[upbeat music] [audience cheering] - Hey, everybody.

Welcome to, "Sound Check."

I'm Jen Eckert.

We are here at the legendary Count Basie Center for the Arts in Redbank, New Jersey.

Now, artists of every genre have played here at The Basie.

And tonight, you're going to hear from one artist that covers them all, from jazz, rock, blues, pop, funk, country folk, you name it.

And it's all from the four strings of his ukulele.

I'm talking about Jake Shimabukuro.

From being discovered on YouTube, almost two decades ago, to now, he's toured the world, topped the charts, performed for The Queen, been called the Jimi Hendrix of the ukulele.

And now he's here in Jersey.

His latest album, which you're going to hear tonight, features duets with everyone from Jimmy Buffett, Ziggy Marley, Kenny Loggins, Willie Nelson, Jack Johnson, Bette Midler and a whole lot more.

Now, Jake is going to be performing in The Vogel, that's where we are right now.

It's one of The Basies newest performance spaces.

And if you didn't know about The Basie, well you gotta come check it out.

It's been called one of the country's top selling live performance venues.

And over the last 90 plus years, it's grown from just one theater to taking up almost an entire city block for arts and education programs.

So tonight, you'll hear not only Jake's songs, but the stories behind his songs.

And we'll also talk to some of the artists he's collaborated with, on what it's like working with this ukulele virtuoso.

So join me for this, "Sound Check" with Jake Shimabukuro.

[audience cheering] - Aloha.

Welcome to the Count Basie Center for the Arts.

[audience cheering] [upbeat ukulele music] [audience cheering] - Jake, we are here at the Count Basie Center for the Arts in Redbank, New Jersey.

Talk to me about what it's like being back on tour.

- There's just something about playing in a room, you know, filled with people that can get you to a, like a creative space or just an emotional experience, you know, that you can't achieve by yourself.

- Let's go back to the beginning when you first held the ukulele in your hands.

- I started playing the ukulele when I was four-years-old.

And I got into it because my mom played.

And I was born in Hawaii, so it was just a big part of the culture and everyone I knew played it.

You know, we learned in school.

So for me, it felt very natural to pick it up and.

But, yeah, when I played my first chord, I just fell in love with the sound and just the vibe of the instrument.

[gentle upbeat ukulele music] - Take me back.

It was 26, right?

YouTube.

How that all came about?

- Yeah, I was very fortunate because back in 2005, 2006, there, YouTube was just starting out, and I was doing a show in New York.

I was there right next to Strawberry Fields.

So I thought, oh, man, I'll play this arrangement of a George Harrison song.

And it's one of my favorites.

And it was, "While My Guitar Gently Weeps."

And 'til this day, I don't know exactly who did it, but someone took that video and put it on YouTube, and it went viral.

And it's the reason I'm here today.

[gentle ukulele music] [audience cheering] Thank you very much.

[audience cheering] - You have a vocalist coming in.

Talk about that.

- Yeah, I'm so excited tonight because a longtime friend of mine, Justin Kawika Young you know, we grew up in Hawaii together.

And we started out, you know, in the music industry together.

And he's got one of the most amazing voices.

And, you know, I don't sing.

[both laughing] But so, I'm so honored that he was able to come and sing some of the songs off the new record.

And, you know, he's just phenomenal, incredible talent, one of my all time favorite artists.

So, I'm looking forward to him singing some of these songs.

♪ Well I don't mind sleeping alone ♪ ♪ If it means I don't have to play your crazy games no more ♪ [upbeat music] ♪ You're the most precious thing I've ever seen ♪ ♪ And I ain't going to let it slide when you're mean to me ♪ [upbeat music] ♪ I know the love that I deserve ♪ ♪ Said, I hope you find yourself ♪ ♪ Before I find somebody else to be my lover ♪ [upbeat music] ♪ Tell me things I want to hear ♪ ♪ You want me near and I know you feel me leaving you ♪ [upbeat music] ♪ You think it won't say goodbye ♪ ♪ Baby, I ain't just standing by when you stretch the truth ♪ [upbeat music] ♪ I know the love that I deserve ♪ [upbeat music] ♪ I said I hope you find yourself ♪ ♪ Before I find somebody else to be my lover ♪ [upbeat music] ♪ Said I hope you find yourself ♪ ♪ Before I find somebody else to be my lover ♪ [upbeat music] ♪ I know the love that I deserve, woo ♪ [upbeat music] ♪ I know the love that I deserve ♪ ♪ I know the love that I deserve ♪ ♪ I know the love that I deserve ♪ ♪ I said, I hope you find yourself ♪ ♪ Before I find somebody else to be my lover ♪ [upbeat music] ♪ I hope you find yourself ♪ ♪ Before I find somebody else to be my lover ♪ [upbeat music] ♪ I know the love that I deserve ♪ [gentle music] [audience cheering] - Your new album, which we're gonna hear some of the songs tonight, "Jake and Friends" talk to me about where the idea came about.

