Riverside Press Enterprise.com

Shimabukuro has been working on Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" for this tour. He said the song has been fun to play live. Since everyone knows the song, he said, he can tell that fans in the audience are waiting for their favorite moments, to see how he will pull them off.

"It's such a challenging piece," he said. "It had my brain tied up in knots."
- Vanessa Franko

Pasadena Weekley

"With its diminutive size and high voice, the ukulele is generally treated more like a joke than a serious musical instrument. But to virtuoso musician Jake Shimabukuro, the uke is a global goodwill ambassador. “It’s one of the very few instruments in the world where you can just mention the name and people will smile or laugh,” Shimabukuro says while recalling encounters he’s had on tour. “I really believe that music should bring joy to people; it should make people feel good. And ukulele’s definitely an instrument that does that. ”Born in 1976, the amiable Hawaii native has been playing the ukulele since he was 4. He’s released at least 10 CDs, including this year’s “Live,” which have reaped accolades for his speed, precision and style."
- Bliss

The North County Times

"But Shimabukuro's concerts are no novelty act filled with quirky cover songs. The bulk of his work, both live and on recordings, have been original songs. While all instrumentals, his music still can be surprisingly moving and thoughtful, which undoubtedly is why he was commissioned by the Honpa Hongwanji Mission of Hawaii to compose a song, "Annon," to commemorate the 750th birthday of Shinran Shonin, whose teachings live on in one of the largest and most influential schools of Buddhism in Japan."
- Gary Warth

Pittsburgh Tribune

Jake sat down with the Pittsburgh Tribune to conduct a in depth interview. Jake talks about his passion for the ukulele and his music.

Check It Out Here - http://link.brightcove.com/

Jake Performs Michael Jackson's Thriller - FOX Detroit.com

Check out Jake perform Thriller on the FOX Detroit TV news station.

http://www.myfoxdetroit.com

Pittsburgh Tribune Review

"Jake Shimabukuro has found his love of jazz has one string attached.

"I don't consider myself a jazz musician," he says of his work in the genre that has steered his music away from the folk music of his heritage. "I just don't have the vocabulary for that."

But that has not stopped him from exploring jazz, pop and even classical music on his ukulele, a skill he will show off Friday in the North Side."
- Bob Karlovits

Pacific Citizen

"Musician Jake Shimabukuro plucked his first ukulele string by age of 4 thanks to his first unofficial instructor: his mother. At about the age of 7, the Japanese American ukulele player honed his talent at the island's well-known Roy Sakuma Ukulele Studio. He has been plucking and strumming ever since, collaborating on projects for artists like Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, Yo-Yo Ma, and Ziggy Marley, among others. He has now taken over Music is Good Medicine, a foundation dedicated to inspiring children to follow their dreams."
- Nalea J. Ko

Oakland Jazz Music Examiner

"Suffice it to say, the 32-year-old does a lot more with the instrument than you might imagine if all you know of the uke is Tiny Tim. Shimabukuro's sound incorporates elements of jazz, country and flamenco; his repertoire, comprised primarily of originals, touches on everything from Schubert and Erroll Garner to Led Zeppelin and the Beatles."
- Brian McCoy

SF Music Examiner

"This guy emits positive energy even through his dozens of youtube videos, I can't wait to actually be in his presense. If his last album is any indication, Davies Hall is in for quite a ride Wednesday night where he will be playing as part of the SFJazz Festival's season. Jake's latest album release is entirely live.  Every track reveals a different side of the ukulele: soft and sensitive at times, other times cheery and playful, occasionally dramatic, and, once in a while, hard and aggressive."
- Jamie Freedman

All Music.com

"Whenever virtuosic players of exotic instruments come along, they're called the Jimi Hendrix of the (blank). Béla Fleck was the Jimi Hendrix of the banjo and more recently, Jake Shimabukuro has been hailed as the Jimi Hendrix of the ukulele. Shimabukuro's style is nothing like that of Hendrix, but what's a lazy critic to do? Shimabukuro is a monster musician and boldly takes the ukulele where no ukulele has ever gone before, dazzling listeners with his blinding speed, melodic invention, and open-ended improvisations of remarkable virtuosity."
- J. Poet