Shelley Rickey

A grey January morn...

2012-01-21T11:26:00.000+01:00

This has got to be one of the dreariest times of the year. Weather is crappy and a lot folks, counting this one, don't have two dimes to rub together. Low-down and pitiful.

On the other hand, i can kind of enjoy a feeling of hibernation and melancholia during the winter months. I do think melancholia is the best state for creating. I love sitting by my gas heater with the soft winter light coming through the windows, BBC4 on the radio and a sewing needle, pen or musical instrument in my hand. It's a good thing too that i've learned to love it... For Mississippi standards, it's winter here in Holland almost 3/4 of the year.

I hope that you too are finding some enjoyment in the winter. (Yes, i know, you Southern Hemisphere folks are woopin' up. I'm not talking to you.) If you're one of those kind that dies a little bit every time a leaf falls, this may cheer you up a bit. Put your woolies on, make some hot chocolate with big fluffy marshmallows in it (a shot of whiskey won't hurt a bit either) and listen to the wonderful Frederik Goossens & The Winin' Boys from Belgium performing 'The Magic Ukulele Waltz by Roy Smeck'. Much Love & Peace to you all.

Turning a new page...

2012-01-17T22:42:00.000+01:00

Our new shop, The Jumping Flea Market, has it's own Facebook Page. We hope that you will 'Like' it.

Lady Luck has got my back

2012-01-13T19:39:00.000+01:00

This would be the perfect jacket to wear to thwart evil spirits on this day, Friday the 13th. It is a WWII Personalized Bomber Jacket of 401st Bomb Group. I can't see it clearly enough, but i'd like to think that 'Lady Luck' is playing a Baritone Ukulele.

Image Courtesy of 'How To Be A Retronaut'

The Twelfth Night Of Christmas

2012-01-05T23:31:00.000+01:00

And apparently this means that the Christmastide is over, which also means the little tree has got to go. But i really can't part with it yet. Actually, i'm seriously considering re-enacting our Christmas festivities this next weekend.

They consisted of Marko and i making a pallet in front of the gas heater where we unpacked our new pyjamas, played games, told our fortunes, strummed ukuleles and watched great movies. And of course we ate gorgeous stuff like warm camembert cheese covered in melted brown sugar and walnuts, BBQ meatlessballs with plenty of a cheap whiskey-like concoction called Maltky to wash it down. We were actually really really broke but i did splash out on this little 5,- euro tree. It may all seem very small and simple to those of you who go all out, but i just can't tell you how really wonderful it was. We laughed a lot too. It was just so cozy.
Click on the images and ZOOM IN on the Cozy-ness.!

There's nothing quite like a good rest and a bit of spoiling yourself after having worked really hard. We had really exhausted ourselves trying to get our shop up and running and this at the end of a pretty rough and tumble year in general. I'm not kidding. We were physically and mentally TIRED. It felt so awesome just to turn off the damn phone, the e-mail and the doorbell and just hang out with our cat in a huge mountain of cushions and quilts.

I hope you too have enjoyed the holidays. I know mine are ending too soon with lots of mail to sort out and, dare i say it, tax forms to fill in. That's why, i think i'm going to do it again. I'm going to put that pallet in front of the fire, cook something yummy and just hang out with my good lookin' dude and my cat and our little tree this weekend and decide for myself when the festivities are over.

Happy New Year, Everyone!

2012-01-02T15:23:00.002+01:00

Best Wishes & Much Love to You and Yours in the New Year
X, Shelley

'The Jumping Flea Market' In the Metro!

2011-12-29T09:40:00.000+01:00

The Metro is a free newspaper in Holland which is mainly distributed at the Bus, Street Car & Subway stations. Today there was an awesome article in it about our shop, 'The Jumping Flea Market'....
Click on the image to ZOOM!

Dear Santa,

2011-12-22T20:22:00.000+01:00

I've been a really good girl this year. For Christmas i would like a Silvertone Plastic Table-Top Radio & Record Player from Sears & Roebuck. Merry Christmas!

Christmas Cheer from the Grand Ole Opry

2011-12-22T20:00:00.004+01:00

With Miss Loretta Lynn & The Wilburn Brothers
And Patsy Cline & Ferlin Husky

Goslink & his Homemade Instruments on Klokhuis

2011-12-21T22:37:00.001+01:00

This is SUCH a charming peice. It's from a great childrens show here in the Netherlands called 'Klokhuis'. This edition features my buddy Harm 'Goslink' and his amazing home-made instruments. I've posted about him before. He's my absolute favorite musician around. So, here's Harm showing his instruments and how he makes them. He's in the entire length of the video with a couple of interuptions so stay tuned during the 'caveman' parts. Oh, and it's in Dutch but i'm sure you will enjoy it never the less.

Of bekijk de flash versie.

Take a look at our new shop!

2011-12-21T00:10:00.001+01:00

The Jumping Flea Market
Zaagmolenstraat 125A
3036HH Rotterdam, Nederland
www.jumpingfleamarket.nl

Click on the images to ZOOM!

BIG NEWS!

2011-12-16T23:50:00.003+01:00

I've never been busier in my life. That's why i haven't posted anything in such a long time. We've been working on sometheing really special. Something i've dreamt of for a long time and it's nearly a reality...

OUR NEW SHOP,
The Jumping Flea Market
Mostly Musical Wonders & Curiosities We'll be opening up for the first time tomorrow at 1pm and will be open everyday until Christmas Eve. If you are close to Rotterdam Noord, stop by. If you're not, i promise lots of photographs and stories about our new place. Well, got to go. Whole hell of a lot to do before opening time. We may pass out upon completion. We were passed exhausted about two weeks ago. But all is good. It was worth it. Let's say we actually do pass out, we ask you to kindly step over us and continue shopping. : )

Roadside Awesomeness in Belgium

2011-12-10T02:09:00.008+01:00

Okay, so we're on our way to perform in Roeselare, Belgium, about a 3 hour drive from Rotterdam and we're about a half hour away from our destination when suddenly, we pass this. A HUGE, naked, somewhat-primitive-looking dude with a twinkly star festively adorning his private stuff standing in front of a company building which sells cranes and forklifts. WHA'? Please, do yourself a favor, take a minute and click on the image to ZOOM IN on the colossal awesomeness.

But this goes by real fast so i make a mental note to take a picture on the way back. Of course i forget till it's too late but we get to see it again. And again,... 'Wha' the hell was that?!' My experience is that the Belgians are an intriguing folk. For lack of a better word, i'd say they are downright quirky in the nicest way. But this...was highly unusual.

So today, Marko went online to see if he could figure out where we were when we saw this and what it was. Turns out that the giant man is standing in front of HM International in Waregem. The owner of the company, Hervé Missiaen, started a project called 'Artists Meet Business'. Several works of art were installed in front of the company to promote this project, the latest work being 'De Cycloop', also known as 'Éénoog'(One Eye), by the Italian artist Marco Boggio-Sella.

Originally 'De Cycloop' was butt naked but Hervé thought it was a bit much, possibly even a danger to travelers along the highway. So what did Hervé do? He had some custom-made tiger-print underpants made for 'Éénoog'. This didn't last long though. Herve soon received agitated phonecalls and not long after...Eenoogs underpants were stolen!

Well i say, YES!... Yes, let the giant stand gazing with his one eye across the E17 in all his natural glory and YES, let there be more weird shit in the world. This is awesome. I love Eenoog. Most importantly, let's hope that in the future many more business- men and women are as inventive and supportive of the arts as Hervé. I like this Hervé dude. I mean come on, he even invested an extra 500,- euro's of his own cash to buy the big guy some decent underpants. This is a nice guy. In any case, seeing ole' One Eye adorned in just a twinkly star was definitely a very jolly start to our holiday season.

Swingin' Christmas Sounds from Rotterdam

2011-12-09T14:23:00.001+01:00

This city is bursting with talent. Plenty of great music. Here's a really cool band called the Kik with 'A Christmas Song For You'. You'll love the video. There are lots of well known characters from Rotterdam in it including the multi-talented and oh-so-much-fun Marly In Space! She's the cute one sittin' on the couch.

So, here's to the insanity of the holiday season. Let's Rumble!

Hubert Sumlin, Guitarist for Howlin' Wolf, Dies at 80

2011-12-06T11:44:00.001+01:00

Man, i LOVE listening to Howlin' Wolf but you can't talk about the Wolf without talkin' about Hubert Sumlin. Hubert and the Wolf we're one. Together, they were one potent force. Both such beautiful characters. Here's a clip of Hubert talkin' about his time with the Wolf and showin' off like he does best. Rest In Peace, Hubert.

Belgium here we come!

2011-11-08T13:45:00.002+01:00

This Sunday we (The Uke Box) will be performing at Ukulele Sur Meuse in Belgium. They host an event every two months which includes an Open Mic, Performances AND Good Food. (Those Belgians can cook y'all, not to mention they brew the best beer in the world.) We are really looking forward to it. If you are somewhere close by, come out and see us, we'd love to meet you!

Unconsumption

2011-11-08T10:17:00.000+01:00

Yesterday, my work was featured on one of my favorite blogs, 'Unconsumption'. Unconsomption is "your daily source of inspiration for creative reuse and mindful consumption", something i applaud whole heartedly and am very proud to be a part of.

I especially enjoy their articles on upcycling which demonstrate how extraordinary things can be created from ordinary, throw-away objects while at the same time saving money and our natural resources. Who can argue with that?

Visit them today and get inspired! You'll see amazing things, like this roof covered in vinyl. WOW!

The Uke Box welcomes The Mighty Uke to Rotterdam!

