I wanted to create this blog as a place where I can store and retrieve information for future reference. I chose the name Humble Uker Ramblings because I have started out strumming my father's 1950's painted Harmony ukulele. I think that the greatest appeal of the ukulele as "the people's instrument" is it's humble simplicity. My contact email is HumbleUker@gmail.com. I have also been working on a blog for the Baritone Ukulele called Humble Baritonics.
Terry C., from Australia, has come thru with more Cliff Edwards / Ukulele Ike information to share. Here's a copy of his e-mail thanking Alex for his contribution in the previous Humble Uker post and introducing his new video link...
Hi Jeff,
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, to you and your family! I see on your blog that Alex has uploaded a remastered Cliff Edwards video. That's great! The more 'Ukulele Ike' videos the better. Thanks Alex! And I have uploaded a 30 minute interview with Cliff Edwards below.
This interview was recorded in 1969, two years before his death. Cliff chats about a range of things, including which ukulele was his very favourite during his life. I encourage your subscribers to get a coffee, sit back and listen to one of the all time great ukulele players and singers talking about his career. Very rare recording indeed.
Regards - Terry C.
P.S. I uploaded it to Vimeo because YouTube will not allow videos of 30 minutes in length.
My Australian ukulele lovin' friend Terry C. has submitted several detailed articles to this humble Humble Uker blog and has received great attention each time. Terry has been a great fan of Cliff Edwards and the music which he masterfully sang while playing the ukulele. YouTube has provided a platform for videos where we can get to know a little about the masters of the past but for a variety of reasons some of the videos are disappearing.
Terry generously shares another rare photo of Ukulele Ike
"Hi Jeff, You may have seen this image before but... It shows Cliff Edwards playing his Martin tenor uke aboard the yacht 'Ukulele Lady' in June, 1947 on the Hudson river N.Y. Perhaps Ike was paid to come along and sing at the maiden voyage? Or maybe it was a publicity stunt for some Hudson River event at the time? Maybe one of your readers can shed some light? Feel free to use on your blog. Regards - Terry"
"Cliff Edwards mentions in an interview here... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bngnoZZSQ40 ...that he once owned a 'Stutz Bearcat' - the image above shows the car. It was an expensive machine in its day, for the wealthy only. 'In 1914 it was priced at $2000, about two to three times the cost of the 'T' Model Ford, which cost $550.'" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stutz_Bearcat
Terry has also made a request of Humble Uker and you the saviest of uke historians and ukulele memorabilia collectors...
You're aware there are many Ukulele Ike clips on YouTube. Well, one of the most prolific YouTube channels which promotes Ike videos is called 'Good Old Days'. This 'Good Old Days' channel has many Ike videos (among others), probably 50% of the Cliff Edwards videos on YT. Anyway, whoever ran this channel has suddenly and abruptly closed their YouTube account and all those wonderful videos have disappeared overnight! What can I do? Is there any chance any of your readers/subscribers has downloaded any of these Ike videos? -- Terry C.
So I intend to broadcast out to other bloggers, readers, friends to see if we can reinstate the wonderful Ukulele Ike / Cliff Edwards memorabilia back to the www. You can contact me thru humbleuker@gmail.com or Terry C. at his YT Channel, called BeareTube.
Here's another treat, this is another article from Terry C. in Australia. Terry is the Cliff Edwards and Martin Ukulele afficianado. I had asked him about Cliff Edward's strum before. Now he gives us some detailed reasearch on Cliff Edwards Rolled Strum technique. Enjoy,HU.
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The roll stroke is an effective stroke to use on ukulele. Most people play the four finger roll starting with the pinky or little finger and ending with the index finger or thumb.
Here's a demonstration of the standard roll stroke:
But Cliff Edwards played it differently, he started with the index finger followed by the other fingers with the pinky last. In his only instruction booklet 'Ukulele Ike's Complete Ukulele Method' published in 1927 he describes his technique.
Edwards explains in his book how he played the stroke:
"If you were to make a series of six consecutive strokes, in strict cadence, all down, in this order: index finger, second finger, third finger, fourth finger followed by the thumb then return up by the thumb, you will have laid the foundation for the very flashy roll stroke which very few amateurs know how to use."
