Saturday, January 16, 2010

CD Review: Jake Shimabukuru's 'Gently Weeps'


Gently Weeps
Hitchhike Records

The precursor to Jake Shimabukuru's 2009 Live, Gently Weeps is a 2006 studio production of ukulele with additional instruments including bass, drums, keyboards, steel guitar, electric guitar, and strings. The classic songs 'While My Guitar Gently Weeps', 'Ave Maria', 'Sakura', 'The Star Spangled Banner', 'Misty', and 'Spain' are all instrumental renditions. The other songs are original compositions and mostly instrumental. However, one vocal track exists of 'Wish On My Star'. The singer is Jennifer Perri. Jake's jazzy, up-tempo rhythms and precise playing abilities on the ukulele shine throughout. Gently Weeps can be a metaphor of swaying palm trees on a sandy ocean beach, or the tears running down listener's cheeks. In this case, they are tears of joy. Gently Weeps is an album of soulful, mournful, serene, and sometimes frenetic moments. ~ Matthew Forss

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