2011-11-02T23:39:00.000+01:00

On Friday the 11th of November

at Rotabs StyleCenter

Zaagmolenkade 46

3035KA Rotterdam

'The Uke Box' presents

The premier of the documentary

"Mighty Uke"

The Amazing Comeback

of a Musical Underdog

The Film

MIGHTY UKE travels the world to discover why so many people of different nations, cultures, ages and musical tastes are turning to the ukulele to express themselves, connect with the past, and with each other. From the Redwoods of California through the gritty streets of Paris, from swinging London through Tokyo’s highrise canyons to Hawaii, ukers tell the story of the people’s instrument: The Mighty Uke

Meet The Makers

Canadian Film Makers, Tony Coleman & Margaret Meagher will be there to introduce the film and answer any of your questions afterwards. And, they're going to bring their ukuleles!

The Mighty Uke Road Show

Following the film, huge ukulele hilarity will commence! Bring your ukulele and join in the Big Damn Ukulele Play Along. Click here to download the songbook! You say you don't have a ukulele?! No worries, The Jumping Flea Market will be set up where you can purchase a ukulele starting at just 35,- euro's.

There will also be an Open Mic. Show us your 'U Factor'! And, there will also be a special performance by Aaron Lee from the good ol' USA. He's going to tell us all about the ukulele tour he made on his bicycle and play us some songs from his new album, The Ukulele Project.

Be A Winner!

Everyone who purchases a Mighty Uke DVD or T-Shirt will have a chance at winning this super cool Kala-Brand 'Mighty Uke' Soprano Ukulele. WOW!

7pm:

Doors Open

Enjoy a drink, a snack & ukulele intermezzos

7:45pm till 9:20pm:

Film Starts

with an introduction by the filmmakers

Tony Coleman & Margaret Meagher

±10:00pm

Mighty Uke Road Show

Big Damn Play Along,

Open Mic & Performances

Midnight:

End

Admittance:

10,- Euro's

BRING YOUR UKULELE

& RECEIVE A €2,50 DISCOUNT

AT THE DOOR!

Pre Sales via PayPal

Kies voor één of meer tickets

The advent of All Hallows' Eve draws nigh

2011-10-28T01:16:00.011+02:00

Man, i really loved Halloween as a kid. Carving the pumpkin, making my own costume, going into the haunted house at the school carnival with (gripped to) my grandpa, the cake walk and all the CANDY. So much damn candy. Good grief. What a feest! I remember that on the days following Halloween we would play board games and gamble our penny candy which of course ended up in a brawl. Here in Holland there isn't much Halloween to speak of. Booo!

Halloween reminds me of another thing that i've always loved. Classic & Cult Horror Movies. When i was little mom used to let me stay up and we'd watch them together real late at night. It was so thrilling. But there was one man in particular that seriously scared the living daylights out of me.

Vincent Price. I was TERRIFIED of him. And not just in horror movies. Even if he was on a talk show or a commercial. TERRIFIED. I used to have this little blanket which we called my security blanket. I toted it along with me all the time. (till i was about 23 and my dog ate half of it) When Vincent Price would come on the TV I'd hide under it. But of course i was also enthralled... so i would peek. Vincent Price. Look at that face. Nowadays of course, i've grown to ADORE him. I even find him,... sexually exciting. I know. It's crazy but i can't help it. I'm also strongly attracted to Harpo Marx.

There are lots of great Vincent Price movies. I haven't even seem them all but here is a great one you may not know. The Abominable Dr. Phibes. Not only is Vincent disturbing in a most attractive way, the sets and the costumes and the colors are FAR OUT & GROOVY! The opening scene and the typography used for the opening credits alone are stunning. I recommend it highly. Enjoy the tricks and treats, y'all and be safe!

Do-It-Yourself Ukulele Article from 1955

2011-10-20T10:37:00.001+02:00

This was sent to me from my Belgian friend, Karl Catteeuw. It suggests using a bed leg for the neck and the back of a closet for the body. Won't Mom be happy!

Don't believe everything you read

2011-10-19T13:11:00.000+02:00

"We Are OPEN, Come on in!"
Last weekend i did some sign painting. This 'Open' sign is for the new store we will be opening soon...Woohooo! I haven't blogged about this yet because i'm a bit superstitious. I don't like talking about projects until they are fleshed out and nearly ready otherwise, i have the feeling that if you talk about these things too early, it may never flesh out. We've had some set backs with the renovations (who doesn't?) and had to set our opening date back a little. So, we're not actually 'OPEN' yet but pretty soon, it's going to be one swinging place!

A Diddley Bow on Lonnie Pitchford's Gravestone

2011-10-05T22:30:00.000+02:00

Lonnie Pitchford (October 8, 1955 – November 8, 1998) was an American blues musician and instrument maker from Lexington, Mississippi. He was notable in that he was one of only a handful of young African American musicians from Mississippi who had learned and was continuing the Delta blues and country blues traditions of the older generations.

In addition to the acoustic and electric guitar, Pitchford was also skilled at the one-string guitar and diddley bow, a one-string instrument of African origin.

If you look closely at the picture you will see a Diddley Bow permantly mounted to the right-hand side of his gravestone.

In this wonderful documentary by Alan Lomax called 'The Land Where The Blues Began' you can see and hear Lonnie Pitchford demonstrating his amazing technique on the Diddley Bow beginning at 3:58.

Make a miniature of your cat with his own fur!

2011-10-04T16:59:00.000+02:00

To carry on the tradition we started last year, Atticus and i made something cool together to celebrate World Animal Day.

Last year we made Bad Dog Paté. Kind of hard to top that one but we finally came up with an amazing project. We made a mini-Atticus out of his fur!

Follow the pictures and instructions below to make your own...

Click on the images to ZOOM.

1. Collect Fur
2. Spread Fur into a 'sheet'
3. Cut out mold from cardboard
4. Wrap mold in plastic
5. Cover mold in fur
6. Dip into soapy water
7. Press wet fur around mold
8. Squeeze in a towel to remove moisture
9. Cut the tail from the bottom and remove mold.

Extra Tips:
The cat-fur felt can be shaped a bit while it is damp to get the right form. Once it has dried you can embellish with beaded eyes or a little collar. Oh, and if you have some fur left, roll it up in a tight ball using the same method above. Your cat will adore playing with it.

For more amazing cat-fur projects check out this book: Crafting with Cat Fur by Kaori Tsutaya

3 Ukulele Craft Projects

2011-10-01T00:55:00.003+02:00

Download the free PDF from pizzabytheslice.com, print and fold your own paper ukulele!
Do y'all remember gravel art? I think we had a gravel art rooster in our kitchen when i was growing up. Make this fab 60's gravel-art inspired ukulele by following the instructions on HGTV. GROOVY! And check out this Mini Ukulele Quilt. Download this funky pattern for just 5 bucks from The Sometimes Crafter

Moving out of Shabbyville and heading Downtown

2011-09-29T00:11:00.003+02:00

I used to have one of the most beautiful wardrobes in town but, that was back in the day when i was studying to be a tailor and spent all of my time sewing. Yes, i'm actually a tailor by trade. Absolutely loved pattern making and became a pretty damn good seamstress to boot. Just couldn't stand my clients to be honest. The last thing i made professionally was a wedding dress. She was lucky to make it to the alter...i thought i was going to have to shoot her.

Anyway, The last 5 years, since working from home, my wardrobe has become quite shabby to put it mildly. The only nice clothes i have are the ones i perform in but my daily garb is pretty sad. So, I've decided to spiffy myself up. Kind of difficult though since I'm pretty much starting from scratch. I figured the best thing to do would be to get some really good basics. My choices are inspired by the 1940's, Film Noir, Men's Wear & Harpo Marx. I'm still working on it, but here are some of the pieces i have acquired.
Playsuit: Rumble59
Swing Trousers: HeyDey Vintage
Vest: 2nd Hand Market in Rotterdam
Wingtip Shoes: Zinda
Classic White T-Shirts: HEMA
Grey Knitted Shawl: City Market in Rotterdam
Men's black hat: 2nd hand market
Stockings (without holes in them!): HEMA

Oh, and i received this fantastic pattern in the mail this week which i purchased from MoonStar's Etsy Store. 4 great pieces in one pattern. Fabulous! Don't know when in the hell i'll find time to make them but i can't wait to give it a shot.

You know, I haven't really thought about fashion in quite a while. I've just been so busy creating other things. But i'm really enjoying the thought of being stylish once again. The Tom-Boy in me loves running around in my beat-up overalls but the Southern Belle just adores being a lady. So, Here's to needles and threads!

Pulp Accordions

2011-09-28T00:50:00.003+02:00

'Accordion Crimes' is an incredibly entertaining book by E. Annie Proulx. It follows the life of an accordion over a 100 year period telling the unfortunate tales of the personages that come to own the instrument. The journey begins in Italy where the accordion is made and follows it to the new world beginning in New Orleans. The story involves an amazing myriad of cultures, landscapes and is a really fascinating look into the experience of the many immigrants to the United States. I recommend it highly!

And, look at these amazing Paper Toy Accordions! Download & fold these paper accordions via paperfoldables.com and Canon.

Split-pen, accordion-playing paper doll, perfect for a stop motion animation. And, while you are making your nifty accordion paper crafts, how about listening to the Accordion Crimes Radio Show. Have fun, y'all.

Celebrate Animal Day on the 4th of October By Treating Your Dog to a Beer. A BEER?!

2011-09-20T17:55:00.004+02:00

We received this little advertisement paper from our local pet store in the mail yesterday. Let me first translate what the Dutch suggest are fitting presents for your four footers on World Animal Day and then please click on the images to ZOOM and be dazzled:

'Kwispel Honden Bier' or 'Wagging Tail Doggy Beer', alchohol free of course. And what's a beer without a pizza!? I swear that i didn't photoshop this or make it up. And to really get the party going, (I LOVE this part) what about some 'Back-to-the-80's Rubber Chickens dressed up like the Village People'. Man, dogs have all the fun, don't they?. They also sell something called the 'Furminator'. DANG, the dog get's a beer and a pizza and your cat gets the Furminator?! That doesn't quite seem fair, now does it?

