Ukulele superstar Jake Shimabukuro, one of the most
exceptional and innovative ukulele players in the history of the instrument, will release
his newest record, The Greatest Day, on August 31, 2018 via Mailboat Records.
The album was recorded at Music City’s famed Ronnie’s Place studio with producer
R.S. Field – the same city, studio, and producer as 2016’s “adventurous and dazzling”
(Associated Press) Nashville Sessions. Returning as the ace rhythm section are bassist
Nolan Verner and drummer Evan Hutchings; the group added guitarist Dave Preston to
expand upon the sound they started creating two years ago.
“On the last record, it was pretty much the sound of a live trio, which sounded fresh, raw
and organic,” says Shimabukuro. “Now we’ve expanded to a quartet, which has added
more colors and variety to the overall production. Once we recorded the live takes, we
experimented with overdubs, and added horns, strings and keys, and other funky
sounds. There are even some vocals on a few cuts.”
The 12 studio tracks that comprise The Greatest Day feature some of Shimabukuro’s
most imaginative and adventuresome playing yet. Half of the album is devoted to
originals, on which the instrumentalist reaches new heights of compositional distinction.
And on the covers, Shimabukuro's prodigious skills allow him to transcend his material –
no mean feat considering some of the classics and standards he’s tackling.