- We started the album about four years ago, and most of the record was done, you know, prior to the pandemic.

But during the pandemic, you know, there were obviously there were some challenges.

You know, we couldn't be in the studio together.

So like, for example, Jimmy Buffet, we had to record remotely.

A lot of the artists that's on this record, I met them through Jimmy.

[gentle ukulele music] With Jimmy Buffet, he was one of the artists that really took me under his wing early on.

And took me out on the road with them and we would do, "Come Monday."

And it's one of my favorite Jimmy Buffett songs.

- I met him in Honolulu the first time, and I'd never seen a solo ukulele master like that.

You don't tell Jake Shimabukuro how to play anything.

He would rehearse one time, once he record something, and he just went out there and did just magic.

So that's when I thought I said, this guy's magic.

I've had the great pleasure to play with him in our big band on tours and assimilate into our shows with our arrangements and everything and just as easily as he does playing by himself.

- Yeah, he's been a really huge supporter and, you know, just so grateful for that relationship.

- I think when you get into this business, there are people that help you out and then come to your rescue.

And I've certainly had a few of those and I think that's something that, as lucky as I have been and I think most performers feel that is something that you pass on.

And so I'm happy that I'm a mentor of his because I'm such a fan of his.

[gentle ukulele music] [audience cheering] - Thank you.

- Kenny Loggins, the song, "Why Not?"

That's on the album.

- Kenny Loggins, man, he is just such another legend.

I mean, being able to work with him in the studio was a dream come true.

- It was kind of like going back in time because Jake likes old school recording.

And when I talked to him about doing a song together, I showed him, "Why Not?"

It was written on mandolin, which is very similar to the ukulele.

And I said, why don't you take the mandolin part and let's rebuild the song in a way that would be appropriate for you and for now.

- When he first sent it to me, I was like, man, this is perfect.

Because it's got the vibe, you know, it's got the energy, you know, that we wanted.

So we worked it out in the studio.

And he's such a genius in the studio.

It's like he hears something, and then all the parts start coming together in his head, you know.

So when the bass player came in, he's singing the exact bassline that he wants.

So being able to be in the studio with him and watch him do that was, I mean, that was like just a priceless, like, you know, like a masterclass in recording.

So I just got to sit back and just enjoy, take notes and learn, you know, from the master.

So, yeah, it was such an honor to record that with him.

- It was really fun to work with him.

He's an easy guy to work with.

And I'd love to do it again.

[gentle upbeat ukulele music] [audience cheering] - "Bohemian Rhapsody."

How challenging is that song and the ukulele to play?

- My goodness.

Yeah, so I was doing an interview one day and I was asked, you know, "So is any song possible on the ukulele?"

And my answer, what I just said was, I think if you can hum it, you know, you should be able to figure it out on the ukulele and at least make it recognizable.

So they asked me, they said, "Well, can you play Bohemian Rhapsody?"

And I was like, oh, I've never tried.

So I remember that night I went back to my hotel, I don't think I slept that night.

You know, I stayed up all night just trying to figure out the different parts.

And the interesting thing about that song is, you know, so much of it, it's almost like a collaboration with the audience because as I'm playing it obviously on the ukulele as a solo ukulele piece, there's so many parts missing.

But the audience fills in all those missing parts.

So it's really a duet with everyone who's listening.

And sometimes it turns into a sing along, it's pretty cool.

Gives me chills every time I you know, I hear that.

[gentle ukulele music] [audience applauding] [upbeat ukulele music] [audience cheering] Well, thank you so much.

NJ PBS, The Count Basie Center for the Arts, The Vogel Theater, the whole crew.

Thank you.

Aloha.

Thank you.

- When you think back to how it started, to how it's going now?

- Never in my wildest dreams did I think I'd be doing what I'm doing today.

I mean, like music and playing the ukulele was always my passion.

I never thought that I would have the opportunity to make a live doing this.

You know, if everyone played the ukulele, the world would be a better place, you know.

And I really I truly believe that being able to create, you know, this magical sound and connect with yourself through music, it's life changing.

- That's all the time we have.

Thanks so much for watching.

I'm Jen Eckert, see you at the next, "Sound Check."

♪ There's nothing you can do that can't be done ♪ ♪ Nothing you can sing the be sung ♪ ♪ There's nothing you can say ♪ ♪ But if you learn how to play the game, it's easy ♪ [gentle upbeat music] ♪ There's nothing you can make that can't be made ♪ ♪ There's nothing you can save that can't be saved ♪ ♪ There's nothing you can do ♪ ♪ But if you learn how to be you inside, it's easy ♪ [gentle music] ♪ All you need all you need is love ♪ [gentle upbeat music] ♪ All you need is love ♪ [gentle upbeat music] ♪ All you need is love, love ♪ ♪ Love is all you need ♪ [gentle ukulele music]