Now, i was so puzzled by all of this that i read the next item as a 'Crab Ramp'. I envisioned hermit crabs with numbers painted on their shells having their own little crash-'m-up derby or something. Actually the dutch word 'krab' does mean 'Crab' but in this instance it takes on it's other meaning which is 'scratch'. This is actually a scratching ramp for cats. But who knows, if you have a pet Hermit Crab, they might dig it too. I mean, if a dog can have a beer and a pizza then a hermit crab is entitled to his own stunt equipment, right?

So follow the Dutch's advice... Buy your dog some beer on October the 4th and get wasted with your pet while munching pizza on the couch and torturing the cat with the Furminator... Yeehaw!

Guerilla Gardening & Vegaphonics @ Lowlands

2011-09-07T17:05:00.000+02:00

Marko & i joined Premsela @ Lowlands for some Guerilla Gardening. Premsela gave away sunflowers in pots which they encouraged the festival goers to plant in amazing places around the festival grounds. The stand itself was a two story vertical garden full of edible plants. Inside you could make seed bombs, do some cooking or make your own natural sun tan lotion.

Marko & i conducted a vegaphonic workshop during which we made flutes from carrots. Each flute could be measured on our 'Peen-O-Meter'(Carrot Tuner) and then cut to the desired note. In the afternoon we assembled a group together and made a Human Carrot Pan Flute. What a hoot! And you know, it's amazing how damn happy you can make someone with a carrot. Oh, and we even got a mention on 3VOOR12!

Rowing on Lake Rotte

2011-09-07T14:35:00.001+02:00

This was the most horrible summer i can remember. It RAINED like hell and then it RAINED some more. This was one of the few days we were able to get out into the sun. Marko rowed me around the beautiful lake while i played the ukulele for him.

Home Made Market in Den Hague

2011-09-04T01:00:00.002+02:00

Marko and i will have a booth at the Home Made Market filled with The Jumping Flea Market's Mostly Musical Wonders & Curiosities and we'll be giving half hour Ukulele Interventions (workshops for aspiring ukulele players) all through the day for just 3,- euro's.

In between, we'll be making some sounds and try to stir things up with the washtub bass and the singing saw. YOWZA!

Come down and join us on the Prinshendrikstraat in Den Hague and enjoy many booths full of hand made treasures, vintage lushness, crafty culinary goodness and much more. See you there!

Lowbrow Art in the Farmhouse

2011-08-31T18:49:00.003+02:00

On Saturday the 17th of September Annemarie Hooghuis & Howlin' Quin de Vreede are having an opening at their amazing farmhouse. They will be exhibiting their artwork and there will be music, beer, barnyard animals & wacky-ness. Speaking of wacky-ness, I too will be exhibiting some of my artwork there and will perform together with Marko as 'The Uke Box' in the afternoon.

I'm really looking forward to this. Quin & Annemarie are such great fun not to mention very talented, exciting artists. Oh, and they have kick-ass taste in music. Always swinging! So come on over and join us if you're close to Rotterdam. It's 'Guaranteed To Swoon' y'all!

Click on the image to ZOOM.

Once Upon A Time In The West

2011-08-27T20:18:00.006+02:00

This is our version of 'Cheyenne'.

I forgot about this video. Or maybe i tried to block it out because i look like i got hit by a flower delivery truck. None the less, an obscure part of our show from the XS/XL Show during Museum Night 2010 at the Historic Museum Rotterdam. Oh, and that's René 'Polygoon' Verberne on the bass!

The Next Guided Tour Starts At...

2011-08-25T19:34:00.002+02:00

Just finished painting this sign for the Vistors Center at the Kinderdijk. (Actually looks nicer in person. For some reason i just couldn't get the true colors to come through in the photograph.) I'm really getting into this sign painting. I do need some better brushes though and i WANT some '1Shot'. '1Shot' is the big-damn-sign-paintin' business. Expensive though and hard to find around these parts. Can't wait to try it out. Even the can is gorgeous and take a look at those colors. YUM.

One Little Raindrop

2011-08-24T14:20:00.000+02:00

I heard this song last week on Radio Dismuke. It's so damn charming. Definitely want to put this great old tune in our repertoire.

Luckily, i found the sheet music which was included in the Vintage Ukulele Sheet Music DVD that i ordered from Ian Chadwick. I recommend this DVD to anyone who loves vintage tunes. The DVD contains more than 2000 files of sheet music available for just 10 bucks! I can't even imagine how many hours of scanning went into this. What a treat!

Anyway, since this has been the rainiest summer i can remember this song seems very appropriate.

The Elegance of a Hand Saw

2011-08-22T23:34:00.002+02:00

"Duifje"
Small handsaw i picked up at the market for a couple of Euro's. Printed on the wooden handle, in a wonderful letter type i might add, is 'Duifje', meaning 'Little Dove', a common Dutch pet name for a sweetheart.

Photograph from a 1930's Musical Saw Instructional Booklet

Der Rote Sarafan
I've never heard two Singing Saws played in harmony. I wonder if Marko would like to learn to play the saw?

And lastly, visit Bad Axe Tool Works for some Vintage Hand Saw Goodness.

A Visit to the Paint-By-Number Salon

2011-08-19T12:25:00.000+02:00

I have a collection of really awful/fantastic Paint-By-Number paintings, which you can see here. But my collection is nothing compared to this!...

Let's Limberjack

2011-08-17T19:59:00.003+02:00

A LimberJack is also known as a Jig Doll, SlapJack, JiggerMan, LimberJim, LimberJill, Dancin' Dan, or Paddle Puppet, particularly common in the Appalachain region in the United States but probably originates in the 'Old World'.

I have seen these before and i loved how the dolls were built and the automation of the figure but quite honestly found it pretty damn irritating to listen to after a short while. You see, these dolls are actually a percussion instrument as the figure 'tap dances' with the help of a paddle. But today i saw this video of a gal named Trish. Now this is some good LimberJacking. Quite humorous as well...

I looked around a bit and found some pretty cool Limberjacks available online. Here's one in doggy form made (and played) by Miss Mary Lee. Her Limberjacks are available at Piper Grove

She also makes a frog Limberjack and a plain one which you could embellish yourself. There are also LimberJack Kits available at Prairie Wind Toys. Excellent gift to find in your shoe from St. Nicolas or in your stocking from Santa! A Limberjack would also be quite easy to make from scratch. Tip: The best Dancing Jacks have an articulated ankle. For more information about Dancing Dans and Limber Jims, visit Chris Brady's Jig Doll Page.

Home Made Pianos

2011-08-09T16:23:00.003+02:00

In my last post i shared an article about how to make your own bottle piano, which i really want to make. By coincidence, my buddy Harm ('Goslink') posted a photograph online this morning of a piano he had made. Man, this is the coolest piano ever. Just look at it!...
By the way, speaking of 'the coolest ever', you have bought the Goslink CD already, haven't you?!!!
via Goslink

Un Piano a Bouteilles

2011-08-06T10:19:00.001+02:00

Via Agence Eureka

Financial Matters (Or do they?) and Root Vegatables

2011-08-06T00:21:00.002+02:00

In my last post i was telling about our financial disaster. About 6 days after that post, Marko received a letter saying he was owed some back taxes from 2009, which completely covered the disaster with a little to spare! But, A few days after that, we got another letter that took away that little bit to spare and then some. So, at the end of the day, i guess we are out of the disaster zone but are now back to being just plain broke.

And what have we learned from all of this crap? Don't waste your time FREAKING OUT. It comes and it goes. As long as there is love in the house, that is the only damn thing that matters, right? And LOVE is definitely in the house. Of course the trick, for me, is to remember this the next time i'm FREAKING OUT.

And now i will conclude with something completely different. Here is a little slide show of a lovely spring day we spent at the Rotterdam Zoo drilling holes in carrots. Roll 'em...

A very different summer...

2011-07-25T22:40:00.001+02:00

Marko and i taking a musical break on the sidewalk
Photo courtesy of Sanne Donders

Yep, a very different summer than what we planned. SIGH Kind of a bummer. We had just finished up 3 projects at the end of June and we're feeling pretty proud of ourselves and looking forward to a well deserved break when financial disaster struck BIG TIME. CRAP!

I spent a week trying not to cry, but did, and trying to figure out how in the hell we were to go on. And yes, we've come up with a plan. However, we've had to completely re-arrange our plans which unfortunately meant canceling several trips to visit friends and play, so that sucks. (We love you, Dublin, we'll be there next year for sure).

Anyway, although our funds are depleted, we thankfully have lots of materials and tools to work with so we are busy fixing up our front room. It used to be a store and we are going to renovate it into a Music Salon. (I believe it was actually a music store once, but more about that later) It'll be a place where we can exhibit our Ukuleles, Homemade- Instruments and Amps & Art Work. We'll also host small workshops in this space. After the salon is finished we'll be working on getting some more pieces done to fill it up and will also be working on our musical act, planning projects & figuring out some creative fund raising techniques. Thus, a major summer TO-DO list. Thankfully, after a week of cussing, tears and too much drinking, i've regained my positive attitude and am just looking at this time as a new phase in our creative career. Very curious what the coming cultural season will bring.

I really hope you all are enjoying your summer. Take Care & Have Fun!

The Swan Market

2011-07-25T21:00:00.000+02:00

There is a new 'lifestyle' market in my neighborhood (Rotterdam North) called the Swan Market. There you can find design items, crafts, vintage goods, affordable art, good eats and everything in between. It's really wonderful and a great thing for the neighborhood. Marko and i set up a booth with all of our goods from The Jumping Flea Market & also played a bit of music at the spring edition. Here's a look...
Me & Romano behind the stand
Some of our cool handmade & vintage wares from 'The Jumping Flea Market'
Paul Blom testing 'The Maritza'

Get In That Kitchen & Rattle Those Pots & Pans

2011-07-12T12:25:00.000+02:00

Ukulelezaza playing my Baritone Cigar Box Ukulele...

