Humble Uker || Birmingham Daddy

Well here goes another one. Brace yurselves...

This video is from the November 2011 Ukulele Club of Santa Cruz open mic. night recorded by Sandor .  The song was inspired by Lew Dite who has generously created a vast library of Old-Timey tunes on YouTube. Birmingham Daddy is from 1929 and was sung by Gene Autry.  I asked LD about posting the lyrics for this song about a year ago because I enjoyed the playfulness of the lyrics and the pseudo-yodeling. Can you tell that I’ve never yodeled before? (Perhaps I still haven't)

Cornbread Charlotte is a member of a lodge that I attend in Lafayette, Ca.  She was curious about what I had told her about the UCSC and was ready to join in even before hearing me sing. Along with making the best cornbread I’ve ever tasted, she has great courage and a better memory than I. Clearly, she also brought some style to the performance. Thank you Charlotte – you were spectacular!

Peter and Donna are founding  members of the Ukulele Club of Santa Cruz. Meetings were held in their home long before the club meetings moving to Bocci’s Cellar. They were very kind and willing to participate in my madness. I thought that their harmonica and spoon expertise would add to the feel of the era so I took a trip down to Santa Cruz and we played and sang the song 5-6 times and they were ready to go. Gracias El Presidente y Mamasita Primero.

Practicing and performing is much more fun than listening to my singing afterwards. I am playing a 1950’s Favilla baritone ukulele with Worth “medium brown” strings, Low D set. The strings are all nylon and I like the tone that they provide. The Favilla has a real deep body (3-3/4”) and a rich tone.

You can find Lew Dite here…

Lew Dite on Banjo  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0MPpuH42Jkg

Lew Dite Birmingham Daddy karaoke style  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zs-y_IG8ek0

I had fun tweaking around with the song. Sometimes a subtle chord change will make a difference. I got out my chord book and found that a G5 [0033] adds a bit sharper sound. I played around and came up with the intro based on the wonderful line, “If love was liquor and I could drink, I’d be drunk all of the time.”

[If you like the sound of a baritone ukulele, check out my “Humble Baritonics” blog. I find videos, tutorials, photos of players, bands that have bari-uke players, sites with songs, and sites with tablature (TAB) specifically for the baritone ukulele. I also have a second blog called “The Baried DoGBonE” which focuses in on some of the more musical or prolific baritone ukulele players from around the world.]

Practicing and performing is much more fun than listening to my singing afterwards. Any voice teachers out there? Wanna real project?

SKIFFLE - The Jive Aces || Mama Don't Allow

No Bari but some Skiffle to contemplate! The Jive Aces put on a great show.



Thanks Uke Hunt Al for sharing great videos via UkeToob.
Since, I'm off the Bari for a moment I would like to share a "Perspective" I heard on KQED radio, about electronic gizmos in our lives... Les Blach "The Screen"

The Juniata Boys || Whisper in the Valley

Not much in the video department. Not much of a slideshow either. BUT wow that's quite a haunting song and that vocal reminds me of somebody, who could it be... it's on the tip of my tongue. Makes me wonder if someone found an old Johnny Cash recording and added their music. It has a fantastic sound. Can you hear a little bari accompaniment in there? Perhaps at 0:56 and ???

They have printed their lyrics on YT if you are so interested.

George O'Brien || Hackin' with a Baritone Ukulele

Hackin' jus' hackin' -- something all of us doodlers like to do.

PDF MINSTREL || SOME MORE ARRANGEMENTS

Roger Ruthen has been busy creating some more arrangements. Here's a selection of some familiar tunes...

Blowing in the Wind (B. Dylan)
Blue Moon (Rogers and Hart)
Cry Me A River (Arthur Hamilton)
Days of Wine and Roses (H. Mancini)

There are many arrangements that I have doodled around with. Kemp's Jig is in the key of G for a baritone ukulele. It starts off with a 0787 G chord and ends with a 5xxx G note. I have been doing a study of music in the key of G just to focus in on a chord family and what can be done with it. Roger Ruthen's arrangements use many chord fragments and inversions and they're all great for study, developing finger dexterity, timing practice, and simply enjoying.

Krista looks at Shane

Krista looks at Shane, a photo by equivocality on Flickr.

Krista Muir

Krista mingles

Krista mingles, a photo by equivocality on Flickr.