Comments on: UkeTube: Roy Smeck

UkeTube: Roy Smeck

flapjax at midnite — Fri, 23 Mar 2007 05:30:50 -0800

You really shouldn't miss the snazzy ukulele stylings of the great Roy Smeck, strummer and showman extraordinaire, who was not only fast as greased lightning, but for whom the ukulele also occasionally functioned as a wind or percussion instrument. The man was indeed a wizard of the strings: just give him a slide and watch him lay down that Hawaiian sound. And as you'll see here, he was still going strong in his later years. [most links to YouTube]

By: flapjax at midnite

flapjax at midnite — Fri, 23 Mar 2007 05:31:25 -0800

And friends, be sure to check out the Hawaiian link in its entirety: after the first onstage number, it shifts to some early adventures in multitracking/overdubbing of both audio and film, as Roy quartets with himself. A must see!

By: The Great Big Mulp

The Great Big Mulp — Fri, 23 Mar 2007 05:54:33 -0800

This is ukulicious. Man, I need to up my uke-skills.

By: isopraxis

isopraxis — Fri, 23 Mar 2007 06:45:04 -0800

Wizard of the strings, nothing! This man is pure string pimp. Smeck my bitch up.

By: sourwookie

sourwookie — Fri, 23 Mar 2007 07:07:17 -0800

Don't forget Jazz Ukulele player Lyle Ritz. He was on the Blue Note label and shared bass duties with Carol Kaye on Pet Sounds.

By: Roger Dodger

Roger Dodger — Fri, 23 Mar 2007 07:08:16 -0800

More ukulele!

By: MtDewd

MtDewd — Fri, 23 Mar 2007 07:10:11 -0800

In Tiger Rag, he reminded me of Pee-wee. Really good, though. I can't hear a uke without thinking of Iz

By: dirtdirt

dirtdirt — Fri, 23 Mar 2007 07:13:43 -0800

Wow! I'd never SEEN Roy Smeck! Yazoo records has some great Smeck stuff - Hawaiian Guitar, Banjo, Ukulele and Guitar. There are a few samples there, in Real (shudder) format. Yazoo put out a record called "Voice of the Blues" that had a different version of Laughing Rag than the one on the record I linked here - it's just jawdropping. I can't find "Voice of the Blues" on Yazoo's site, but a quick Google leads me to Yahoo. I am sure Amazon and the like could get one as well. Great post!

By: owhydididoit

owhydididoit — Fri, 23 Mar 2007 07:20:05 -0800

I've never heard of this amazing musician before. What a treat!

By: Abiezer

Abiezer — Fri, 23 Mar 2007 07:45:50 -0800

Top value! Thank you.

By: Jody Tresidder

Jody Tresidder — Fri, 23 Mar 2007 08:32:50 -0800

"And friends, be sure to check out the Hawaiian link in its entirety..." Oh, I tried, I really tried flapjax, but after two minutes of that I'd really rather rub lard on the cat's boils (says more about me than Roy Smeck, I know).

By: davejay

davejay — Fri, 23 Mar 2007 08:40:09 -0800

I play the ukulele, but guys like remind me that I don't really play the ukulele. I've got a lot of practicing to do.

By: MrMoonPie

MrMoonPie — Fri, 23 Mar 2007 08:42:42 -0800

MtDewd, at this very moment, my left-hand fingertips are quite sore from having spent 6 hours over the last two days learning that very song.

By: algreer

algreer — Fri, 23 Mar 2007 09:53:20 -0800

By: Alvy Ampersand

Alvy Ampersand — Fri, 23 Mar 2007 11:19:45 -0800

Swell, thanks!

By: Smilla's Sense of Snark

Smilla's Sense of Snark — Fri, 23 Mar 2007 15:04:05 -0800

Niiiiiice. For a few more ukulele masters: Ohta-san Herb Ohta Jr. and Daniel Ho Jake Shimabukuro and of course the dearly missed Bruddah Iz And while YouTube is missing a lot of the other great old-timers and rising young stars, you can find plenty of song samples at mele.com. _{sooooooo homesick now...*sniffle* -- thanks flapjax!}