Holy crow! Thank you, thank you, thank you.
So, so honored to win this one, especially in such esteemed company: Jnobianchi, that was an awe-inspiring performance (and I still want the chart for it if you have one)! Jpeg, what a great rendition of a classic tune. Doug, I love your jazzy style! Everyone, as Jon said, the competition this week was fierce.
Thank you so so much to Jon and Eugenie, Cam, TCK, and Doc Bekken. Jon, what a fantastic idea for a contest. I think it was you who pointed me to Ike's version of Paper Moon in some thread or other a couple of months ago, and I am incredibly glad you did, as it really opened me up to a whole new level of uke showmanship. I think the thing that I love most about Ike's performances, and that I hoped to at least minimally capture in my take, was his sense of ease while maintaining the utmost in virtuosity.
Anyway, I give a lot of credit to Christian for starting this whole mess, as the weekly format has really pushed me, and all of us, really, to get better.
I said this in the season 15 thread yesterday, but I really feel the overall quality of all the entries has risen by quite a few notches these last couple of weeks, and the bar has gotten so high, I'm simultaneously excited and terrified to see where we go next, which makes me literally thrilled, I suppose.
Forward, Seasonistas! To Sgt Pepper, UK folk songs, and beyond!
Oh, and Jon, I'd love a vid comparing the two ukes—not so much for decision-making as to give you the opportunity to do at least one more Ike song on each of them, and us the opportunity to hear them.