I have watched numerous videos of Ukulele Ike over the last few years. He had such an effortless, sweet sound but his motions had me pondering how he strummed. So I ask my Cliff Edwards afficianado friend Terry C. his opinion and I get a detailed answer. Asked him if he would be okay sharing. So here it is...
HOW UKULELE IKE LEARNED TO PLAY UKULELE
Ukulele Ike (Cliff Edwards) had a unique way of playing ukulele.
Songs of the 1920's often had lengthy introductions. During these intro sections, Edwards would use the thumb to pick out a note here and there as a sparse accompaniment but once the tune itself had started his thumb rested and was rarely used. From that point on, his fingers, particularly his index finger did most of the work. As the thumb rested, he would flick his index finger and perform a series of intermittent rolls. He played ukulele with a light, deft touch. His technique was designed to accompany his singing not to draw attention away from it. This approach showed off his beautiful singing voice to best effect, especially on the ballads. He had a three octave range and could hit the high notes effortlessly.
Ike taught himself to play ukulele at a time when there were few instruction books or videos. He developed his own technique through trial and error. He had no option but to become self-taught. He had learned to play the piano as a child, so he had some musical theory. But in transferring that knowledge to ukulele he incorporated some technically incorrect idiosyncrasies when developing his style. Yet, with years of practice, he was able to perfect his odd way of playing, which finally led to his signature sound.
Wouldn't it be wonderful to meet him today at a Ukulele Festival and attend one of his ukulele workshops?
Ah, we can but dream.
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Here's a pic of him in his heyday in 1929, signing a deal to promote ukuleles. As part of the deal, he was given a free Martin style 3 ukulele, which he is holding. Edwards only ever played Martin ukuleles, although he did promote the unsuccessful 'Tenortrope' ukulele banjo at one time. during his career. (back to work... check back later for some photos.)
Here's a short article on Cliff Edwards/Ukulele Ike by my Australian uke historian, martin uke playing friend, Terry C. He has composed a few wonderful articles for HU over the past two years and he has compiled some photo/audio slide shows for YouTube and you will see one in the YT video below. HU
. By Terry C. July 26, 2010
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Spare a thought for the great Cliff Edwards, known as 'Ukulele Ike'. A huge talent from the 1920's. In his heyday he had it all, a successful recording career, his own radio show and the lifestyle of a movie star.
Sadly, he died penniless and alone in a small, sparely furnished apartment in Hollywood.
The photo above was taken in 1969 by Richard Lamparski, who was putting together a 'Whatever Became Of' book at the time. If you look carefully, you can see that there are no strings on Ike's uke; his index finger is inside the soundhole. By the time this photo was taken he had long sold all his expensive Martin ukuleles except for this one, his last Martin Tenor uke. Lamparski says that the ukulele was in a closet and had to be dusted off for the photo. It was obvious from his arthritis that Edwards no longer played it.
Ike's tenor uke is loosely tuned on many recordings. Not exactly what you'd call 'slack-key' tuning but some felt it gave his ukulele playing too 'wet' a tone, too fish-like a quality, not bright enough. Yet, if you listen carefully to Ike's playing you can hear a master at work. He uses rhythm and syncopation to great effect with consummate ease. He seems to drop exactly on the right note at just the right time. Many of his songs contain his signature single-note slide, a simple and effective technique he developed over the years. Many enthusiasts believe that Ike's playing was quintessential ukulele; essence of pure uke; the ultimate in ukulele perfection.
Listen to his sublime singing and playing here:
Lamparski, writing at the time, stated:'After his roles in the Disney pictures concluded in the mid 1940's, Edwards began his real decline. For many years after this time he has had little or no work. He has suffered the restrictions of being a pensioner. His health has been especially poor these past few years. He lives alone in a partly-furnished flat above Hollywood Boulevard. It is difficult for him to walk and he seldom leaves his house. Many years ago he was married, briefly, to a girl named Nancy Dover but he has nothing to say about her, other than that she was very pretty. A few years ago (in the 1960's) Disney Records released on the Vista Label a record called 'Ukulele Ike Happens Again'. But the voice that once sold over 74 million single records could not even sell out the first pressing.'
