String Wizards

Posted at 5:12 AM on March 21, 2009 by Dale Connelly (1 Comments)

Tonight on Radio Heartland, two remarkable string players will stop by.
In the first hour, Jake Shimabukuro will be my guest. Jake is a phenomenal young ukulele player whose You Tube version of George Harrison's "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" is approaching 3 million viewings. Jake will play that tune in our studio and will explain how he approaches the four strings of his uke with the intensity of martial arts icon Bruce Lee.

In hour two, I'll talk with Twin Cities guitar player Billy McLaughlin, whose career was interrupted by a neurological disorder called Focal Dystonia. After losing his ability to play, it would have been understandable if Billy had decided to leave music behind. Instead, he turned it around. Completely.
His philosophy?
"If there's something you want to do, do it now. I've taken that to heart."

String Wizards Jake Shimabukuro and Billy McLaughlin, tonight on Radio Heartland, on the stations of Minnesota Public Radio News.

Comments (1)

Speaking of String Wizards...

Looking forward to tonight, just stopped by my computer and happened to hear Taj Mahal playing Railroad Bill, and loved every second of it. Especially the whistling, hand clapping and to top it off, mention of Etta Baker and Elizabeth Cotten at the end of the recording.

Speaking of String Wizards...

Thanks Radio Heartland!!!!

Posted by michelle in Winona | March 21, 2009 9:48 AM