2011-07-01T11:12:00.001+02:00

Last Friday at the 15th Ukulele Jamboree during Route du Nord at Rotabs Style Center i raffled off one of my Cigarbox Ukes. Amazingly, Ukulelezaza won it! When he got home he made a video of himself playing it. So wonderful to hear my instrument played by one of the best. WAAAA! This is so FAB...

Presenting... 'AIRWAVES'

2011-06-21T23:03:00.003+02:00

Tonight, Marko and i finished up our Stop Motion Animation course. We really enjoyed it and we learned a hell of a lot. I'm afraid to say that we definitely want to do some more Stop Motion. Like we need one more creative endeavor to worry our heads over. And what an endeavour. Stop Motion Animation is movie making for slightly insane people. No shit.

Anyway, let me tell you about the film we made... We wanted to make something that we could possibly use for our duo, The Uke Box. So we came up with a scenario inspired by one of my paintings. We worked as such...I built the set and made the main character, Marko and i both worked on the actual animating and Marko did both the video and audio editing.

We had only 6 hours to film it. Originally, the film material was only 26 seconds long but Marko was able to edit it to a little over a minute. WOOHOOO! Yep, we're real excited about a whole damn minute. That's how insane Stop Motion is. This film was shot at 12 frames per second but normally it's 24 frames per second. Like i said...it's movie making for insane people. But it's a beautiful process. Like magic when you see it come to life. So, here is our primitive yet hopefully entertaining first Stop Motion Animation Film. It's called 'AIRWAVES'. Don't Blink...Roll 'Em!

The Le Hoyo Cigarbox Amp

2011-06-20T01:48:00.000+02:00

Marko & i made this tiny amp in a Le Hoyo Cigar Box.
2 1/2 Watts of Awesomeness!

Come see the Windmills AND Learn to Ukulele!

2011-06-17T10:06:00.003+02:00

Tomorrow is World Heritage Day which we will be celebrating at The Kinderdijk. The Kinderdijk is an amazing area close to Rotterdam which has 19 windmills. 19! We visited last week to scout the location and it is truly amazing.

We'll be performing and giving several ukulele workshops during the day between 12 and 5pm. Come on down and join us. Oh, and if it rains, come on down anyway...we'll be playing in this adorable whispering boat touring the canals around the windmills! Check in at the Visitors Center where you will find this handpainted sign i made yesterday which tells you when the next workshop is or...just follow your ears!

More about the 15th Edition of the Ukulele Jamboree!

2011-06-16T13:51:00.000+02:00

I realized that i had posted the flyer for The Ukulele Jamboree without any further information, which isn't handy unless you speak Dutch. So, let me elaborate, because this is going to be One Hell Of A Show!...
24th of June
Friday 7pm
ROTABS StyleCenter
Rotterdam, Nederland
The Uke Box will present it’s 15th Edition of the Ukulele Jamboree. Additionally, we’ll be celebrating the opening night of ‘Route du Nord’, the art route of Rotterdam Noord. In lieu of this special occasion we've got some very super-duper-extra-special things planned...

STARS! Award-winning Uni & Her Ukulele from California will be performing! Yes, Uni is on her way to Rotterdam! (I can't wait to meet Uni. SO Talented and i LOVE her style. And, I so hope that she'll let me play the washtub bass & the singing saw with her.)

PRIZES!
We’ll be raffeling off this beautiful hand-crafted Cigarbox Ukulele. (Made by Me!) Make a donation to The Uke Box and hopefully we'll pull your lucky number from the hat and you can walk away with this one-of-a-kind, folk-art instrument. Click on the image to ZOOM!

Plus Extreme Uke Madness, DJ Hokum, Dancing & Good Food! Also during the night there will be a Ukulele- Workshop, Performances, Open Mic, Expo & Market. Plus, DJ Hokum will be spinning his 78’s, The Oyster Shucker will be there and ROTABS will be serving up Soup, Tortillas and HOTDOGS before and during the show! After the Ukulele Jamboree the party will continue on deep into the night with DJ’s, Dancing & Fun! See you there!

Stop! Motion, continued...

2011-06-11T22:07:00.001+02:00

Okay, so Marko and i are taking this Stop Motion Animation course, right. During the third lesson we were given some plasticine and told to animate it. This is what happened. (Marko is in blue, and i am in red.)

Since starting this course, we've been investigating this Stop Motion business and we've found some amazing things. Last time i introduced you (although i don't think he needed an introduction) to PES. Now i would like to introduce a pioneer of animation and quite likely someone you don't know.

Karel Zeman, (November 3, 1910 - April 5, 1989) was a Czech film director, artist, production designer and animator. Here you can see Part 1 of a documentary called 'The Special Effects of Karel Zemen'. The full documentary can be viewed on YouTube. To view some of Karel Zeman's films, skidaddle on over to Network Awesome. Oh and i suggest checking out Network Awesome's Video archive. They don't lie. It IS awesome! Who can resist this episode of Elektra Woman & Dyna Girl?!

My Cigarbox Ukulele Plans available via BUST magazine!

2011-06-10T10:41:00.007+02:00

I wrote a DIY Cigarbox Ukulele article for BUST magazine's June/July Music edition. (Sneak preview here). In the magazine is a short version of the instructions but the complete instructions, with photographs of the building process, are available for download via BUST Magazine website. These instructions will enable you to build the cigarbox ukulele that you see here which i built for less than 20 bucks! Happy Building!

The Uke Box presents: Ukulele Jamboree Nr.15!!!

2011-06-07T13:07:00.002+02:00

Fashionable DIY Knitwear For Your Ukulele

2011-06-03T21:29:00.003+02:00

Is this too much woolly cuteness or what?! Actually, for me, the pink one actually is too much cuteness, but i do love the green striped one.

The great thing about these ukulele bags, designed by Wendy Bernard of Knit & Tonic (great name), is that you can knit them yourself by following the free pattern available on the Hana Hou website.

The perfect summer project i'd say and an especially fitting gift for your favorite ukulele girlfriend who doesn't know how to knit. : )

The Uke Box LOVES Belgium, Part 1

2011-06-03T17:52:00.003+02:00

For the last three and half months Marko and i have been working with 53 kids to form a ukulele orchestra at a special-needs school in Eeklo, Belgium. Last night was the big concert for over 200 friends & family in a lovely theater and oh my, just thinking of it gives me a lump in my throat. I have so much to tell about it. It's a big story envolving some amazing people with a beautiful conclusion. Let me start with a great clip from the Belgian News, Station AVS.
(English transcript below)

Anchorwoman:
Today, students from the special educational school in Eeklo have had their last ukulele rehearsal. The ukulele is a 4-string instrument resembling a small guitar. For the lessons, the school made an appeal to The Uke Box, a ukulele duo from Rotterdam, The Netherlands. On Wednesday, June the 1st they perform together with the childeren in the cultural center in Adegem.
(music: Ome Kobus by the Amazing Stroopwafels)
Reporter:
"With a colorful ukulele at the ready and a few simple chords, the students follow the lead of their ukulele instructors with great concentration. Most of these children had never heard of the miniature guitar (their words, not mine) yet, the school choose this sympathetic instrument."
Rik Baerdemaeker, instigator of the project and all-round super dude:
"We really wanted to do something different with the music lessons instead of playing the recorder or the classical school isntruments. At a Ukulele Festival in Sint Niklaas i saw 'The Uke Box' at work. They had a workshop method for beginning ukulele players and spontaneously i thought that this must be possible to apply at this school."
Reporter:
"The Dutch ukulele duo, 'The Uke Box' have given diverse ukulele workshops. In our country it is a premier that elementary school children have exchanged the recorder for the ukulele."
Marko, my Big Squeeze and Ukulele Master:
"Master Rik (here they call teachers 'Meester') saw us giving a workshop at the Belgian Ukulele Festival and he thought it was a great idea to attempt a Ukulele Intervention here at this school. We are moving along quite rapidly and it's been lots fun. You get some much energy back. It's been just great."
Reporter:
"If the ukulele will replace the recorder at all elementary schools has yet to be answered but here in Eeklo the ukulele is very popular."
Rik de Baerdemaeker:
"It is just a very very nice, friendly, pleasant instrument. Everyone can start to learn it quite easily and quickly. In this way, making music becomes accessible to everyone including the kids from this school. It is a social project where the children learn to play and make music together and they realize that they can very quickly achieve something which gives them the feeling of becoming musicians in a small way. And everyone who wants to can be a musician."
Reporter:
"In two weeks the children will be performing with their Eeklo Ukulele Orchestra together with 'The Uke Box' at a sold out show."
(music: Stand By Me... well, almost, by Ben E. King)
Marko:
"Okay now, fade out..."

Stop! Motion...

2011-06-03T17:50:00.001+02:00

Last year for Christmas, i gave Marko (& myself) an 8 week Stop-Motion Animation Course. We started 3 weeks ago and it's pretty damn cool. I've always loved Stop-Motion. Our instructor, Gerben Agterber, is great. So enthousiastic, you can tell he really loves this craft.

For our first animation, we had to make a coin 'bounce'. The trick is getting the right timing as well as the right movement. Tonight we had two challenges: With the jointed figures that we constructed we first had to raise the arms into action and in the second film we had to throw something. Here are our first attempts at Stop-Motion Animation:

"The Bouncing Coin"
"Marko Throws A Ball At My Head"
&
"Marko & i High Five, BAM!"

Since starting this course we've been investigating a lot of Stop-Motion Animation online. We've found all kinds of amazing things, which i will eventually share with you, but i'd like to start with...PES! What is particularly genius about PES his use of everyday objects to simulate other objects or creatures that he wishes to portray in his films. Here are two of my favorites, 'The Deep' & another one you may know (been watched 6 million times on YouTube) 'Western Spaghetti'. Please click here to see more of PES's amazing animated world.

I AM SO BUST-ed!

2011-05-29T23:29:00.005+02:00

I wrote a DIY Cigar Box Ukulele article for the Music Edition of BUST Magazine and it's finally out. Woohoo! I haven't actually seen it but i do have these images from the sneak-peek edition on Issuu.

