‘Jake & Friends’ – the upcoming album from the acclaimed Hawai’i-born ‘ukulele player Jake Shimabukuro – features a who’s who of music royalty, so it’s only fitting that Shimabukuro release not one, but two new singles from the album today, with artists as diverse as Jack Johnson, Paula Fuga, and Kenny Loggins.
The opening track off ‘Jake & Friends,’ “A Place In The Sun” was suggested to Shimabukuro by his chart-topping friend and fellow Hawai’i-born Jack Johnson. With Shimabukuro’s whimsical ukulele playing supporting them, Johnson and guest vocalist Paula Fuga absolutely sparkle. “Why Not,” written and sung by multi-platinum hitmaker and movie soundtrack king Kenny Loggins, is a deliciously upbeat slice of soul-pop with hooks for days and an effervescent ukulele solo that will set pulses racing. “Working with Kenny was a blast,” says Shimabukuro. “We started off doing things simply, but once we got going, Kenny wanted to try out different ideas, and I just let him go. Watching him do his thing was a real education in record making.”
In terms of size and scope and considering the sheer number of legendary stars who graciously loaned their inimitable talents to the project, ‘Jake & Friends’ can only be compared to other benchmark duets albums by the likes of Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett, a shining testament to just how far the singularly gifted Jake has come. Jake’s own head spins when looking over his high-wattage guest list featured on the album - Willie Nelson, Bette Midler, Jimmy Buffett, Moon Taxi, Kenny Loggins, Michael McDonald, Vince Gill and Amy Grant, Jon Anderson, Ziggy Marley, Warren Haynes, Jack Johnson, Jesse Colin Young, Ray Benson & Asleep at the Wheel, Sonny Landreth, Lukas Nelson, Billy Strings. “I have to pinch myself when I see those names on my own album,” he says. “It’s like, ‘Did that really happen?’ Making the album was a real challenge, but I’m deeply honored that all of the artists agreed to record with me.”
Over the past two decades, Jake has proved that there isn’t a style of music that he can’t play. While versatility for any musician is impressive, what’s remarkable about Jake’s transcendent skills is how he explores his seemingly limitless vocabulary – whether it’s jazz, rock, blues, bluegrass, folk or even classical – on perhaps the unlikeliest of instruments: the ‘ukulele. Responding to the urgent calls of his fervent imagination, Jake has taken the ‘ukulele to points previously thought impossible, and in the process he’s reinvented the applications for this tiny, heretofore under-appreciated four-string instrument, causing many to call him “the Jimi Hendrix of the ‘ukulele.”
Jake’s incredible journey has taken him from local phenom to YouTube sensation, from playing tiny clubs to headlining the world’s most prestigious concert venues like the Hollywood Bowl, Lincoln Center and the Sydney Opera House. He’s performed on the biggest TV shows and has released a string of award-winning, chart-topping albums. Just recently, he was nominated by President Joe Biden to serve as a Member for the National Council on the Arts. It’s fair to say that Jake has picked up more than a few admirers – millions of them, actually – but it wasn’t until he began his latest album that he discovered how many of his fans were, in fact, his very own musical heroes.
Four years in the making, ‘Jake & Friends’ started out with a modest idea of featuring perhaps two or three guest stars, but the concept quickly grew. Willie Nelson was the first artist to take part, and significantly he chose his signature song, “Stardust,” which he first recorded over 40 years ago. The uniquely sublime pairing yields magical results – Jake’s delicate ‘ukulele lines form an intimate foundation for Nelson’s achingly beautiful vocal. “I was so nervous the night before we cut it,” Jake admits, “but Willie put me at ease right away. I think once we got that cut finished, I was ready for anything that came next.”
Teaming up with the popular Nashville alt-rock band Moon Taxi, Jake revisits the group’s 2017 hit, “Two High,” and he even coaxes singer-guitarist Trevor Terndrup, a fellow 'ukulele enthusiast, to join him on the instrument. Inspired by the universal peace sign for hope, “Two High” is a sunny and breezy balm for our troubled times. “Recording with Moon Taxi was such a blast,” says Jake. “Trevor has an amazing spirit that just brightens up any room, and he can shred on the ‘ukulele. And [guitarist] Spencer Thomson holds down the rhythm and makes everything groove. It was a joy to collaborate with them.”
Bette Midler sounds heavenly on the stark yet shimmering version of her Golden Globe-winning classic, “The Rose.” Jake and Jimmy Buffett reprise their delightful rendition of “Come Monday,” a song Jake has had the pleasure to perform on tour with Buffett. Fans longing for all-instrumental bliss will revel in the aptly named “Smokin’ Strings,” which Jake wrote and performed with bluegrass guitar sensation Billy Strings. Jake throws down with the Allman Brothers/Gov’t Mule’s Warren Haynes in epic ways on their fiery reading of the blues-rock classic “On the Road to Freedom.”
