Los Angeles, CA, February 27, 2020: Jake Shimabukuro's new studio album Trio has landed at #1 on Billboard's Contemporary Jazz chart, a first for the ukulele virtuoso . Released on February 14, 2020 , Trio is his first on Music Theories Recordings , a division of Mascot Label Group. The album is available digitally, as well as on CD and Vinyl.

"We’ve been having so much fun touring the new record! Then, to hear the news about Billboard - WOW!! That was completely unexpected - and such an honor," said Shimabukuro. "I’m so grateful to our team for working so hard and for believing in this new ukulele project."  

In addition to the #1 spot on the Contemporary Jazz Chart, Trio also landed on several other Billboard charts, including:

New Artist Albums (Heatseekers): #9

Indie Albums: #25

Current Rock Albums: #28

For the past five years, bassist Nolan Verner has been a constant presence on stage and in the studio with Shimabukuro, and two years ago, guitarist Dave Preston joined the fold. The three clicked so well on the road and during the recording of Shimabukuro’s 2018 album, The Greatest Day, that the ukulele master decided to document their sonic alchemy in a more official way on his newest album, Trio. Unlike previous releases that sometimes featured studio musicians, this would be a true band album, with the only sounds performed by Shimabukuro, Verner and Preston, and many of the songs would be written spontaneously in the studio. In this way, Trio marks a bold and exciting new era in Shimabukuro’s already remarkable career.

Early 2019, Shimabukuro, Verner and Preston holed up in Nashville’s Sound Emporium studio with only a few snippets of riffs and melodies fleshed out, and over the course of a week jams took flight and became songs. Guiding the process was producer R.S. Field (Steve Earle, Webb Wilder, John Mayall, Sonny Landreth). “Fearless” aptly describes how they created "When the Masks Come Down," the opening track on Trio. A beguiling mix of ambient, Edge-like patterns, incandescent melodies and mammoth hard-rock crunch, it unfolded like magic during a studio jam. "Twelve" is a bewitching metaphysical mood piece. Shimabukuro based its structure on Set Theory, a branch of mathematics that also corresponds to the 12 tones of the Western music scale. Shimabukuro has always loved the traditional Hawaiian song "Wai’alae," and has fond memories of performing it with fellow islanders the Side Order Band on his first tour of Japan some 25 years ago. 

The three musicians spread the waters of pastoral folk on the heavenly "On the Wing" while the title of "Strong in the Broken Places" comes from a line in an Ernest Hemingway quote. The album could have ended there and been considered a triumph, but Shimabukuro, Verner and Preston conclude Trio with an incandescent version of Fleetwood Mac’s "Landslide" that features a sparkling vocal performance by Rachel James from Denver-based folk-rock band Dearling.

Photo Credit: Coleman Saunders

2020 will prove to be another landmark year for Shimabukuro, with a second special release to follow later in the year, where he collaborates with a number of high-profile guests. Jake & Friends will feature artists such as Lyle Lovett, Bette Midler, Jack Johnson, Jon Anderson (Yes), Warren Haynes (The Allman Brothers Band, Gov’t Mule), Moon Taxi, Ray Benson (Asleep At The Wheel), and Michael McDonald (The Doobie Brothers) among others.

For more information, please visit www.jakeshimabukuro.com

Tour Dates

March 6 - Honolulu, HI - Blue Note (two shows)

March 14 - Kahului, HI - Maui Arts & Cultural Center

April 2 - Monterey, CA - Golden State Theatre

April 3 - Vacaville, CA - Vacaville Performing Arts Theatre

April 4 - Campbell, CA - Heritage Theatre

April 5 - San Ramon, CA - Dougherty Valley Performing Arts Center

April 14 - Charlottesville, VA - Jefferson Theater

April 15 - Leesburg, VA - Tally Ho Theatre

April 16 - Richmond, VA - The Tin Pan

April 18 - Decatur, GA - Eddie's Attic

April 19 - Greenville, SC - The Peace Center

April 20 - Winston-Salem, NC - The Ramkat

Called “one of the hottest axemen of the past few years [who] doesn’t actually play guitar” (Rolling Stone), Jake Shimabukuro has become one of the most exceptional and innovative uke players in the history of the instrument—an artist who has drawn comparisons to musical titans such as Jimi Hendrix and Miles Davis. Throughout his rich and varied catalog of albums, Jake captures the many moods of the uke, fearlessly traversing boundaries and putting his inspired touch on everything from island standards, to popular tunes and classical symphonic concertos. He has collaborated with artists from Yo-Yo Ma, Jimmy Buffett, Jack Johnson and Cyndi Lauper to Ziggy Marley, Dave Koz, Lyle Lovett and Bette Midler, and wowed audiences at SXSW, Bonnaroo, the Playboy Jazz Festival, and the cutting-edge TED conference. Noted for his solo uke arrangements of such varied pieces as Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody,” the Beatles “While My Guitar Gently Weeps,” Schubert's “Ave Maria” and Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah,” Jake’s latest releases are The Greatest Day (2018) and  Nashville Sessions (2016 ) , his first album of all original songs, which Associated Press called “an adventurous, dazzling album.” Jake balances music with family life and community service, traveling to schools around the world spreading positive messages to young people, encouraging them to live drug-free and find their passion.