Last night I had the good fortune of preparing and serving dinner for my mom and 4 of her friends. After the meal we settled down in the living room and had a ukulele concert/sing along.
I'm always amazed at how enthusatic people are when singing along with the uke.

Right. My mom had a birthday 03/31/2010 today and I was "requested" to play and sing Happy Birthday. Well, then it turned into a suggestion that after I play I could do a dinner table stroll through the dining room. I agreed. Glad I did!
Even though I couldn't do all the songs I do with my partner in Paraclete it was still a gratifying experience in that I brought joy into the lives of the residents. These folks were singing up a storm and totally involved in the music.
Musicians-never forget what it is all about.....bringing joy to people who LOVE live music!

new stuff...

Well, it's been a while since my last post. Last week my duo Paraclete did an audition at a local lounge. We played great and were well received but the owner thinks we are to "entertaining" for his venue. He's looking for background music and background music we ain't. So we keep looking for venues that will work for us.

I am working on writing some songs on ukulele and that's been fun. Hopefully in the next week I'll have one up on http://www.jimiteachuke.com/

The big band I play guitar with did a show for the Red Cross this Saturday past and that was a good gig. Raised a pile of dough for them! Photo is the band.

Slowly building up a student base with lessons on ukulele and guitar.

Hang Lose!

uke ill lately

I'm thinking I need to spend a bit more time playing the stuff I know rather than working on new songs /technique's. I have been spending lots of time scripting and working on a DVD method for beginning uke. It's about done and I'm ready to start production. But because I've been focusing on this project I haven't been working that much on my song library. Need to play uke and sing...!!

Paraclete Duo

This week I begin the task of soliciting various venues in town for my duo Paraclete. We do a variety of musical styles and use multiple instruments between us. We've played in public but have just decided to try and break into the small lounge/restaurant scene. Here's a bio on Paraclete!
Paraclete – one who comes along side to comfort, aid, or support.

The duo Paraclete seeks to do just that-with what they describe as comfort music. With a broad range of musical abilities and skills, Amy Kim and Jimi Liberty deliver the goods. From great standards to fun instrumentals you’ll enjoy the combination of vocal harmonies, ukulele, fiddle, guitar, harmonica, kazoo, and nose whistle.

Amy began playing classical violin at the age of six. She has been involved in a number of orchestras including the Whatcom Youth Orchestra, Whatcom Symphony Orchestra, Fourth Corner Orchestra, Sioux County Orchestra and Dordt College(where she was a music ed. Major) Chamber Orchestra. As well, she has added her skills to a number of string ensembles.

She took up guitar at twelve and bass several years after that. Ms. Kim has added her talents to several contemporary bands over the course of the last fifteen years. And most recently as bass player for CTK church in Bellingham.

Jimi Liberty began playing guitar years ago when he stepped aside from his bass guitar position to let a fellow housemate take up that slot. Since that time, he has played in countless bar and lounge bands. While not schooled in the same way as his musical partner Ms. Kim, he nonetheless has learned a great deal from the musical talent that has influenced him.

Several years ago Jimi picked up a tenor ukulele and was hooked on the lovely little instrument. Through a providential conversation with Amy, Paraclete was born.

As well as Paraclete, Mr. Liberty is the guitarist for The Swing Connection Big Band (http:///www.swingconnection.com). He also is lead/rhythm guitarist for CTK church Bellingham. His teaching skills can be accessed at http://www.jimiteachuke.com.

Paraclete can give you three solid hours of musical entertainment with limited interruption.

Contact info:

Jimi Liberty: 671.8701; 319.4428;jamie.g.fraser@comcast.net

Ok...Got the Gotoh "newly designed" friction gears to replace my older ones. They are marketed by Allparts(a good company I did business with when I was in retail). These gears do seem to be smoother but I don't care for the button tightening screws. Cheap! Prolly made from melted down jeeps or something. Anyway, the Phillips head screw slot on one of them is already starting to strip. But that's my only complaint. Otherwise a good friction gear and I'll use them.Need to try and bump up the button screws, however.

