Jake Shimabukuro 2016 Tour To Return To Buffalo, Today

Ukulele superstar Jake Shimabukuro's tour will stop at Kleinhans Music Hall on at 8 p.m. Nov. 17. Last year, Shimabukuro performed the US Mainland premiere of Byron Yasui's Ukulele Concerto with the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra to great acclaim and positive audience response.

His tour kicked off in Honolulu, HI on June 29 and will take him to over 50 cities, with stops in Hilo, HI, Tacoma, WA, San Diego, CA, Key West, FL, Milwaukee, WI, and many more,. Jake also traveled to Japan for nine shows during the first half of October.

Tickets for his Kleinhans show start at $35 and are available at kleinhansbuffalo.org. Student tickets are available for only $20 with ID. The Buffalo Ukulele Club will perform pre-concert.

"I'm looking forward to the upcoming shows this year," said Shimabukuro. "I have a new setup for my electric ukulele that gives me access to new sounds and timbres that I never incorporated before. I'll be performing lots of new material as well as new arrangements of old songs. A few of my favorite moments in the show include an ukulele and bass duet of Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" and George Harrison's "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" - and a ten-minute version of "Dragon," which utilizes a looper, analog echoes, finger tapping, and heavy metal distortion. I always try to maintain a balance of traditional music with the edgier modern sounding pieces. Every show is a little different, which keeps things fresh and exciting. The most important thing is everyone has a great time and walks away with a smile."

Accompanying Shimabukuro on tour will be longtime bassist Nolan Verner. They will perform songs from Jake's most recent albums, Live in Japan (2015) and Travels(2015), favorites from his 15-year career, and several songs from his album Nashville Sessions, released in September.

His first album of all original songs, Nashville Sessions is one of Jake's most adventurous, multifaceted and engaging recordings yet. At the suggestion of his manager, Jake went into a Nashville studio this past January to jam with two top Nashville session players, Jake's bassist Nolan Verner and drummer Evan Hutchings. "At first I was hesitant," Shimabukuro admits. "'We're just going to go in and jam? Really? With nothing prepared?' I never dreamed we would leave the studio six days later with a full album." The result is one of the boldest and most unique ukulele records ever made, and one that will touch the heart of Jake Shimabukuro's fan base while enticing new listeners from across the musical spectrum.

About Jake Shimabukuro:

He has elevated the ukulele from a beloved Hawaiian folk instrument to a world-class vehicle, fearlessly traversing boundaries and putting his inspired touch on everything from island standards, to popular tunes and, most recently, classical symphonic concertos.

No wonder Rolling Stone called him "one of the hottest axemen of the past few years [who] doesn't actually play guitar."

Even Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder has voiced his admiration saying, "Jake is taking the instrument to a place that I can't see anybody else catching up with."

Viewed by his peers as a musician's musician, Jake's discography includes collaborations with a wide range of artists, from Yo-Yo Ma, Jimmy Buffett, Jack Johnson and Cyndi Lauper to Ziggy Marley, Dave Koz, Lyle Lovett and Bette Midler - with whom he performed for the Queen of England in 2009.

In recent years, Jake's sizzling live performances have made him a hot commodity on national TV, guesting on Jimmy Kimmel Live, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, Good Morning America and the Today show. He's wowed audiences at SXSW, Bonnaroo, the Playboy Jazz Festival and the cutting-edge TED conference.

Jake was the subject of an acclaimed 2012 documentary, Jake Shimabukuro: Life on Four Strings, and, in 2015, made history with the Hawai'i Symphony Orchestra when he performed the world premiere of Byron Yasui's Concerto for 'Ukulele & Orchestra, Campanella.

(Photo Credit: jakeshimabukuro.com)