To any BUST readers visiting my website...WELCOME! Oh, and should you actually make the ukulele in the article, I would absolutely love to see it so be sure to tell me about it. Many Thanks to Lisa Butterworth for asking me to write the article. It was truly an ever-lovin', pain-in-the-ass to write, (you ever tried to write instructions?...DANG.) but worth every cussing minute of it!

The 'Castella Matic' Amp, 1 Watt of Awesomeness!

2011-05-15T17:30:00.000+02:00

This is Marko and i's first building collaboration. I designed it, he built it. I'm pretty sure this is the cutest damn amplifier in the history of amplifiers. I love it! Which is a problem. I love the Amps and the Slide Guitars which we are building so much that i don't want to sell them, which is what we built them for. CRAP! Video coming soon of the 'Maritza' and the 'Hugin' Lassie' being played through the 'Castella Matic' Amp!

The 'Hugin' Lassie'

2011-05-05T16:39:00.002+02:00

This is my latest 3-string Cigarbox Slide Guitar. It actually got off to a real bad start when i was cutting the headstock. Look at that cut (picture to the right). Pathetic. But in the end, the 'bad cut' actually resulted in a great headstock with an unusual but wonderful organic form. The 'mistake' actually gave it a lot of character.

Like my other instruments, i tried to assemble this guitar with found or reclaimed materials. The cigarbox was picked up at the Cigar Store for free & the hardwood for the neck was found on the street. The 'Lassie' figure at the top as well as the 'Hugin' emblem on the neck and the skeleton key at the bridge were bought at the flea market for a few cents a piece. My buddy Tjeert who works at a music store close by gave me a bunch of used tuners. (Thanks Tjeert!)

Lastly, this guitar, like the 'Maritza', can be plugged in thanks to Marko's wiring abilities. Video coming soon!

Come See THE BIG DAMN UKULELE BAND!!!

2011-05-04T23:38:00.022+02:00

ON SUNDAY the 22nd May
in Café HalfWatt at the Nivon Center
on the DirkSmitsstraat 76, 3031 XE Rotterdam Crooswijk
THE BIG DAMN UKULELE BAND
begins at 8pm
With supporting act
'The Uke Box'
And, starting at 5pm
Good Eats from Andre for just 5- euro
WOW, See You There!

De Bende van Oss

2011-04-22T11:05:00.002+02:00

Suddenly, i find myself working on a big-shot movie here in Holland. What am i doing? I'm WRANGLING! That means, i'm gathering all the extra's.

I'm looking for 80 extra's for the Historic Crime Film, 'Bende van Oss'. And, i need them fast! The filming will take place in Rotterdam and/or Den Hague. Are you interested in being styled in 1930's garb and appearing in the movie? Click Here for Information (In Dutch)

Now, i know this is going to be tough since most people have to work, but... Just think if this becomes a classic!!? It's got some damn good actors in it and the stills look amazing. I would love for it to be filled with all my friends, especially from my adopted Home Town, Rotterdam. Ah, screw your job folks. Let's make a MOVIE!

Ah, Springtime!

2011-04-21T19:27:00.002+02:00

I love the little surprises that pop up in the garden...Forget-Me-Nots, ButterCups and, hmmm, I wonder what the beautiful purple bud is? I didn't plant any of them. Some are considered weeds. I don't get the concept of weeds. I think most weeds are beautiful. Oh and grass, let's talk about grass. All of you mowing yourself silly. I'm here to tell you there is another way. Just let it go, man! Just mow paths through it. The rest, sprinkle some wild flower seeds in it and let it go mad. You will have a beautiful grassy meadow in no time with lots of butterflies. Ah, Springtime!

Cigar Box Fiddle & A Branch Bow

2011-04-18T14:09:00.002+02:00

Image courtesy of Red Dog Guitars

Vending Machine Coolness

2011-04-03T21:03:00.004+02:00

Saw these on the Nieuwe Binnenweg in Rotterdam in front of the COOP today. Voodoo Doll & Bling Teeth Vending Machines. For REAL!!? No way man, fake Gold Teeth or a Voodoo Doll for just 1 Euro!! TOO COOL.

*Much bumbling around trying to find a damn euro in one of my many pockets without dropping my bicycle loaded down with all my Flea Market Finds on the sidewalk...*

And yes, I had just 1 Euro. Hmmm... Difficult choice. Now if it would have been Saturday Night, I would of course had to have gone for a good set of 'Bling Teeth' (click on the image to ZOOM and observe the Gold Toothed Awesomeness). But seeing that it was a Sunday afternoon...i went for the Voodoo Doll.

Looks like she's got NightShade flowers behind her ears and a Gris-Gris Bag. Whooooooooa. Look out BITCHES!

Flea Market Finds!

2011-04-03T19:18:00.005+02:00

Dang, I LOVE going to a good Flea Market! One of the best ones in Rotterdam takes place some Sundays at the Heemraadsplein. There is also a large market every Tuesday and Saturday with a 2nd hand section. It's okay, it used to be better. Lots of junk but definitely a treasure hidden here and there. Here is what we found at the Flea Market today...

I was on the lookout for uh, 'do-dads' to ummm, 'artsify' my Cigar Box Instruments. These emblems are great for embellishing the headstock and giving the instrument personality. Although, i must say, i really like that award. I might just keep that and wear it as a pin. It reads, 'Burger Wacht - 7 Mei, 1938'.

Brown Patent Leather Shoes with Bows and Golden Heels for 3 euro's & a Vintage Suitcase to add to my collection for €10!

Some beautifully rusted Skeleton Keys to use as bridges on some Cigar Box Slide Guitars for .50 euro cents a piece.

And lastly, a 'Sweet Tone Sopranino Ukulele' in it's original box for 3,- euro's. BAM, BABY! Marko's fixin' it up right now. Can't wait to hear it play. Oh, I just love Flea Markets!

First Day In The Garden

2011-04-02T19:22:00.000+02:00

It was beautiful in Holland today. Marko, Atticus & I went into the garden and cleaned out all of the leaves and dead branches and such. The ground was full of life. Lots of Snails, Moss and Worms. Atticus loves worms. One night he thought he'd like a slug too. He only made that mistake once. Kitty whiskers full of slug slime. YUK.

The Maritza, 3-string Cigar Box Guitar

2011-03-25T16:04:00.002+01:00

I have recently completed this 3-string slide guitar and i am VERY HAPPY with it indeed. Pretty damn elegant for a cigarbox i'd say. Sounds great too. Big smooching thank you to Marko. His slide playing expertise were very helpful in fine tuning the design. Oh, and his soldering technique helped me electrify it. You can plug this sucker in! Video coming soon...

Cigarbox Ukulele Inspiration

2011-03-25T11:13:00.003+01:00

You know how you look up something on Google and wind up finding something completely different but amazing. I was looking at different F-Hole forms on Google Images for my next cigarbox ukulele and came across these two nifty items on Etsy.

F-Hole Belt by Contrived to Charm
Cigarband Ring at BrightSmith

King Of The Urban Jungle

2011-03-23T15:48:00.001+01:00

I know that everybody thinks they have the cutest cat in the world. But, they are lying. Look how damn cute Atticus is. Just look at him!

He's the star of the Zaagmolenstraat. He hangs out in our shop window and flirts with all the folks passing by until they can't stand the cuteness anymore and whip out their telephone to take his photograph.

I think i'll make him a little tip jar outside of the window. Wouldn't do us any good though. He'd just blow all of his kitty cash on CHEEZIES.

Blues Legend Pinetop Perkins dies at 97

2011-03-22T10:26:00.011+01:00

Pinetop Perkins, one of the last old school Bluesmen from Belzoni Mississippi, died peacefully in his sleep last night. He had played the blues since the 20's, starting out on guitar but later turning to the piano after having been stabbed in the arm by a crazy damn woman.

He's probably best known for holding down the piano bench in Muddy Waters band for 12 years and he became the oldest man to win a Grammy just this past February for his work "Joined At The Hip" with Willie "Big Eyes" Smith for Best Traditional Blues CD.

Apparently Pinetop was about one of the nicest fella's you could come across. Not too surprising since Mississippians are usually very gracious folks if i may say so myself. The one thing that does really irritate me about Pinetop is that he smoked till the day he died. I'm trying to quit and i'm trying not to hurt anybody while i do it. Maybe that's why that woman stabbed Pinetop in the arm. She was probably trying to quit smoking and lost control. Boy would i love a smoke.

Well, there aren't many original Missisippi bluesman left. Makes me sad but boy am i thankful for him and his fellow blues players for giving us such amazing music that will surely be treasured forever. Pinetop will be layed to rest in Clarksdale Mississippi. Goodbye Pinetop.

Muddy Waters with Hollywood Fats 1973-09-25 door checker758

It's National Corndog Day!

2011-03-19T01:00:00.078+01:00

A special post for a special virtual friend and corndog connoisseur, Eric Schelander... Let's CORNDOG!

'What in the hell is a Corndog?', some of you may ask. Well, it's a hotdog coated in cornmeal batter and then fried on a stick and usually eaten with mustard. It's said that they were invented in Texas, which somehow isn't that big of a surprise, is it? YEEEHAW!

Since Erik and i don't live in the land of Corndogs we'll just have to make our own. Click here for the Corndog Recipe from the Hillbilly Housewife.

BUT BEWARE!: When in CornDog country, have respect for one another's corndog or some one is liable to get hurt, real bad.

In The Middle Of A Kiss

2011-03-14T21:36:00.000+01:00

From the 1935 Paramount Picture
"College Scandal"

Click Here to Download the Sheet Music with Ukulele Chords.

'A Fistfull of Carrots' - A Vegaphonic Soundtrack

2011-03-13T15:10:00.016+01:00

This musical composition was recorded using instruments made completely of vegetables (and 3 rubberbands). It was inspired by the soundtracks from such films as 'Once Upon A Time In The West', 'A Fistfull of Dollars', and 'The Good, The Bad And The Ugly' composed by Ennio Morricone. Marko and i call our composition...

