Jake Shimabukuro Enlists Billy Strings, Willie Nelson, Michael McDonald & More On ‘Jake & Friends’

Ukulele virtuoso Jake Shimabukuro achieved prominence when a YouTube video of him playing George Harrison’s “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” went viral and propelled the native of Hawaii to stardom. That was in 2006 and since then he has released numerous albums and toured the globe  (he’s huge in Japan),  and in the process has altered the perception of the tiny stringed instrument that people once associated with Tiny Tim tiptoeing through the tulips. Performing both covers and originals, Shimabukuro has done for the ukulele what Bela Fleck has done for the banjo and Chris Thile for the mandolin. He has proven that the instrument is far more versatile than anyone imagined and has dabbled in rock, folk, jazz, blues, funk, bluegrass, and classical music while staying true to his Hawaiian roots. 

His goal has always been to take the ukulele into uncharted terrain and he’s done that again with his new release, Jake & Friends. This album is a collection of duets that finds Shimabukuro collaborating with a diverse star-studded group that includes Willie Nelson, Bette Midler, Jimmy Buffett, Ziggy Marley, Billy Strings, Michael McDonald, Kenny Loggins, Lukas Nelson, and more. 

A wildly ambitious project that tackles a variety of musical styles, “Jake & Friends, opens with fellow Hawaiian raised Jack Johnson’s version of “A Place in the Sun,” a song that Stevie Wonder recorded early in his career. Shimabukuro‘s breezy strumming alongside Johnson and guest vocalist Paula Fuga’s singing creates a laid-back vibe that nicely sets the tone of this enjoyable collection. 

Willie Nelson, one of the first to sign on to this project which was over three years in the making, contributes to “Stardust,” a song he recorded 40 years ago. Shimabukuro provides a beautiful introduction to the song then gently strums along, always keeping the focus on Nelson’s vocals. His accompaniment is equally spare when he joins Bette Middler on her classic song “The Rose.”  He partners with Buffett for “Come Monday,”  a song they performed onstage when      Shimabukuro opened for the Margaritaville singer.    

Shimabukuro is always mindful to remain in service of the song and if that means keeping it simple he does just that, but he still has plenty of opportunities to show what a phenomenal player he is. Be it trading licks with fellow ukulele player Trevor Terndrup from Moon Taxi on the band’s “Two High”  or adding a soft mournful solo on Michael McDonald’s version of the Moody Blues “Go Now.”   

His skills are most evident when Shimabukuro plays with instrumentalists who are as adept on their instruments as he is on the ukulele. When he joins forces with Louisiana slide guitarist  Sonny Landreth, the two create some wild jazzy magic on “Sonny Days Ahead.”  When he teams with bluegrass phenomena Billy Strings who plays acoustic guitar on the aptly titled  “Smokin’’ Strings” things really heat up. The song starts off with them complementing each other nicely as they play a gentle melody but then  Strings takes off with a lead and Shimabukuro follows right behind as they descend into a fiery bluegrass duel that leaves the listener breathless. 

As we can tell from a disc that includes three Beatles covers (including Jon Anderson of Yes taking on “A Day in the Life”), much of the material here is well known. But it’s some of the less familiar tunes that standout. Ray Bensen and Asleep at the Wheel provide a nice rootsy sound to the old Cream song, “Wrapping Paper,” while Warren Haynes takes a hot turn on Alvin Lee’s “On the Road to Freedom.” 

On these 16 tracks, Shimabukuro celebrates not only the untapped potential of the ukulele, but the enjoyment of making music with others.