afternoons and I've made some nice friends there.  I also try to go up to the big SUPA (Seattle Ukulele Player's Association) song circle in north Seattle, but we are often busy Sunday afternoons and I seem to miss most of their monthly meetings.

If I can make the SUPA rehearsals in April and May, I'd like to perform with them at the Seattle Folklife Festival on Memorial Day weekend. Wow, that word "perform" slipped out so casually.  A few years ago I couldn't imagine playing in a group, much less in front of a public audience. So looking back, I have progressed...

Last Sunday SUPA held their annual open mike meeting, and a long list of people volunteered to stand up and be terrified in front of the group. There was a lot of talent on display which was inspiring, along with quavering voices and knocking knees.  It takes real chutzpah covering a Peter Frampton guitar/voice classic like "Baby, I Love Your Way" on the ukulele.

If I were brave enough for open mike I'd pick some easy 3-chord wonder like "King of the Road" or "Jambalaya." Some of the early Bob Dylan songs ("Don't Think Twice," "Blowing in the Wind") and John Denver ("Country Roads," Leavin' on a Jet Plane") sound fine strummed. Bob and John didn't exactly have operatic voices, either. Peter, Paul and Mary tunes were made for the ukulele, and of course, every hokey Hawaiian song ever written. 

Just my opinion, but most ukulele strumming groups should avoid the classic virtuoso guitar rock.  That includes most everything written by the Beatles, unless of course you are Jake Shimabukuro, playing "While My Guitar Gently Weeps." Which is enough to make any ukulele player weep with envy. 

They are The Great Beatles for a reason: their simple-sounding music is devilishly hard to play on the uke.  Even good guitar players say the same thing.  Ditto, anything written by Don Henley and the Eagles. I've dragged through more than one desperate attempt at "Desperato," and The Ukes have butchered "Hotel California" many a time.

And just imagine John Lennon's great masterpiece "Imagine" strummed (and sung) by 100 amateur ukulele players?  I'll leave you with that thought.