'A Fistfull of Carrots'
composed by...
ONION Morricone.
*pause for knee slap*

Characters and Instruments:
Horse - Bottle Pumpkin Clapper
Steam Train - Bag of Onions & Paprika Shakers
Steam Train Whistle - Carrot Flutes
Notes of suspense - Pumpkin Guitar with Rubberband strings
The Hot Breeze - Baritone Carrot Flute
The Dripping - Pinto Bean dropped into a Pitcher of Water
Note: The dripping noise is meant to give you as the listener a 'view point' in the scene. Your standing on the train platform and there is a constant drip from a leaky water barrel close by.
Outlaw #1 - Winter Carrots 'walking' through Pinto Beans
Outlaw #2 - Leek 'walking' through Pinto Beans
Voice - Note: On this track there is a spoken conversation between the two outlaws. In the live version this 'conversation' takes place between a Cauliflower Trumpet and a Bottle Pumpkin Trumpet.
Gunshots - Carrot flutes played by popping your finger out of the mouth peice.

This composition was written especially for Museum Rotterdam and was executed on MuseumNacht 2011. Will we ever perform as The Vegaphonic Orchestra again? Yes, if you pay us a substantial amount of money. Have you ever tried tuning a carrot? I can tell ya, it ain't easy. : )

Cigarbox Guitars in the LA Times

2011-03-13T11:31:00.003+01:00

An excellent article was published in the LA Times today about Cigarbox Guitars written by reporter and music critic Randy Lewis. Also, there is an additional blog post on the LA Times website. On it, i came across this video of 3-string cigarbox player Pinecone Fletcher who became one of the grand finalists in last year's national “King of the Blues” competition sponsored by Guitar Center. Whoa Daddy-O...

Let's say you were going to buy just one ukulele CD...

2011-03-10T12:19:00.002+01:00

It would have to be this one! Ukulelezaza has just released his first solo CD and it's amazing. Ukulelezaza is the best traditional ukulele player i've ever heard. But, it's not just ukulele music on this CD. He's a multi-instrumentalist and an absolutely amazing musician.

On this CD he plays lots of vintage ukuleles (Martin, National, Ludwig) but also several other vintage instruments from his collection (National lapsteel, Vega plectrum banjo). Lots of multi-tracking backed up with double bass, accordion and/or acoustic guitar. The CD is just €12,- + €3,- shipping. If you like traditional jazz, hawaiian and stringband music in general, get your copy now!

FAT TUESDAY

2011-03-08T01:00:00.036+01:00

Oh man, it's Mardi Gras back home and boy i know i sure would like to be there. But since i can't be here's the next best thing. The sound of Mardi Gras! For me, that is Professor Longhair.

Never heard of him before? Oh boy, you're in for a treat. Here's a short profile about the Professor from NPR.

The Vegaphonic Orchestra on the News

2011-03-06T19:46:00.011+01:00

We made the 6 o'clock national evening news (Starts at 9:40) with the Vegaphonic Orchestra during Rotterdam's Museum Night! And even better, we also made it on the The 'Jeugd Journaal' which is a daily national news program for kids here in Holland. (Starts at :40)...

Of bekijk de flash versie.

Nachtverhalen&Dagdromen/NightTales&DayDreams

2011-03-05T23:55:00.083+01:00

The ingredients are all there in any case: provocative performances, thunderous dance, sparkling theater , enough fresh poetic words, lively music, interactive sound installations and great food. Late in the evening DJ's are there to loosen the hips.

Nachtverhalen&Dagdromen (NightTales&DayDreams)... But, what is the atmosphere of this new festival? Stories in the night surrounded by a certain magic: full of wonder, romance or perhaps alienation. The same goes for daydreaming. Can you even remember the last time you've had a nice daydream? What were your thoughts then, did the atmosphere ebb slowly back into your reality when you returned? Hold it tight! Hold it close and bring it to our festival. www.nachtverhalenendagdromen.nl

March 11&12
Het Schieblok
Schiekade 189
Rotterdam

The Vegaphonic Orchestra on Museum Night

2011-03-02T14:56:00.004+01:00

This Saturday, the 5th of March, Marko and i are conducting a Musical Vegetable workshop during Rotterdam's Museum Night at Het Historisch Museum, Het Schielandshuis. Uh, a WHAT?! Yes, we'll actually be teaching folks how to make musical instruments from vegetables...pumpkin drums, carrot flutes, gourd trumpets!

Once the instruments are made we will form the Vegaphonic Orchestra which will then perform the soundtrack from the classic western film, 'Fistfull of Carrots' composed by Onion Morricone. Come on down and play along! You can join us at either 20:00 or 22:00.

Also for your enjoyment at the Schielandshuis: Get to know your grapes at the spectacular Wine College, Batik your own Bag, Enjoy delectable bites with lip-licking film scenes, Cleanse body & soul with The Ritual Girls and get a goodie bag to spoil yourself at home & of course, DANCING in the Party Tents of Steel by 'Rotganzen' with DJ Tom Hokke from 'We Own Rotterdam'. This is going to be a NIGHT y'all! See you there, sweet potat'rs!

The Schielandshuis was built between 1662 and 1665 and is the only seventeenth century building in the centre of the city to have survived the bombing of Rotterdam. In addition to a permanent exhibition of the city’s history, the museum also often has various exhibitions and displays.

A meeting, a book and a song...

2011-02-28T19:25:00.002+01:00

Sometimes you meet the most interesting people. And no, not at those stiff networking cocktail hours. Those are horrible. You meet them at the café, that's where all the real exciting stuff happens. A couple of weeks ago we performed at De Unie. Afterwards we met a couple of very interesting folks. I'd like to tell you about one of them...

Meet... Raoul de Jong! He's a young writer, actor and dancer. He's had four books published and the night we met him he was telling us all about...

The Book...
he is currently working on. I can't really reveal the format but let's just say it also includes music and dancing. Look at him go!

So anyway, just by chance he was looking for performers to do some of the songs for the book and asked us if we were interested. We met up the following week and got on together like a wild fire. I like him lots! So we decided to work with him on some of the music for this book.

The first song he had for us was a french song by Francois Hardy called 'Tous les Garcon et les Filles'. Here is the original...

Nice song, right!? I thought that we could definitely do something special with it. My idea was to add a guitar to it with lots of tremelo and make it kind of 'David Lynch-y' or like the sound that 'Crimson and Clover' has. Dreamy.

So, after spending many days of trying to learn the french lyrics we went upstairs to my cozy apartment, pulled out every musical instrument that we own to try to get the sound we were looking for and put a demo together. We ended up using several guitar parts, a snare drum and a toy accoordeon all played by Marko while i played the washtub bass and sang the vocals. My french still sucks but i really like how the song turned out. Here's our demo version of
The Song, 'Tous les Garcons et les Filles'

The Uke Box after the SLAM

2011-02-25T16:11:00.001+01:00

Poetry Slamming at 4:30pm, Dinner for just 5,-euro at 6pm and the music starts around 7:30pm till 11. Hemingways, Rotterdam. See you there?

Headstock Sketches

2011-02-19T13:21:00.001+01:00

for 3-string Cigarbox Guitars

Cat & Canary Flute

2011-02-18T17:46:00.001+01:00

One of my Belgian Ukulele chums sent me a sweet present this week. The Cat & Canary flute. It's a slide flute which can be played with or without a 'warble', depending on which angle you hold it. And, the little birdy in the cage flutters around when in warbling mode. BONUS! Thank you ever so for the charming gift, Herman! And speaking of gifts, listen to what Herman can do with a ukulele...
An interesting aside... When i typed Cat & Canary in google i came across this clip from the 1927 film "The Cat and The Canary", an American silent horror film adaptation of John Willard's 1922 black comedy play of the same name directed by German Expressionist filmmaker Paul Leni, and starring Laura La Plante as Annabelle West. I LOVE the modern intrepretation of the sound track by L'Inquietant Suspendu.

The Cat & the Canary

The Uke Box on De Unie Late Nite Talk Show

2011-02-13T14:46:00.002+01:00

The sound isn't great, but the vibe is fantastic! Since it's in Dutch i'll explain a bit of what is going on... Eva interviews us about Ukulele Consciousness in the Lowlands, then Thijs joins us and we teach them both to play 'Jambalaya' by Hank Williams then Marko and i close with our versions of 'Diep In Mijn Hart' bij Jaap Valkhof. Great Fun!

Uke'n Be My Valentine

2011-02-07T00:11:00.009+01:00

If you really want to have 'em swoonin' on Valentines Day,
learn to play 'My Funny Valentine' on your uke.
Chords and tabs follow... My Funny Valentine
[Dm]My funny [A7]valentine,
[Dm7]sweet, comic [Dm6]valentine -
[A#]You make me [Gm7]smile
[Gm6] with my [A7]heart. [Gm] [A7]
[Dm]Your looks are [A7]laughable,
[Dm7]unphoto[Dm6]graphable,
[A#]Yet you're my[Gm7]favorite [A#m]work of a[C7]rt.

Bridge:
Is your [F]figure [C7]less than [F]Greek?
[Gm7]Is [C7]your [F]mouth a [Gm7]little [F]weak?
[Gm7]When [C7]you [Fm7]open [A7]it to speak, [Dm]are you [A#m7]smart? [C7]

[A7]But [Dm]don't change a [A7]hair for me,
[Dm7]Not if you [Dm6]care for me -
[A#]Stay, little[Em7] val - en - [A7]tine, [Dm]stay! [F7]
[A#]Each [A#m7]day is [Gm7]val - en - [C7]tine's [F]day. [A#7] [A7]

Here's a beautiful version by WS64.
Download the tabs here.

In the latest edition of NL10...