Went to a ukulele used group meeting this past Saturday and had fun(other than being in a basement where the temp. was about 50.) It's BUG(Bellingham Uke Group) and everybody was friendly and helpful. I'm a bit beyond the playing levels of what we were doing but it was fun to sit and strum with 20 other uker's. The facilitator of the meeting is trying to get an advanced jazz/swing session going so I look forward to that.

Hi! Well I was going to replace my friction tuning gears with planetary ones. Got the planetary gears and they were too small for the head stock holes! So my band mate Amy Kim mentioned that Gotoh had a new design of friction gears that supposedly hold tune just like planetary gears. I'm awaiting their arrival.....

strap or no strap? I prefer to play the tenor uke with a strap. I can play without one but do not get the same kind of control over chording that I do with one. So try using a a strap-preferably something wild and crazy!

I should let you know about the instruments I'm currently playing.

My uke is a 2008 Halekoa(made in Hawaii)solid Koa Limited Edition TU 2CK Tenor w/Markley passive pickup. You can see a photo on my banner. I use a Fishman Platinum EQ/DI which gives me "plug and play" pretty much wherever we perform. A wonderful sounding ukulele given to me by my Paraclete band mate Amy Kim. I am going to change out the gears to a set of micro planetary geared set as I don't care for the friction gears currently on it. I use Aquila strings at present but I have no problem with D'Addario sets or GHS. I DO NOT use a pick. Ukulele, as far as I'm concerned, should be played with your fingers.

My acoustic is a Larrivee C-10 w/custom inlay by Wendy Larrivee circa 1986. Headstock pic on banner. I owned a music store at one time and I picked this guitar up when we first took on the line. Larrivee guitars are the most overlooked acoustics on the planet. I have an L.R. Baggs Element active pickup installed under the saddle. The Element is, in my opnion, one of the finest pickups out there. Having owned a music store I've tried most out there. BTW, the Baggs Para DI is a great preamp as well! I've been using the Ernie Ball Coated Titanium Tech. strings 12-54. I will use D'Addario,Cleartone or GHS. I do not now nor have I ever cared for Elixer.

For the Swing Connection- http://www.swingconnection.org/ -I play a 2000 Guild Johnny Smith Artist Award. I do not deserve this guitar. It is a masterpiece. But it was offered to me at an incredible price from the Guild rep and I could not pass it up(G.earA.qusitionS.yndrome)GAS. I had a Gibson ES something-or-other that I was not that thrilled with so I moved it along on eBay to a fellow in Germany. Managed to scrounge the other funds and she was MINE! Hand signed by Bob Benedetto. I use Thomastik Jazz BeBop BB 113 strings. I play this guitar thru a Hendricksen jazz amp.

My electric solid body is a guitar I put together. I used a Warmoth swamp ash body with a Saga neck. I have a Fender noiseless single coil pickup set installed and Sperzel locking gears. String it up with D'Addario XL 110s. I use this with my Johnson Marquis 50 guitar amp. Between guitar and amp I use a Dunlop Wah and a Demeter opticomp.

I have a number or other instruments but they get limited use and primarily in my studio.

And BTW, I also teach guitar. Styles include acoustic strumming, fingerpicking and a combination. Electric rhythm and lead in rock,blues,pop and jazz.

The ukulele is a wonderful instrument! It's fairly easy to make music on in a fairly short period of time. Of course if you want to progress and get beyond the basics you will have to spend time. But anything worth doing well takes time.

I like it best as an instrument to accompany vocals. Strumming and singing away your favorite tunes suits it well. Still, it sounds great on it's own-http://www.jimiteachuke.com .

I play in a duo with Amy Kim called Paraclete. We've been working on some recordings that I will post up in the near future.

So long for now...