Jake Shimabukuro: Gently Weeps

Hawaiian ukulele virtuoso Jake Shimabukuro covers a wide range of musical styles. Like a classical guitarist who can't be satisfied with a narrow repertoire of known entities, Shimabukuro reaches out to the worlds of jazz, blues, funk, folk, rock and beyond. He performs twelve selections a cappella, while the remaining five bonus tracks feature a large number of guests.

Shimabukuro opens Gently Weeps with George Harrison's tune "While My Guitar Gently Weeps, which features the expressive slide technique often employed in roots blues. The unmistakable timbre of his instrument brings a unique quality to the interpretation.

Ten original songs reveal a creative capacity that's founded in the folk idioms of Japan, as well as the large volume of popular music found all over the world. The artist prefers to communicate with ideas that reach a broad audience. A core element from the known classical guitar repertoire remains firmly intact, while Shimabukuro's expressive jaunts drive with deep expression.

With "Grandma's Groove, he romps with a heightened blues character that exhibits his fiery fingerwork. Shimabukuro pours on a flamenco texture with "Let's Dance, an original that turns up the heat considerably. "Misty comes with a beautiful mainstream sentiment, while Chick Corea's "Spain calls upon the heavens for its magisterial authority.

The five bonus tracks, all originals, rely upon Hawaiian culture for their lovely demeanor. Each quiet and peaceful selection combines equal parts tradition and creativity. Well, except for his music for television's Beyond the Break, which surges forcefully in a hard rock environment while still capturing the essence of Shimabukuro's ukulele timbre in an interwoven melodic drive.