BookAlthough the ukulele has always been popular even
when cast to the grass-skirt ghetto of luaus and limbo
contests the current craze for this instrument has put
the four-string cousin of the guitar into the hands of
veteran musicians and young hipsters alike. And while
there are a handful of books feeding the current uke
explosion, this is the first to detail the stage,
screen, and recording stars who pioneered the uke those
who predated and made possible its current
resurgence.The book begins with how the uke came to the
mainland United States from Hawai'i, and the Hawai'ian
song craze of 1916-17, fueled by Tim Pan Alley. Profiled
stars include Ukulele Ike, Johnny Marvin, Wendell Hall,
''Wizard of the Strings'' Roy Smeck, George Formby,
Arthur Godfrey, Tessie O'Shea, who was a guest along
with the Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show, and Tiny Tim.
Author Ian Whitcomb also describes how, when a British
teen idol coming off a Top Ten hit, he took out his
secondhand Martin uke and recorded his version of a 1916
novelty called ''Where Did Robinson Crusoe Go with
Friday on Saturday Night?'' scoring another hit that led
him to appearances on Shindig!, Dick Clark's Where the
Action Is, and The Pat Boone Show . Ukulele Heroes: The
Golden Age is essential for any uke enthusiast, and
features a detailed discography and filmography,
essential for any student of the art. |
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