Nellie Mckay: American Songbook @ NJPAC on TV 2/11/2015

Booli

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I just saw the previews for this on tv tonight (TUES) an it's airing tomorrow night.

Nellie McKay
Singer-songwriter Nellie McKay captivates with her mix of standards and original songs.

Air Dates:
NJTV Nellie McKay Wednesday, Feb. 11 8:00pm

I am posting it here because the preview shows her performing several songs with her ukulele as shown in the photo below.

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I never heard of her before, mybe it's worth checking out if you can get this channel on cable (maybe it's only NJ/USA?)

http://www.njtvonline.org/programs/american-songbook-at-njpac/#nellie-mckay

set your DVR!

(does anyone still use a Tivo any more? LOL)
 
This is TONIGHT folks, in 47 mins from the time of me hitting the SUBMIT button!
 
She's great, I'm surprised her name doesn't come up on the forums more often. Perhaps because she's more of a singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist than a ukulele player. But she's incorporated uke into her music for years now, and much of her songwriting is a nod to the Great American Songbook. Here's her website.
 
Watching it now. Looks like she's playing a Martin Soprano uke with white binding.

I've noticed that in her 'vocal stylings' as she seems to sing with an affectation, and in the interview sections, she seems to speak with a different affectation, that is not just her accent...I find it a bit off-putting...but I have noticed that she seems to be supporting her ukulele entirely with her chording hand, WITH the thumb in the middle of the neck (not over the fingerboard with the uke in the web betw thumb and pointer), and her strumming hand is swinging free from the elbow as she strums (not much wrist action)...I've not seen this technique before. How is she HOLDING it so well?

She's definitly got some skill on the piano, too.

When she did the song 'Feminists Don't Have a Sense Of Humor', it reminded me that I saw her sing this song a few yrs ago, and in that video she had longer and blonde hair, and I did not recognize her until that song.
 
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I think it's a vintage Gibson she's playing, at least in most of the photos I've seen. I haven't heard her speak so I'm curious what she sounds like - I think I read that she was born in the UK so that may be part of the accent.

But yeah - how is she holding that uke?? Makes me wonder if she has it velcroed on to her top or something... I've never seen anybody's strumming hand not being used somewhat for support.
 
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