Without Joe Brown I would still be ukulele - less, which would have been a very sad thing indeed. But we were watching TV and I saw him play, and sing "I'll see you in my Dreams" in the memorial concert for George Harrison in the Albert Hall. See the Youtube. Oh, what magic! That beautiful, old song, written in 1924 by Isham Jones, lyrics by Gus Khan - there's something in the lilt of that melody that so fits those words, so poignant - and the light, gentle tones of the ukulele just fitted it like a glove. And so fitting, for the occasion, for George. I was blown away, I swear something inside turned over and inside out..... and I'd just got to have one. "I want one!" I declared to my long-suffering husband, who has seen me fiddle with various instruments but never master any of them except the recorder that I learned to play at primary school. "I can get to grips with one of those - I swear I can..... four strings - the chords look easier than a guitar....and I love that sound...."
For my next birthday, a surprise..... my ukulele, from LSH (said Long-Suffering Husband) and anyone who plays one will know what happened next - two or three chords learned, and you're playing! In less than a week I was playing a number of sing-along songs - including my own version of "I'll See You in my Dreams" - chords worked out by ear from the piano. The "proper" version is still beyond me, some very tricky chords there - but I do enjoy playing my own.
It follows.
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