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For those who want to hear from a large Ukulele Ike recording collection, check out UKULELE IKE Red Hot Jazz. You will find it in the sidebar titled MUSIC.
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Also Terry C. sent me YT videos of Ukulele Ike playing in Western Movies in the 1940's. There he's playing 4 string tenor guitars but his singing and playing are much the same sublime and comedic quality that we admire in this ukulele master...
The famous voice of Jiminy Cricket was the prolific singer and ukulele player, Cliff Edwards, and who was also known as Ukulele Ike. Cliff was also a character actor in a hundred old B&W movies. This photo comes from an early Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film called "Lord Byron of Broadway."
This morning I received an e-mail from an occassional contributor, Terry C. from Australia. He sent me several YouTube video links to 1940's Spaghetti Westerns. Terry has provided articles on Martin Ukuleles, his eBay Martin Ukulele Buying Adventure, and Martin Ukulele History.Since many of these videos Cliff is playing the (4-string) Tenor Guitar I have placed these videos onhttp://humblebaritonics.blogspot.com/You can go directly to the post by clicking here...
I must've posted this before. It was on Australian TV. Ah, what the heck, here's Terry C's pride and joy. It comes with papers too! -- It may be a HU rerun but we've all been indoctrinated to reruns over the last 50 years of TV!
Terry C. had some recent videos, here's A.J Leonard......I had to go out for a meeting tonight and when I got back I received this e-mail with more about Tony "A.J." Leonard from Terry.
The ukulele was purchased new in 1930 by a wealthy man for his wife, Elizabeth's 30th birthday present. She felt it was too good to play so she locked in a security closet and only ever got it out for special occasions such as birthdays and anniversaries. She regularly played a much cheaper ukulele which she kept around the house. In later years her husband passed away and she developed Alzheimer's disease and was placed into care by her relatives. All her personal belongings were placed in storage for more many years including the prized ukulele. Finally she died in 1998 at the age of 98. Her belongings remained in storage for several more years until the family decided to sell everything including the 5K ukulele, which I purchased directly from her grandson. This means that although the instrument is 90 years old it is only now being played for the first time. It beautiful in every way and the memory of Elizabeth lives on through it.
Tony Leonard is an Australian musician and he appears at ukulele festivals around the country as 'AJ Leonard'. He is a multi-instrumentalist and plays piano, guitar, mandolin, bouzouki, ukulele and banjo but these days he concentrates on uke.
Feel free to feature him on your HumbleUker pages!
Terry C. Australia
PS A few weeks ago we had the first Melbourne Ukulele Festival. I took loads of photos and videos and will be uploading them in the weeks to come.
Many of you have read Terry C. from Australia's articles on his eBay Martin ukulele quest. He and I met on eBay as competitors for ukulele player photos. Then I e-mailed him and suggested we share photos instead of bidding each other into oblivion, having originals is nice - but it can get too expensive. We have been in contact for I would guess 3 years now sharing photos and receiving pictures of Terry's vacations with his wife and his trusty ukulele.
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Terry has posted some great videos with ukulele players 'slide shows' with ukulele player musicians, primarily his favorite Cliff Edwards (also known as Ukulele Ike). Here's a link to Terry's BEARETUBE youtube page...
My South Eastern Australian friend, Terry C., who you know by now as a great fan of Martin Ukuleles, went to the Belgian Ukulele Festival earlier this year. Terry makes some great compilation YT videos for public use as well as some private YT videos for some of his sympatico Martin Ukulele afficianados. Terry spent part of his time there as a guest of Frederick Goossens, also known on YouTube as wininboy, from Belgium. I feel like a reporter getting a big scoop. HU
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HERE'S TERRY'S INTERVIEW with WININBOY
The twangy sounds of a vintage Ditson ukulele come gently wafting though the house as we climb the narrow, steep stairs to the top floor. The house is in Sint-Niklaas, Belgium, and it’s the home of ukulele player Frederik Goossens, otherwise known as Winin’ Boy.
Q: Frederik, when did you first start playing the ukulele?
