Bohemian Rhapsody

Queen, live at the Tower. I very nearly got thrown out for taking this photo. Worth it!

Let's just get this on the table right now; Queen was one of the greatest bands that ever stomped upon the rock 'n roll terra firma. I only got to see them live once, in 1976 at the Tower Theater in Philadelphia, and it was absolutely astounding. (You can see the setlist for that show here!) Their now-classic album, "A Night At The Opera" was brand spanking new and the band was still hitting the stage like they had something to prove. The band made an incredible noise for only 3 guys and Freddie Mercury was... Freddie. (What else needs to be said about that?) This show was also the first time I'd ever seen flashpots used at a concert. They were large and blinding and I probably still have retinal scars. Nonetheless, a splendid time was had by all, except for the hapless opening act, The Cate Brothers, who were roundly booed off the stage with great vigor by the ever receptive and well mannered Philadelphia audience. If you've ever watched an Eagles vs. Cowboys NFL game that's played in Philly, you know exactly what I mean.

Queen's masterpiece, "Bohemian Rhapsody", is their "Stairway To Heaven". It's still on rock radio playlists to this day, although there's many other great Queen tracks deserving of more frequent airplay. In case you haven't given it a good listen for a while, here 'tis.

Recently, while enroute somewhere with my wife, we had the XM tuned to an acoustic music station. Out of the blue, a familiar intro came gently wafting out of the speakers. Was that... a ukelele? Playing "Bohemian Rhapsody"??! This is either a radio station gag or it will be a monumental failure. I turned to my wife and said "Let's see where this one goes." It didn't miss a lick. From the intro into the verses, escalating with the dynamic progression, hitting every note in every key part, sometimes playing multiple parts simultaneously. Was this just overdub trickery? As it turns out, no. It was one ukelele being played by a young master of that humble instrument.

Jake Shimabukuro

His name is Jake Shimabukuro and he makes some amazing music. Jake has a command of his instrument like very few others. He's been making records in his native Hawaii since at least 2003. 

Though widely credited by critics with reinventing the instrument before he was 30, Shimabukuro sees the ukulele as an oracle of goodness. "Maybe there is something over the top about it being an instrument of peace," Shimabukuro says. "But it makes people smile. It makes them want to play music." He even calls the ukulele "the friendliest instrument."

When pressed on why he thinks the ukulele has that effect, he said it's because "People don't see it as a serious instrument, so most people don't have egos about it." Although people might not feel intimidated by the instrument, they ought to be in awe of Shimabukuro's performances; he may be the closest thing to a virtuoso the instrument has ever seen. While the ukulele is typically used for strumming simple chords, Shimabukuro has incorporated complex rhythms and percussive elements, with fingering as nimble as world-class classical guitarists. And this is no small feat on the tiny frets of a uke.

So lend a close ear and listen to this wonderful instrumental performance of "Bohemian Rhapsody" by Jake Shimabukuro. It's one man, one ukelele, one take and no overdubs. Wow.

There are many recordings by Jake Shimabukuro available at Amazon. I highly recommend "Peace, Love, Ukulele" as a starter. You'll never hear ukulele the same way again. The entire Queen catalog has been nicely remastered with several great bonus tracks included on each album. You know where to find 'em.