Jake Shimabukuro

Jake Shimabukuro is a ukulele musician whose arrangements of pop, rock and indie songs bring the instrument to contemporary audiences. This concert takes place at the Birchmere in Alexandria.

Jake Shimabukuro is a ukulele player who has built a career on reworking well-known songs for a small four-string instrument. A 2006 video of a ukulele cover of the Beatles'"While My Guitar Gently Weeps" drew wide attention, and the artist has since released albums and toured internationally, drawing on material from pop, rock and indie music.

The music centers on the ukulele, with melodic arrangements that move between rock anthems, pop melodies and indie songs. The project's approach treats the instrument as a complete voice for popular repertoire rather than only as a companion to singing.

The Birchmere is a venue in Alexandria that hosts concerts and shows. The evening suits listeners who follow contemporary instrumental music and want to hear how the ukulele handles material far beyond its traditional repertoire.