W: I started out playing music as the bass player in a band playing old 20's tin pan alley tunes. Our singer had recently gotten himself a lovely new Martin uke. I was impressed and a few weeks later got one myself . Some time later I formed my own band called the ‘Left Hand Band’, since all of us were left-handed. We used to play all kinds of silly little instruments, from kazoos, toy pianos, nose whistles, harmonicas, melodicas, an old jazz tea-chest bass and everything. I played the uke with a pick back then until I met up with a flamenco guitarist who showed me a nice little triple strum technique. Now I rarely play the uke with a pick.
Q: What band do you currently play in?
W: These days I play with the Winin' Boys Band, a very haphazard combo, sometimes not playing for months on end and then doing three gigs in one day. But we have mucho fun!
Q: You’re one of the organizer’s of the Belgium Ukulele Festival?
W: We had the idea for a Belgian Ukulele Festival. Our drummer had a little folk club in Belgium and that's where we held our first ukefest. With the help of Dutch ex-patriot, Remco Houtman, aka ukulelezaza, it was a great success! Remco was the first player I met in Belgium that seemed to take the ukulele seriously and we spurred each other's enthusiasm to go ahead with this silly idea. Now, we're looking forward to our third Belgian Ukefest! Amazing!
Q: Is the ukulele becoming popular in Belgium?
W: Belgium still is a bit of a ukulele-free zone. Not many people play, although more and more seem to pick it up. Actually, Belgium as a country is a lot like the ukulele; very tiny, too silly for words, but lots of fun and full of surprises. And too much of it can cause a serious headache!
Q: Frederik, where did you get your Youtube name wininboy?
W: It was one of Jelly Roll Morton's nicknames. Although it’s pronounced ‘whining boy’, there are many explanations as to what it might mean. Any new suggestions are always welcome!
Q: You're a left-handed player. Why do you play the uke so fast and so loud?
W: I have developed a rather harsh and fast playing style from playing the uke in the streets of Ghent, where producing volume was always of utmost importance. I have to 'beat' my uke severely as I have to compete with other louder instruments in my band; guitar, banjo, accordion, double bass and jazz. I restring my ukes left-handed, so the chords I play are the same as for right-handed people, except the other way round, if that makes sense? Moreover, like most ukers, I’m an autodidact, which might explain my rather unorthodox “upside down-inside out” strumming and fingering style and the fact that I am used to D-tuning, whereas most players I meet nowadays seem to use C-tuning.
Q: You have quite a large collection of Martin and Ditson ukuleles.
W: Yes, I have been collecting and studying vintage ukuleles now for several years. My absolute favorite ukes are the dreadnought Ditsons made by the Martin company in the 1910’s and 20’s. They have a thicker waist, sound marvelous to me, quite loud and balanced and they have the most beautiful design I've ever seen. There’s something about these wonderful old Ditsons that simply fascinates me!
Q: Do you prefer koa or mahogany ukuleles?
W: I always recommend an old Martin style 0 to a player. To me, they are the ultimate ukulele in design and sound. Yet I adore that curious golden glow of koa, that enigmatic way it mysteriously changes every time you see it. But a mahogany uke sounds pure 'ukulele' in my humble opinion. It has that twangy sound I love so much!
Q: You also own the 'holy grail' of ukes, the Martin 5K?
W: Yes, like with any vintage ukulele collector, the 5K was my ultimate goal. So I bought this worn old 5K on Ebay when I had the chance. I was afraid I was going to be disappointed with it. That the years of dreaming about a vintage 5K would end badly. Of course, there’s always that reality shock at first; the moment you think: “hey, it’s just another little ukulele”, but then it starts to build. It starts to grow on you. You can’t stop looking at it and feel good. My 5K has been played a lot over the years. The woman who once owned it was an entertainer at Lake Tahoe in America. Her name was Donna, so I named the 5K after her. I call it the 'Donna 5K'. It’s a very beautiful instrument and takes pride of place in my collection.
Q: Who are your ukulele heroes?
