What's your favorite old-timey uke music?

blacula

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Whether it is Vaudeville, Hawaiian, crooners, etc. What old-timey ukulele music do you enjoy?

I'm a total newbie to the genre, only heard Ukelele Ike and Roy Smeck for the first time today and enjoyed both immensely. Just curious what other gems are out there prior to the 1950's or so. What do you like?
 
Yep, Ike and Roy Smeck are inspirations and heroes for sure.

Also look up Sol Hoopii, Madame Riviere's Hawaiians, The Georgia Jumpers, Johnny Noble, Bill Tapia, Lani McIntire, Johnny Marvin and Jimmy Rodgers to mention a few.

If you like that Old-Timey vibe, modern ukers who do it as well as anyone are Lil' Rev, Aaron Keim, Lyle Ritz, Azo Bell, John Bianchi, Manitoba Hal and Dr Bekken.
 
Yep, Ike and Roy Smeck are inspirations and heroes for sure.

Also look up Sol Hoopii, Madame Riviere's Hawaiians, The Georgia Jumpers, Johnny Noble, Bill Tapia, Lani McIntire, Johnny Marvin and Jimmy Rodgers to mention a few.

If you like that Old-Timey vibe, modern ukers who do it as well as anyone are Lil' Rev, Aaron Keim, Lyle Ritz, Azo Bell, John Bianchi, Manitoba Hal and Dr Bekken.

I'm working my way through your list.
 
People often tell me that my originals sound "old-timey", perhaps in part because I use more jazz style chord progressions. I do love that old stuff, especially jazz standards from the 20s, 30s, and 40s.

Here's a link to a playlist of my originals: ukulele originals
 
It starts with George and ends with Formby. All the joy of the ukulele embodied in one bucktoothed Lancashire lad.
 
Thank you all for the many excellent recommendations. I've located a couple Sol Hoopii and George Formby recordings online & will continue seeking out the rest.

I really like what the Canote Brothers are doing. Doug, you've got a great sense of humor & knack for lyrics. I liked "Charles Darwin Almost Got Me", real nice stuff.
 
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I like the 1920s 1930s Jazzy pop stuff.
I also like to play a lot of the 1960s stuff that was inspired by the 1920s. Winchester Cathedral, Honey Pie, Oh Babe What Would You Say, etc.

As far as George Formby goes, I really think if you'd heard one of his songs, you've heard them all. Not saying he was not a virtuoso, 'casue he was, just saying his songs are all the same ditty everytime.
 
As far as George Formby goes, I really think if you'd heard one of his songs, you've heard them all. Not saying he was not a virtuoso, 'casue he was, just saying his songs are all the same ditty everytime.

Everybody is entitled to their opinion, but this just made me laugh.
 
Everybody is entitled to their opinion, but this just made me laugh.

I've a George Formby CD, I can hardly tell one song (AKA dirty ditties) from another.* Cliff Edwards OTOH, made beautiful music.




*Dave Matthews Band is that way too. Got one album, you got them all.
 
Of the 20's performers, Gene Austin did some records of his singing accompanied by a fair uker who recorded under the name of Billy Carpenter. Austin was very popular vocalist, though not one of my favorites - I wouldn't put him up there with Ike or Johnny Marvin. Search Youtube and you will find two of Austin's uke recordings: Yes sir thats my baby and Everything is hotsy totsy now.
 
And of course there's Remco Houtman-Janssen, who records under the name Ukulelezaza. He's an active musician who plays in a 20's style. He has a youtube channel, plus a CD and an excellent tab book which you can buy directly from him.
 
In addition to the great artists already mentioned in this thread, I'm a big fan of Wendell Hall, as you'll see in the thread here:

http://forum.ukuleleunderground.com/showthread.php?60157-Wendell-Hall&highlight=Wendell+Hall

The link to the music download for Wendell on that thread is no longer correct. If you want his songs use this (right click & save target):

http://www.southcoastukes.com/sound/SouthcoastFavorites.zip

And since there's so many string band posts on this thread, I thought I'd add one more (pretty obscure). A lot of folks don't realize that Jazz, or Dixieland, as some would say, was played by string bands as well as the typical banjo / reeds / horns & drum arrangement we generally think of. Here's a link to a Folkways piece on an old New Orleans string band, "The 6 & 7/8s", that used to include an Ukulele from time to time:

http://media.smithsonianfolkways.org/liner_notes/folkways/FW02671.pdf

The Smithsonian Folkways album is available for download from that online music store named for the big river way down south. Search for "The 6 & 7/8ths String Band".

And finally, if you're wanting to play vintage music (and the best Ukulele arrangements ever written), don't forget this incredible vintage sheet music offering from Ian Chadwick:

http://vintageukemusic.com/ordering.htm
 
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Whether it is Vaudeville, Hawaiian, crooners, etc. What old-timey ukulele music do you enjoy?

I'm a total newbie to the genre, only heard Ukelele Ike and Roy Smeck for the first time today and enjoyed both immensely. Just curious what other gems are out there prior to the 1950's or so. What do you like?

some may find it odd but im being honest here. I really appreciate the talent of old school musicians...but i mainly
listen to and make ambient/minimalist soundscapes. My background is not in any kind of conventional music.
I love the tone /sound/play style of the uke and use it for my ambient music but overall not really into
old timey music. I do enjoy lyle ritz playing style, smeck while he is very talented i find his music way to show offish
and to all over the place i prefer minimalist compositions, but than again i consider erik satie the greatest composer of
all times.
 
I'm working my way through the suggestions and had to chuckle over the George Formby sidebar. I listened to his 2 disc greatest hits collection and many of them were strikingly similar. My favorite is The Left Hand Side of Egypt, just a great set of lyrics there. He does seem to have a disproportionate number of songs about peeping into windows. :confused: It also seemed I heard some of his influence on early Brit rock bands like The Who.
 
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