“You are here for 80 minutes or so of ukulele music, right? Because usually, people can’t take that much and about 15 or 20 minutes in, they start walking out…”
That’s Lil’ Rev, making good natured fun with the tiny audience of 20 or so ukulele enthusiasts who’d showed up to hear him play. Lil Rev plays lost songs from the early 1900s and classic old tyme tunes and tells stories – he’s a sentimental kind of guy, talking about the power of music and the need to help the less fortunate and interjecting all that with plenty of silly. We were an easy room – most of the people there had spent the afternoon with Lil’ Rev in a ukulele workshop. I’m saving fingers for the next SUPA sponsored workshop with Casey McGill but I didn’t want to miss the show.
I enjoy hearing vaudeville and old tyme music live because that’s the way it’s meant to be heard. It was fun to look at Lil’ Rev in his tweedy cap and sturdy shoes and to imagine a more sepia colored location. And it’s a delight to hear the sounds he gets out of his envy-inducing collection of ukes – full blues, country twang, the tinny bright sound from a coffee can banjo uke… It was a charming show, perfect in such a small space. I especially love that this ukulele swinging midwestern Nice Jewish Boy has put together a Jews of Tin Pan Alley show – it confirms what I’ve often suspected, that the ukulele is The Chosen Instrument.
If you want to know more, Lil’ Rev is on the web here and here’s Lil’ Rev playing One Meatball on You Tube.
[tags]ukulele, Lil’ Rev, vaudeville [/tags]
I loved the workshop but was just too tired after the rest of my day to hang for the concert.
I’ve actually put in an hour or so today messing about with stuff from the workshop, including One Meatball.
Loved the workshop, the concert, and I do love your sepia photo of Lil’ Rev! it really captures him.