W: Well, anybody who makes my toes wiggle and my feet tapping, really. Since I’m a sucker for hot, old-time music, I prefer the 1920’s ukers. Of course there’s Roy Smeck. He could do such amazing things with a ukulele and I learned everything I know from his method book and through listening to his records. But also check out that guy Max Nesbitt, England’s very own Smeck and clearly the more effortlessly natural player. Or Jim and Bob, the “Genial Hawaiians”, whose version of “Sweet Georgia Brown” is a milestone in ukulele music. Or Bennie Nawahi. Boy, there were so very many ukers in 1920’s who played in that hot style that I’m trying to emulate. These days I am blown away by players like Craig Ventresco or Max De Bernardi, essentially virtuoso ragtime guitar players who show that there is still so very much to discover on the uke. But in the end, ukuleles are meant to accompany voices, so I also admire Cliff Edwards - who had both an unorthodox playing style and voice - and Johnny Marvin, another quintessential ukulele crooner. And when it comes to great voices and pure ukulele fun, there’s nobody better than those two wonderful Scottish guys, (with whom the Winin’ Boys had the pleasure of playing a couple of times), Gus and Fin!
Listen to wininboy play 12th Street Rag with his band the Winin' Boys
The following is a story from my ukulele friend, Terry C., in Australia. He has shared videos, photos, and stories with me for the last couple of years. Now he has a beautiful collection of Martin M and K style ukuleles. This is a story of supply and demand. It is also a story of love of the humble ukulele and the strong tug of Ukulele Acquisition Syndrome. This story is fascinating. It shows the competitive and calculating mind of a shrewd businessman. Enjoy...
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"Hey Jeff, -- Here’s an article you may or may not choose to publish on your Blog. I call it ‘Confessions Of A Martin Ukulele Collector’ I was new to Ebay in 2004 and had been starved of all Martin ukes for several years here in Australia (where there are none). Then this minty, vintage Martin 3K ukulele suddenly popped up on Ebay and I just had to have it. (Click on picture to see it larger.)
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I knew what these things were worth as I’d been watching and lurking on Ebay for several months. But there was this one bidder called ‘__ckies*woo’ who was snapping up every high-end ukulele on Ebay. He/she had purchased all the vintage ukes for as long as I had been watching. I checked up his buying patterns and he was sniping everything with a BIG snipe bid. He was also into fine glassware and was snapping up all the top-end glass too. I calculated that he’d spent well over $100,000 on Ebay in the previous three months alone. A winning snipe bid from __ckies*woo was common. -- So how to beat this guy and get that 3K? -- There was no alternative but to outbid him. I asked myself how badly I wanted that uke. I wanted it more than was rational, so I decided on a nuclear bid of US$10,835 I knew this was a ridiculous amount of money but I did ask myself (before placing the bid) would I rather have $10,835 or that 3K and my answer was the 3K. So I went ahead. Not being familiar with how sniping worked in those days I placed a regular proxy bid early in the auction with my max and sat back and watched. I watched almost every minute of every day. Of course, I held the top spot all along because of Ebay’s automatic proxy bidding system. Every time there was a new bid or a new bidder I popped up to the top without fail. There were several nibblers who gave up. No other bidder ever held the winning bid except me. -- One thing that helped me is that I didn’t have any bid history at the time, so no-one could make any predictions about my bidding patterns. Then suddenly the bidding stalled. For the last three days the bidding remained at $3,556. I figured that the other bidders had apparently given up? -- My Ebay username was __mba147 and here’s the bidding one day before the auction ended back in 2005…
-- At this stage __ckies*woo had not shown his hand but I knew he’d be sniping in the last few seconds of the auction as he had always done. With three seconds to go __ckies*woo placed a snipe $2,000 above the current bid but Ebay’s proxy system ensured I was the winner. It sure did hurt to be bumped up $2,000 in the last two seconds of the auction. Ouch! --
When the uke arrived in Australia I had to pay an additional $2,000 in import duties. At that time the Aussie dollar was very weak against the greenback so that 3K cost me the best part of $10,000. -- But almost five years later, I still have that uke and it has a very special place in my collection. I never did find out who __ckies*woo was even thought there were regular mentions of him on various Ukulele forums. My guess is that he was a millionaire or someone very much in that league. As a side note, a few weeks later __ckies*woo won a top-end Hollywood Uke for $7,500.
Terry C."
Thanks Terry for this story. I did change some names and crop some of the eBay usernames to keep the story a bit more anonymous. Have you come across __ackies*woo in any subsequent auctions? Terry also shared another fascinating historical Martin ukulele story in this post...
