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Original Post By:
Guest_Neil A.
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Date: 1/12/2005 |
Among the online forums I visit daily is the Steel Guitar Forum (No Peddlers section specifically). A familiar name and respected talent around there is Gerald Ross. So yesterday when he made his impressive debut here on FleaMarket with his Bushman Jenny review and soundbites (a few postings below) it took me a few seconds to process the name and respond with "Hey, what's HE doing HERE?" I soon learned that his uke chops are as pleasing as his talents on a steel guitar. Welcome to the FMBB Gerald, and thank you for sharing the review and especially the soundfiles. I am now convinced I need to order a Jenny but not foolish enough to think I'll ever make it sound as good as you do.
I had a very similar "I know that name from some place" experience a few months back at steelguitarforum.com when a new guy named Dan Sawyer started posting there. It took me a bit longer to make the connection that time because Dan is better known here at FleaMarket as "Soybean". It sounds like Dan's extending his multi-instrumentalist talents to the steel guitar and I'm hoping we'll soon hear something from him on that front as well.
To me it feels a bit like a cultural exchange has been made between the uke and steel communities with Dan and Gerald now sharing their insights on both boards. But of course the uke-steel link has always been strong because both instruments trace their origins back to Hawaii and the late 19th century and are frequently used together in ensemble playing. And thinking back it was comments and links made on the Steel Guitar Forum nearly 2 years ago that first got me to think about trying out the uke. And I'm so glad I did!
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Posted By:
Guest_Neil A.
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Date: 1/12/2005 |
| I don't know that either Gerald or Soybean will be self-promoting enough to provide these links, but to hear some great uke playing by Soybean check out http://cdbaby.com/cd/soybean . Of course the CD can be purchased here at the FleaMarket Store as well. And to hear ukes and steels played together well by Gerald go to http://www.hsga.org/membersrecordings/GeraldRoss/MR_GeraldRoss.htm (remove those spaces). Mostly ukulele for accompaniment but a nice uke solo on Singing Sands. By the way, Gerald, it that the Jenny used on the new new song, J'Attendrai?
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Posted By:
Guest_Gerald Ross
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Date: 1/12/2005 |
Hi Neil,
Thanks for the good words and ego
strokes.
I love plaing the uke! Actually
the uke was my original stringed
instrument. When I was in sixth
grade a friend had one. He showed
me how to place my finger on the
1st string 3rd fret, it was a
religious experience and a
defining moment in my life :)
One of the things I love about the
uke is the ability to do guitar
things you can't do on the guitar
(e.g., span eight frets with your
pinky).
This looks like a pretty fun board
and I hope to add my two cents
here and there (complete with my
lame attempts at humor). I'll also
work up some more uke tunes and
post them. I am stoked now that I
have my new uke. I want to record
some uke/steel duets with my 1928
National Tricone Squareneck (no
other instruments). We'll see how
those turn out.
Yes, the uke intro and
accompaniment on "J'Attendrai" is
the Bushman Jenny. All the other
steel tunes use my 1988 Kamaka
Soprano.
Thanks for the warm welcome. The
fruit basket was real nice. ;)
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Posted By:
Guest_Gerald Ross
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Date: 1/12/2005 |
The HSGA needs more ukes!
One of my after 9-5 jobs is being
on the Board of Directors for the
Hawaiian Steel Guitar Association
(HSGA). We have a yearly
convention in Joliet, Illinois
(near Chicago) the first weekend
of October. Steel guitarists (non
pedal, acoustic and electric) and
uke players from all over the
world attend. It's a fun weekend
with nightly jamming until dawn
(all are welcomed to attend the
jams AND participate). We are
always in need of more uke players
(especially around 3AM). We also
have a bi-yearly convention, every
odd numbered year, in Honolulu 'On
the Beach At Waikiki'
(literally). Being on the board
requires me to attend this one
(bummer).
Please visit our site and check
out the photos of our
conventions. You'll see lot's of
ukes.
Here's the link:
http://www.hsga.org
Gerald Ross
Northwest Ann Arbor Michigan’s
King of the Hawaiian Steel
Guitar
http://www.umich.edu/~gbross
Board of Directors Hawaiian Steel
Guitar Association
http://www.hsga.org
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Posted By:
Guest_CraigS
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Date: 1/12/2005 |
| I learned about the Joliet
convention a little too late (the
day it was ending), will try to
make it next year. Isn't there
another steel group
with a convention in central Indiana?
And are you going to the uke thing
in Ann Arbor this weekend?
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Posted By:
Guest_Gerald Ross
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Date: 1/12/2005 |
The Aloha International Steel
Guitar Club has their yearly
convention the weekend after the
4th of July in Winchester, Indiana
(very tiny rural town). That
convention is a lot of fun, the
music is good and the people are a
blast but the accomodations are not
that comfortable. Their is only
one motel in the entire town which
is already booked solid. People
reserve their rooms for the next
year at this year's convention(you
get what I mean?).
The HSGA convention is much more
comfortable. Everything happens at
the same hotel. The convention,
luau, stage show, jamming,
socializing, lodging etc. You
don't have to leave the hotel
(which makes having a few beers a
little easier). The HSGA rents
out two or three big meeting rooms
for the nightly jams.
I'll be at the Ann Arbor uke fest
this Sat. nite. I'll bring my uke,
steel guitar and an arch-top guitar
to chop out chords for whoever need
s backup.
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Posted By:
Guest_Steve-O
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Date: 1/13/2005 |
| Great music from both of these
guys! Dan Sawyer's "Uke of Ages"
is a must have for uke players and
is a real inspiration to novices
like me. Gerald, your tunes on the
HSGA site are just gorgeous. I've
been listening to them and others
on the site all morning. Thanks
for the heads-up Neil!
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Posted By:
Guest_soybean
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Date: 1/13/2005 |
| Neil and Steve-o, thanks. The steel
guitar is just something i'm playing with
while i should be practicing the uke!
Seriously, it's a beautiful sound i've
always liked. But as i get into it more, i
realize that this is a very difficult
instrument to play well. You could
spend a lifetime on it.
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