"When did the Hawaiians invent the ukulele?" a friend of mine asked as I was giving her a tour of my collection of 430-plus vintage ukes.
The belief that Hawaii lays sole claim to the ukulele-the instrument that would seem to have grown up over centuries in relative obscurity among the descendants of the Polynesians is a widely held misconception, and one that I've often been obliged to dispel.
In fact, I informed her, the earliest ukes only date back to the mid-1880s. Then, pausing for effect, I added: "And they weren't invented by the Hawaiians."
It's true that the actual history of the ukulele begins on an island, but not one in the Hawaiian chain, nor one in the Pacific Ocean, for that matter.
The actual birthplace of the beloved uke. is Madeira, a small mountainous speck of land in the Atlantic southeast of Portugal, about a 350-mile swim from the coast of North Africa...
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Last week we touted our favorite Steely Dan guitar solos, but with only two of the fifteen entries attributed to the esteemed Walter Becker, you could make the argument that we gave the axe-playing half of the songwriting duo the short shrift. This article rectifies things by picking out five instances where Walter truly shines as much as the highly-touted session players who usually get all the glory. The Dan always knew when to pick the right spots for Becker, and he's always made the most of it. Here are 5 Becker guitar moments that include a few you probably never think of. Remember, a lot of Walter's sublimity is subtle...
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IN THE BASSMENT
The funk runs deep and rich on 'World Wide Funk,' Bootsy Collins' first studio album since 2011's "Tha Funk Capital of the World." Populated with musical friends old and new, and recorded in his Cincinnati home's Bootzilla Re-hab studio, 'WWF' marks both a reckoning and significant reboot for the Rhinestone Rock Star Monster of a doll baby baba! Blue-chip rappers and guitar shredders join a Bootsy-curated posse of fresh new artists on a record that embraces everything from the classic P-Funk sound Bootsy pioneered, to the closest Collins has ever come to radio-active, boots on the ground, friendly fire in a musical-P-rated-adventure. Do to drop October 27th, 2017.
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The Official 12 Tone Music Cap is
On SALE and available
Now!
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On Sale Now for a limited time. Get yours today!
Order now through September 15, 2017 to receive SALE pricing on
The Official 12 Tone Music Cap. Only available from the 12tonemusic.com online store. No coupon code needed. Domestic orders only.
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WATCH THIS
Two of my favorite things together - Peanuts and Steely Dan. This video, featuring Charlie "Skunk" Brown, is one of the coolest things that I've ever seen... and I've seen some really cool things. For a fleeting moment you will feel a teeny bit less sad about Walter Becker. The Buddha himself would get down with this video!
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Rick Beato has one of the best channels on YouTube. You learn something interesting and meaningful from literally every video he creates. His viewers are blown away not only by his skill, but also by his absolutely enormous knowledge of music. In this episode he discuss Advanced Hybrid Picking Techniques over all kinds of chords.
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GREAT GEAR
Nadine Upright Bass Mic
Ear Trumpet Labs announces Nadine, a new microphone specifically designed for upright bass. Nadine is a medium-large condenser microphone that captures the natural acoustic sound by picking up as much of the surface sound as possible while highlighting its rich low end. Philip Graham, founder of Ear Trumpet Labs says: "For years, upright bass players have been asking me if I could do anything to help them get natural sound from their amplified instruments. I think we have built a great new tool that provides the most natural bass sound with great feedback control."
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ARTIST AWARENESS
Garrison is best known as bassist for one of the most important jazz groups, John Coltrane's classic quartet with drummer Elvin Jones and pianist McCoy Tyner. But Garrison had a full career backing other prominent saxophonists, including Pharoah Sanders, Archie Shepp, and Ornette Coleman. Garrison's playing is especially noteworthy; his earthy, hard-swinging approach contrasted greatly with the work of other, more finesse-oriented bassists. Although Garrison could be a compelling soloist when the occasion presented itself (witness his work on A Love Supreme), he didn't need the spotlight to be effective. His propulsive sense of time never failed, and his empathy with those playing around him was complete. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=341Ir2d2PQY
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