Something fun about having shared interests in the internet age is that you can make friends all over the world. Terry C. and I met as adversaries on eBay where we were both collecting pictures of ukulele players. I used eBay's e-mail system and asked Terry if we could trade some pictures. I supposed we have communicated more or less regularly over about 2 years. Terry loves his Martin ukuleles and I have been privy to some private unwrapping videos for his 4 string treasures. You can see several of Terry C's excellent ukulele photos and videos at http://www.youtube.com/user/BeareTube
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I just received a wonderful letter from him. He and his wife are Australian and did their summer trip to Bali. Here's a tidbit from his letter which discusses a bit about American society: unexplainable and great...
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"Met lots of fellow travellers from all parts of the globe, including an American guy from LA who works as an 'Entertainment Lawyer' to the Hollywoodstars. He told us that Cheech & Chong are personal friends of his ... ... He also mentioned that no animals are allowed to be hurt or injured in any movies made in the US. This includes spiders,cockroaches and ants! He told us of a movie recently that required a victim to be covered with ants. Apparently, all the ants had to be counted before and after the shoot to make sure none were injured or killed. Imagine the litigation if an ant never made it back! They'd have to send out a searchparty. "He's a little guy, black and about three millimeters tall. Goes by the name of Harvey. You seen him?" Ain't America wonderful? The USA! Home of Martin ukuleles and the Ant Protection Society. I just love it! Actually, as a vegetarian I think this is a move in the right direction but I admit it's kinda bizarre. But thereya go."
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Thanks Terry for sharing a little about your vacation with all of us. I love the photos of ukuleles in Balinesian paradise. I wish Wendy and I coulda been there with you and Julie. And we could be strummin' away. If you two ever want to come to the SF Bay Area I have room that you're welcome to. You'd feel right a home, it's my ukulele room!
For those of you that can't get enough of listening to Cliff Edwards (Ukulele Ike) there is a website that has chronologically categorized his work. There are many recordings to listen to from old scratchy records. http://www.redhotjazz.com/cliffedwards.html
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My good Australian efriend Terry C. has made several slide show presentations to go with CE great old time music, see his page at... http://www.youtube.com/user/BeareTube And if you have a ukulele that you know used to belong to CE Terry would love to have a picture of it. Terry collects pictures of CE for future pictorial compilations for songs. He particularly likes photos with CE holding a ukulele like the one above with Bessie Love.
My wife caught me with another ukulele the other day. I hadn't told her about it. She's not real enthusiastic about the ukulele but she's very supportive of me getting out and enjoying myself with friends. I just can't resist a good deal on eBay. I told her eBay makes me eVil. Besides being addictive Ebay can also introduce you to friends with similar interests.
I had been collecting a few photos of ukulele players and regularly bidding against a certain bidder. I used the eBay e-mail to contact him and asked if he'd like to trade some photos. We now have an eFriendship and I have an appreciation for a man with a mission.
So I met Terry C., who resides in Australia, and he turned out to be quite a collector and a man with a generous spirit. Terry is a great fan of the ukulele, and Cliff Edwards. He has created several videos on YouTube that take vintage photos of Cliff Edwards and common players from the 1920's and 1930's and makes a slide show to go along with old Cliff Edwards recordings. These videos are a pleasure to watch. Take a look at http://www.youtube.com/user/BeareTube and enjoy.
Terry also is a collector of vintage Martin ukuleles and he really treasures the beauty of this fine instrument. He has been buying ukuleles from around the world and has the peculiar habit of making videos of the receipt and unraveling of the ukulele. (Envision Steve Ervin here and the way he would describe a BEA-U-TI-FUL critter.) Terry tells a story as if it were a rapturous event. As joyous as a 6 year old on Christmas morning! Perhaps this is an Aussie thing.
I am sorry to tell you that these videos are a private reserve. Hopefully Terry will bless the world with some more home-spun videos. He plays ukulele with a smooth, heart warming, old style which honors those vintage ukuleles
You can see a treasury of vintage ukulele player photos by watching Terry's YouTube videos. I have contributed a few photos. If any one has a secret stash of photos of Cliff Edwards with a ukulele and would like to share it with Terry let me know and I'll get you in touch with him.