And while the Beatles have always loomed large in Jake’s repertoire (he scored one of his first hits with his resplendent version of “While My Guitar Gently Weeps”), on Jake & Friends he covers not one, not two, but three Fab Four gems, teaming up with Ziggy Marley, Jon Anderson, and Vince Gill and Amy Grant for the three tracks. The treasures continue throughout the album.
“Looking back on it all now, it feels like a dream,” Jake says with mixture of pride and relief. “I grew up fantasizing that one day I might be able to meet my musical heroes, and here I am on my own record playing with them. That’s remarkable beyond words. I’m so fortunate to have had this experience, and I can’t wait for people to hear it. I think they’re going to be able to tell that I’m having the time of my life.”
Shimabukuro is currently in the midst of a coast-to-coast US tour. See below for a full list of dates, and to purchase tickets please visit https://jakeshimabukuro.com
‘Jake & Friends’ by Jake Shimabukuro
1. A Place In The Sun – feat. Jack Johnson and Paula Fuga
2. Sonny Days Ahead - feat. Sonny Landreth
3. All You Need Is Love - Jake feat. Ziggy Marley
4. Why Not - feat. Kenny Loggins
5. Smokin’ Strings- feat. Billy Strings
6. Find Yourself- feat. Lukas Nelson
7. On The Road To Freedom- feat. Warren Haynes
8. Come Monday- feat. Jimmy Buffett
9. Something- feat. Vince Gill and Amy Grant
10. Two High - feat. Moon Taxi
11. A Day In The Life - feat. Jon Anderson
12. Go Now - feat. Michael McDonald
13. Wrapping Paper- feat. Ray Benson & Asleep At The Wheel
14. Stardust - feat. Willie Nelson
15. The Rose - feat. Bette Midler
16. Get Together- feat. Jesse Colin Young
Jake Shimabukuro Fall/Winter 2021 Tour
October 15 - The Egg - Albany, NY
October 16 - The Emelin Theatre - Mamaroneck, NY
October 17 - The Morgan School - Clinton, CT
November 4 - Heritage Theatre - Campbell, CA
November 5 - Vacaville Performing Arts Theatre - Vacaville, CA
November 6 - San Ramon Performing Arts - San Ramon, CA
November 11 - 3rd & Lindsley - Nashville, TN
November 12 - Salvage Station (Indoor Stage) - Asheville, NC
November 13 - Jefferson Theater - Charlottesville, VA
November 14 - Sony Hall - New York, NY
November 16 - Gateway City Arts - Holyoke, MA
November 17 - Mayo Performing Arts Center - Morristown, NJ
November 18 - The Colonial Theatre - Phoenixville, PA
November 20 – Ferguson Concert Hall - Newport News, VA
November 21 - Rams Head on Stage - Annapolis, MD
November 22 – The Birchmere - Alexandria, VA
November 23 - The Carolina Theatre -Durham, NC
November 26 - Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts - Scottsdale, AZ
November 27 – Fox Tucson Theatre – Tucson, AZ
November 29 - Del E. Webb Center for the Performing Arts - Wickenburg, AZ
December 1 - Fremont Theater - San Luis Obispo, CA
December 2 – Center For The Arts – Grass Valley, CA
December 3 – State Theatre – Red Bluff, CA
December 4 – Soreng Theater Hult Center For The Performing Arts – Eugene, OR
December 5 - Tower Theatre - Bend, OR
December 6 – Craterian Theater at the Collier Center, Medford, OR
December 7 - Aladdin Theater - Portland, OR
December 8 – Edmonds Center For The Arts – Edmonds, WA
December 9 - Olympia Film Society at the Historic Capitol Theater - Olympia, WA
December 10 - Pantages Theater – Tacoma, WA
December 12 - Strings Music Pavilion – Steamboat Springs, CO
December 13 – Riverwalk Center – Breckenridge, CO
December 14 - Boulder Theater - Boulder, CO
December 16 – Porter Pavilion at AHCP – Kilauea, HI
December 17 – Kahilu Theatre – Kamuela, HI
December 18 – Maui Arts & Cultural Center, Castle Theater, Kahului, HI
December 19 – Blue Note Hawaii – Honolulu, HI
December 20 – Blue Note Hawaii – Honolulu, HI
December 21 – Blue Note Hawaii – Honolulu, HI
