A 'Little Flea' Circus--Ukulele MasteryThe ukulele is back! The little ?bouncing flea? (originally from Portugal) never really went away in Hawaii where it remains a cultural and musical icon, but here on the mainland, the uke has had its ups and downs. Once the hottest instrument of the 1920?s, and then again in the 1950?s, the uke made it?s mark on American popular music, from Ukulele Ike and Roy Smeck to Arthur Godfrey and Tiny Tim. Now, it?s once again on the rise. Ukers of all ages are discovering how much music can be made with just four gut strings and a few scraps of wood. Folkies, revivalists, swingers, songwriters, punks, serious jazz players, and mega pop stars are uke-ing it up worldwide.Joel Eckhaus (aka Ukulele Eck) has been riding the uke wave since the mid-1970?s with a unique blend of traditional jazz, western swing, big band, popular and novelty music from the 20?s through the 50?s. With ukulele, tenor guitar, mandolin, musical saw, and his own vocal style, Joel shines at creating a jazzy groove along with a healthy dose of humor, history, and corn. Slightly tarnished old tunes are dusted off and given new life (and sometimes new lyrics) in a style that?s not overtly nostalgic, not exactly new wave, but always entertaining and swinging. Joel has performed with the Arm & Hammer String Band, the Neverly Brothers, the Blue Sky Serenaders, the New England New Vaudeville Review, the Howitzer Mandolin Orchestra, Al Dente?s Inferno, and the Pinetones. He studied ukulele and tenor banjo for two years with Roy Smeck (Vaudeville?s Wizard of the Strings). He currently leads Ukulele Eck and the Fabulous Lacklusters, and performs with the ukulele/tap dance duo, Ham and Legs. He also builds ukuleles, mandolins, and tenor guitars, and runs Earnest Instruments (www.earnestinstruments.com). He teaches a one week course called ?Mainland Ukulele? during the summer at the Augusta Heritage Center, in Elkins WV. Joel will also appear this summer at the Portsmouth Percussive Dance Festival, Portsmouth NH, Uke Expo 2003, Providence RI, and the National Folk Festival, Bangor METhe Fleastompers will open the concert. James "Fleastomper" Key, Nick ?Bari-Stomp? Smiley , and Don ?Mellowtone? Peyton are a local ukulele band in the Mainland tradition. They play songs borrowed from hot jazz and Vaudevillian styles. Their inspiration is found in such performers as Cliff Edwards, Roy Smeck and Arthur Godfrey. If you bring along your ukulele, some jamming afterwards is likely to happen.Members of the Metropolitan Ukulele Association admitted at FSGW rates: $10.