2011-02-02T12:09:00.003+01:00

Ukulele in De Unie

2011-02-01T10:06:00.007+01:00

This coming Thursday (the 3rd) we (The Uke Box) are making an appearance on De Unie Late Nite Talk Show. We'll be giving an interview and showing photographs of the 'Ukulele Consciousness' in the Low Lands. After this the hosts of the show, Eva & Thijs, are going to get a Ukulele Intervention and learn how to play the uke! We'll then close with a song by the two of us. We'd love to see lots of ukuleles in the audience. If you are close to Rotterdam come to the Unie with your ukulele and play 'Jambalaya' with us! The show begins at 21:30, entrance is just € 2,50!

In de Unie on Friday the 25th of February the amazing Olof Arnalds will be performing. She's an Islandic folk singer and multi-instrumentalist including the Charango. The Charango is best described as a South American Super Ukulele. It's has 8 strings and sounds beautiful....

The Fournicators won't be fournicating for a while...

2011-02-01T09:48:00.006+01:00

Well, i can't say this year has gotten off to the shining start i had hoped it would. Marko and i are playing in a new band called the Fournicators. We had some really awesome gigs coming up and felt that the band could really go places. But, a terrible incident occured that left our drummer Tomas with a fractured skull. I'm not going to recount the incident, it's just too horrible. Tomas has been in the hospital for two weeks. We saw him for the first time this past week. Part of me was a bit relieved because Tomas was still his old self in many ways but on the other hand it was very disturbing. He's not quite sure where he is. Sometimes he thinks he's in a hotel and wants to get a drink at the bar together, a minute later he thinks he's at home. His motor skills are still working but he's just terribly confused. Next week he'll go into revalidation and we are all hoping for the best. We miss him terribly. It's going to be a long road to recovery. We Love You Tom!

Working on a 3 string fretless slide guitar...

2011-01-13T13:51:00.012+01:00

Hopefully i'll be able finish this one up over the weekend. Still have to install the pickup and jack, the bridge and the nut. And, I'm thinking of making a string guard and head stock emblem out of the classic 'Droste Cocoa' tin.
Click on the images to ZOOM!

Kito presents....

2011-01-11T13:26:00.011+01:00

I'd like to introduce you to a friend of ours... His name is Guido de Groot and he's the man behind Kito Cartoons. Besides being a mean cartoonist he's also a lover of country, bluegrass and folk music, so much so that he organized the first Bluegrass Festival here in Rotterdam which was fantastic. Actually, it was so fantastic that i think it will be enjoying many more editions in the years to come. He also hosts a cozy little Movie Night in Cafe de Bel featuring Roots Music Documentaries.

Guido is currently involved in starting a new podium here in Rotterdam called The Heidegger. The first event will be The Bluegrass Outlaw Party featuring Bob Wayne, Jesus Evil Highway aaaaand.... our new band, 'The Fournicators'...YEAH! Besides the live music there will be a screening of the Fat Possum movie 'You See Me Laughing'. This is going to be one hell of a night y'all so if you're in the area i suggest you skidaddle yourself over to the Grote Kerkplain 70 in Rotterdam on the 2nd of February. Click on the poster to ZOOM!

Lastly, since Guido is a great cartoonist and a music lover it seemed only logical to ask him to customize a ukulele for me which he graciously did. I LOVE the results...

In 2011...

2010-12-31T11:57:00.002+01:00

The Fournicators

2010-12-21T10:25:00.004+01:00

Marko and i are moonlighting in a new band. This should be good!
Image courtesy of Twisted Vintage

Christmas Inside The Box

2010-12-17T15:15:00.021+01:00

The Cigar Box Nation has just released a Cigar Box Guitar Christmas Album with 40 tracks from 40 Artists! The best part is, you can download it for free here!

If those aren't enough primal Christmas tunes for you, last years album comprised of 23 tracks is also available for free download.

Merry Christmas Everybody!

Ghost On A Painted Lake

2010-12-15T10:58:00.022+01:00

You may have noticed that it's been a bit quiet here. But, there is a reason for that. Marko and i are working very hard on several projects. One of them is our album. We have been so wrapped up in other projects that our own music has had to take a back seat but we're determined to get an album together for release in 2011! I'd like to give you a sneak peek of a song that is very special to me. This will be quite a long post but i hope that you will stick with it. It's such a great story.

One day last september I was thinking about the song 'Ghost of Tom' also known as 'Ghost of John'. We used to sing it in elementary school and i always loved it. I assumed that there were more verses to it than what they taught us in school. (A lot of folk songs end up in gruesome murders, cheating, prostitution... That's why in school you only get the first verse or two. I lived in the bible belt, subjects like prostitution just don't fly) So anyway, i looked it up, but there weren't any more verses so i thought it'd be great to expound on this song. I started looking on Google for a real Tom to whom something awful happened. One of the first things i found was the 'Death on Painted Lake' website about Tom Thomson.

Tom Thomson (August 5, 1877 – July 8, 1917) was a Canadian painter. He painted the landscape of Algonquin Park. Each spring he would travel to the park where he would lodge on Canoe Lake to sketch and paint. He'd stay there until the hard Canadian winter set in at which time he would retire to his studio in Toronto to turn his sketches into large paintings. In July of 1917 he went missing. Tom was found 8 days later floating upon Canoe Lake. His body was badly decomposed, there was a gash in his forehead and fishing wire was wound around one of his ankles. There is much more to this story than i can fit in here but there are several intersting characters involved and even more unusual things happen to Tom after his death. This mystery has kept Canada in rapture for nearly a century.

I couldn't believe my good fortune at having found such a great story. Spellbinding. But, i hadn't seen his paintings yet and was thinking that if i didn't like his paintings, i sure the hell wasn't going to write a song about this Tom. Then i looked up his work... I was absolutely MESMERIZED. No kidding. I just couldn't believe how beautiful his paintings are. They really moved me. His most famous painting is The Jack Pine. So beautiful and haunting it actually brought tears to my eyes. So, i've been obsessed with this story ever since. I've read the absolutely wonderful new book about Tom Thomson by Roy MacGregor called 'Northern Light' which just came out this past October and i also bought 'The Silence and The Storm' which has the most Tom Thomson paintings ever published in book form. During this time i wrote the song, 'Ghost On A Painted Lake'. I would like to share the demo with you. I repeat, it's a DEMO. When i recorded this i was still reading the lyrics from the page and there are a few mistakes. Of course, it's also very bare (just vocals, ukulele and banjo) and still needs arranging. If you were to read more about Tom Thomson you may recognize some of the characters which are represented in the song by animals. For the few of you who may be familiar with this story, 'The Red Fox' is Shannon Frasier, 'The Wolf' is Martin Blecher and 'The Deer' is Winnie Trainor. For those of you who don't know what the hell i'm talking about i hope you can enjoy the song at face value...
(After pushing play give it a minute to load, the lyrics follow below the song)

Ghost on a Painted Lake (DEMO) by The Uke Box

Ghost On A Painted Lake
by Shelley Rickey

Tom Thomson knew
as he knelt 'pon the woods mossy ground
Algonquin Muse he had found

Her violence of color
The reds and the furious blues
Envious greens hid there too
Along the bank of Painted Lake

Tom slowly reached
for a box full of color
shaded his eyes as he gazed
Wild Woods display

The gaunt silhouette
of a Jack Pine dissecting the sky
Melting of ice moans

The Wood watched intently
as Tom took a brush
panel of birch 8 x 10
Shuddered at what she saw then

All of her secrets
reflected through Tom Thomson's hand
The gust and the gloom of her land

She blushed upon twilight
No man had seen her that way
As Tom Thomson saw her this day
She swore then no more
should he stray
from the banks
of her Painted Lake

Have you seen the ghost of Tom
Long white bones with the flesh all gone
Oooo oooooooo
Wouldn't it be chilly with no skin on?

Tom Thomson's body
Swollen and blistered
Floating upon Painted Lake
for nearly 8 days

A gash at his temple
Flesh falling off of his bones
The song of the loon mourns

The Wood wept in torment
for knowing within her
the beast lay that done her Tom in
Which creature could it have been?

What of the Red Fox
did he out fox Tom one day?
The Wolf or Deer know of Tom's fate?

TheWild Wood is heard
woefully whisp'ring his name.
Tom Thomson's name
And she knows now no more
Shall he stray
from the banks
of her Painted Lake

Dear Santa,

2010-12-07T22:22:00.004+01:00

Sint Nicolaas

2010-11-30T13:02:00.013+01:00

I can't help it... I love Sint Nicolaas. The whole celebration of Sint Nicolaas in The Netherlands is so charming. Okay, i understand that Sint Nicolaas has had his share of controversy. There's the hoo-hah about him hitting the bad kids with a stick and putting the really nasty ones in his bag and bringing them back to Spain. (Yes, Spain, Sint Nicolaas lives...in Spain) As far as hitting kids with sticks, this really wasn't uncommon back in the day. But, he's a man of his times and has refrained from beating children for many years now. And about being put in a sack and brought back to Spain... Dear Sint Nicolaas, I've been a very bad girl. Please take me.

Of course, there is the whole 'Zwarte Piet' (Black Pete) issue. Apparently, they used to be Sint Nicolaas' slaves. Not unlike other unseemly occurrences within the church, they tried to cover this up. They said that they weren't slaves and boldly claimed that they weren't even black! "They are, uh, just black from the soot." Hmmm, i haven't really figured this out. First of all, if they were just 'dirty' how are their clothes so clean? And, is it just a coincidence that they all have an afro? On the other hand, they are dressed to the nines... hats, jackets and trousers made of velvet and trimmed in gold, snowy white broad lace collars and a large exotic feather in their cap. I don't think slaves would be dressed so finely. Actually, they seem to carry a very high rank. Whatever the story is... to me they are cute, they have bags full of cookies and are very good dancers. Bring 'em on!

