Customer Reviews

A Flying Leap (IMPORT)

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This CD ranks among the top 'ukulele cds in the world. His playing is fluid, graceful, delicate and aggressive, capturing the intricacies of the instrument. Hill expresses the traditional "feel" of the 'ukulele, taking it back to it's origins in the Pacific, while at the same time forcing a modernizing of the thoughts of what the instrument can do. The second I heard "Little Wing" I was blown away. Hill has taken a traditional and relaxed medium and shown that it can be a contende with the guitars and horns of the world. This cd is among my top 5 acoustical cd's in my collection.

I heard James Hill on a Television show about the history and current popularity of ukelele music. His playing takes the genre to unimagined heights. His isn't your grandma's flapper jazz or an island riff redolent of swaying hips. Unlike some other ukelele players he finds new sounds and rhythms while retaining the essential character of the instrument. Listen to One Small Suite for Ukelele and you'll be hooked!

If I played 'ukulele, I would wish I had written this music. It's rich, fun, full of variety, addictive, and gives contagious energy. Happier tunes you'll never hear; there are also some more thoughtful, even bluesy tracks. It's brilliant.

This CD is the product of the writing and playing efforts of a very talented young man. The bottom line is that it is a wonderful collection of happy music. It would be difficult not to smile as one listens to this CD which is a great introduction to Mr. Hill, and what he can do with a ukulele. If you want music to reflect a happy mood, or need music which will bring you such a mood, this CD is for you.

In this high-tech media blitz world that we live in (lip synching, backup dancers, product endorsements, playlists, light shows, "gangsta" culture, celebrity arrests, marketing departments & promotional ads, etc), it's great to know that one guy with a ukulele and *a lot* of energy, enthusiasm and creativity can get a cd like this out there! I've always loved it when an artist can sit down with little to no accompaniment and figure out how to keep his audience engaged and entertained with his instrument- James does this track after track! Anyone who likes Dawg, Chris Thile, Mike Marshall, Mike Compton, John Reischman, etc. will truly appreciate this album- and wonder why this guy isn't more famous. I downloaded this last night and I will be livid if, in the future, iTunes makes it "inaccessible because of outdated software" on my ipod. ipod sucks for taking away music that I paid for just because they wanted to force me to buy another MP3 player. It may not be an ipod next time...