Back to the charming parts. Here's a short list...
• The Sint and his helpers arrive on a beautiful steamboat about a month before Sint Nicolaas Day which is on Dec. the 5th.
• Also on board is his white horse with grey spots called 'Amerigo'
• Cookies called 'Pepernoten' are thrown to the kids. Apparently these cookies are chiseled out of the mountains in Spain by the Zwart Piet dudes.
• Instead of a stocking, The Dutch children put their shoe in front of their fireplace with a carrot in it for Amerigo.
• The Zwart Piets leave sweets behind in the shoes and not just on one night, on many nights! Often this is a chocolate letter. A big 'S' for Shelley for example. Mmm

On the 5th of Dec. Sint Nicolaas flies from rooftop to rooftop upon Amerigo handing out the big loot. Actually, the gifts tend to be quite humble and the whole celebration of Sint Nicolaas is really a fest just for kids. But i ain't buying that part. Why should kids always get to have all the damn fun?! In any case, it's not the big shopping free-for-all that occurs in the states during Christmas. Traditionally, family and friends make surprises for each other, fun handmade things accompanied by a hand written poem.
What i also really like is how the media 'covers' the Sint Nicolaas festivities. They have a Sint Nicolaas' Journal every day so you can follow everything the Sint & The Piets are up to. Do i watch it? Yes i do. Childish i know. But hey, i didn't grow up here. I've got some catchin' up to do. It's paying off too. I've already received a chocolate letter in my shoe. Apparently i was just too nice this year after all. I'm going to have to do something really nasty before the 5th otherwise i can just forget about that trip to Spain.

To hear a hilarious account of this story by David Sedaris click here to listen to '6 to 8 Black Men'.

Une Cloche De Feutre

2010-11-27T01:55:00.007+01:00

I absolutely adore this sassy little hat. And, the instructions are included! Click on the image to ZOOM! Source: Agence Eureka

Are y'all following this?

2010-11-22T11:52:00.033+01:00

A hundred of you are. 100! And that's just the followers via Google (which are the nicest because i get to see your avatars). I've noticed that there are also quite a lot of folks following me via readers and the like. NEAT-O! You know, when i started this blog i didn't really think about followers. I just wanted a place to post all the stuff that i do so that if anyone were interested in my music or art, i'd have a virtual place to direct them to. I know this sounds crazy, but i was really only thinking locally.

But dang, it's led to so many wonderful things... Inspiring meetings, much exchanging of ideas, incredible invitations, collaborations, friendships (both virtual and real life), creative support - hell, even emotional support. Sometimes during the 'creative process' i have my moments of self doubt. It's always wonderful to start the day out with a comment or an email from someone who is interested in what you are doing.

Anyway, I've had a ball the last few years. I've gotten to a place i've always wanted to be, spending 100% of my time working on my own projects. Okay, it hasn't been easy but i ain't starvin' yet and i'm happy as hell. This has only been possible because of the wonderful support i've received and a lot of that support has come from the internets. My sincere gratitude to all of you. It's been a joy to blog! I intend to carry on and hopefully you will continue to find it entertaining along the way.

And now i'd like to share with you a selection of my favorite blogs & bloggers to follow...
Dull Tool Dim Bulb
"Dull Tool Dim Bulb were the only swear words my father ever used. Items from the Jim Linderman Collection of Vernacular Photography, Folk Art, Ephemera and Curiosities."
I would really like to meet Jim Linderman. Actually, i'd like to hang out a while and have a few drinks together. Amazing collections. Fervent, a little haunting and naughty in the nicest way.
Anonymous Works
Beautiful Things from Unknown Makers
Joe has a great eye and always posts very interesting objects. There is always something intriguing to see and WANT!
ModernMechanix
"Yesterdays Tomorrow Today"
Oh how i LOVE ModernMechanix. Especially the images of which i use many in my graphic design work.
Detour Art Travels
"Detour art is dedicated to the sheer joy of outsider, folk, visionary, self-taught, vernacular art and environment discoveries found all along the back roads (and side streets) around the world." Road Trip!
PoppyTalk
"The Beautiful, The Decayed, The Handmade"
I love to look at the wonderful work shown here by other designers and artists. Good Stuff!
Shorpy
"Always Something Interesting" Incredible Vintage American Photography. Man, the first time i came across this site i could not stop looking until i had seen EVERYTHING. And that takes quite a while. Huge collection. Incredibly interesting.
Ukulele Hunt
Absolutely the best ukulele blog in the world by Al Wood
Unusual Life
"Unusual Homes. Amazing Architecture. Strange Places. Fascinating People."
Another Road Trip! Can never take enough cool road trips i say.
The Wood Pile
"Artist, farmer, woodsman and also a Permanent Deacon in the Roman Catholic Church"
This fella from Nova Scotia is my 'farmville'. I love visiting the farm!
Dude Craft
"Represents a different kind of tribe in the world of making things, intentionally blurring the lines between, art, craft, engineering, and the good old “Can Do” spirit." Plus, who can resist the name?
Tart Deco
Vintage Glamour and Retro Style
Miss Steph always has lots of fun stuff. Really handy links and tips too. It's my pink girly hang out.
Tea With The Vintage Baroness
Just one of the wonderful blogs from Adele, a vintage seller from Ontario Canada who is in my opinion the beginning, middle and end of the story of superb taste. Absolutely beautiful woman in stunning vintage style.
Allure
"Screen stars of the 20's and 30's"
Ah, to have lived during the 20's. I adore looking at all the images and it's nice to learn a bit more about some of the more obscure films and stars of this era.
Drawn
"...is your daily source of inspiration for illustration, animation, cartooning, and comic art." Yep! The talent seen here is incredible.
Agence Eureka
Delicious Ephemera Eye Candy. Her other blogs are wonderful too.
I'll be the one in heels
From Kalisa, my best girlfriend from High School in Long Beach Mississippi, now living in Memphis. I love reading everything,... from what she's writing, what she's wearing, what's happening with the family and which appliance just f*cking broke down.
BoingBoing
Duh! Who doesn't love BoingBoing!? Coolest stuff on the web, right? And Mark Frauenfelder is great. I adore his whole philosophy about stuff, his lightheartedness and his 'Maker' mentality. Just a real jovial fella'.

Aaargh, once again, i could go on and on. Think i'll have to continue the list later. So much great stuff on the web. But just one more...
The Hermitage
Rima, goodness, how can i describe Rima. She's so dreamy, she lives a dreamy life. Has a beautifully renovated horse truck in which she roams about the beautiful english country side making and selling her amazing artwork. This is the person i would most like to hang around a campfire with.

The Last and Grandest Ukulele Jamboree of 2010

2010-11-17T17:24:00.006+01:00

And OH BOY... it's going to be The Big Damn Business! Gus & Fin are coming from Scotland and i can't wait. They are probably the only ukulele group that you can dance to. I love them. So, if you are close to Rotterdam on the 4th of December i suggest you get your fanny over to SPAM and shake it! And behold, the lovely flyer i made (which took me two days of cussing like a sailor to design, but it was worth it)...
Click Here to view a larger image

Knit Wear for Ukulele-ing

2010-11-13T19:32:00.008+01:00

The perfect sweater for seasonal ukulele playing from 'Smart Fashions", an American Thread Company Star Book from the 1950's. Knitting instructions included.
Click on the images to ZOOM! Source: The Chawed Rosin

GRRR Jamming Squeak

2010-11-10T21:38:00.009+01:00

Grrr Jamming Squeak is a sound sculpture created by Paola Pivi which is now located here in Rotterdam. It's a sound studio where you can go in and record during the week and on fridays they have concerts. The deal is that you have to play music with animal sounds.

Marko and i were thrilled to be asked to do one of the friday night concerts. They gave us a disc with more than 100 animal sounds on it. From these sounds we mixed some basic tracks. This was so much fun but boy was it difficult. I don't know if you've ever worked with frogs but man... they are stubborn! : ) Seriously y'all, this was very difficult. I haven't played with a metronome since High School and DANG it ain't easy. Took me two days of cussing before i could get through the damn song without speeding it up during the solo's and thus getting completely off track with the animal sounds. I guess on the night we did pretty good. I do hear myself cutting my singing short because i'm so damn busy listening where the frogs are. I do know one thing... We had a ball doing it! Many Thanks to Dagmar and the sound crew at GRRR. Here is an example of one of the songs we did that night. The animals you will hear are a Tree Frog, Crawfish Frog, Horses Hooves and Grey Wolves.

Picture Record

2010-11-10T19:46:00.003+01:00

I love this. I would love to have some of these made up for 'The Uke Box'. Okay, i know, most folks don't have a phonograph anymore. Damn shame though. I still have one and there is nothing like playing music from a record. But, the good news is that I have noticed that some artists are having records pressed these days. When you purchase the record you also receive a link with which you can download all the music digitally. I think that is a good compromise. If we ever get our album together, we're going vinyl. Unfortunately, something always gets in the way of us getting our album together so i'm thinking a phonograph card with one song on it would be a good start!

The Ukulele Jamboree Nr.13 Party Crasher

2010-10-30T15:09:00.010+02:00

Was the Ukulele Jamboree, presented by myself and Marko van der Horst, a humdinger of a party? Oh HELL YES!!! The ROTABS was a fantastic venue and we packed the house. More than one hundred ukulele enthousiasts came from every corner of Holland and beyond... Italy, Belgium, Austria, France. Really amazing.

Many thanks to: Yan Yalego from Marseille for his incredible performance, Jurgen Dorrenboom for the super cool 'Party Crasher' review in the entertainment magazine 'NL10' (see below), Paul Posse from ROTABS for being such a swell host, Alexandra Petschar for running The Jumping Flea Market, John for keeping everyone safe, Rene Verberne and Pieter van den Berg for filming the event, The Open Mic performers: Jyoti, Ukulelezaza, Alexandra, Mees, Thako and the super cool Italian dude who's name i unfortunately don't know (see dude holding the accoordeon in the photo below) and especially to all of the audience members and participants in the Ukulele Intervention. Y'all are great fun and we appreciate all of you tremendously!

Click on the image and admire the coolness!