Lewis Clifton - "I've Got A Girlfriend" by Billy Uke Scott

Lewis is one of the best young exponents of Formby-style playing.



Lewis Clifton performs a Billy Uke Scott classic on his Ludwig banjo-uke at the Chester Branch of the George Formby Society last week. Lewis has been a regular performer and a firm favourite at GFS meetings for about three years now. Still in his teens, he's one of the star players and has wonderful Formby technique.

Billy Uke Scott (1923-2004) from Sunderland was a real ukulele star in Britain during the 1940's and 50's. He was an honorary member of the George Formby Society, as is his great friend Alan Southworth, who writes about him here for the Society. That's a great, informative article and well worth reading!

A quickie post. But I thought you'd like this.... thanks for dropping in!

Johnny Foodstamp plays "Downhill"

Johnny Foodstamp - Ludwig banjo-uke - instrumental by Remco Houtman-Jannsen (Ukulelezaza)



Now wasn't that fantastic?

The tab for the instrumental is in Remco's latest book, "The Glory of Love". Get it here.....

That was a quick one, wasn't it..... I know, sorry.... better a quickie than none at all!

Ukulelezaza and his Ludwig banjo-uke - "Twilight Shuffle"

I posted yesterday about Peter Moss, ace ukulele and banjo-uke player - whose playing history began with the George Formby Society but didn't end there - he plays all sorts - well, Remco Houtman-Jannsen (AKA Ukulelezaza) is another such player, another one of my favourites, whom I've featured on here many times. Like Peter, Remco only plays instrumentals.

Here's his latest video, "Twilight Shuffle", once more showing that delightful ditties can be played on a banjo-uke! I love that Ludwig. If you haven't got several thousand to spare, dollars, pounds, it makes no difference, don't waste your time looking for one - they're uke-gold....

And you'll see at the end of the video that Remco has a new tab book out - "The Glory of Love", complete with a new DVD. AND he writes about Ludwigs in there... yes, I've got mine! Silly question....! Get yours here and I'll talk more about that later... meanwhile enjoy.......

Before you do, I must say that the videos I enjoy the most are the ones that are simply produced - just the uke and the player, self-recorded, where it's just like someone sitting down and playing just for you. So here you are, it's Ukulelezaza, playing JUST for you!



Beautiful! Such a pretty ditty! And have you noticed how Remco lets you see exactly what he's playing on the fret-board? Superb! Thanks for dropping in.... see you next time!

Greg Simister plays the William Tell theme on banjolele.... what a treat!

The William Tell Overture has become something of must-do challenge for skilled banjo-uke players in the GFS, ever since Peter Moss first worked it out as a twelve-year-old back in the early 70's. I've seen a few performances by various players at the George Formby Society conventions in Blackpool, and I was thrilled when Peter Pollard posted this new video just a few days ago. Greg Simister was one of the very talented youngsters of the society, and over the last year has returned to the fold as a young man to the delight of all! He has a lovely easy way with a song, always a smile, and this instrumental further showcases his talents. There's a convention at the Imperial Hotel in Blackpool tomorrow and Sunday... we will be braving the atrocious weather that has been forecast for the whole day to get there... I just hate to miss... and I do hope Greg will be there to wow the crowd this time!

Remco Houtman-Janssen, aka ukulelezaza

Shine ft Two on banjo-uke



Remco Houtman-Janssen from Belgium aka Ukulelezaza is one of the world's great ukulele players... if you've not had the pleasure of seeing or hearing him play, here is one of his Youtubes, featuring his Ludwig banjo-uke on this occasion, but on his channel there are many fantastic videos with his wooden ukes, where that one came from. See the tuition video for Mr Sandman below, for example... it's great!

Remco is running a weekend ukulele workshop at Gleanings Rural Centre, nr Minsterly, Shropshire UK on Sat 23rd / Sun 24th March 2013, and as I write there are still some places available to take part....

He will be performing a gig on the Saturday night at the Hope Village Hall at 8.00pm, a great opportunity to see him in an intimate venue - and there is real ale available! LSH will be wanting to go....

Should be a great weekend !!!

Interested? Contact Yvonne or John at Gleanings for tickets on 01743 891412 or email
yj.hart@virgin.net

The week before that, however, Remco will be at the March Convention of the George Formby Society, 16th/17th March at the Imperial Hotel, North Promenade, Blackpool. Some wooden uke players are fiercely anti the banjo-uke, and some banjolele players have little time for its wooden counterpart, once the banjolele bug has bitten - it's the fast and complex syncopation that does it - but Remco loves both, as do I, and is now one of my newest ukulele heroes...

Watch this space for more on ukulelezaza!

Lewis Clifton plays TT Races - GFS June 2012

Yesterday I introduced you to Lewis Clifton, one of the up-and-coming young stars of the George Formby style and the George Formby Society. Here again he is playing the late great Dennis Taylor's Ludwig; this time it's his own personal favourite Formby song, TT Races. It's hard to believe that Lewis was only thirteen here.



I was lucky enough to have a good chat with Lewis at the last meeting or convention of the George Formby Society. When I asked him how long he'd been playing and how he learned to play, I was astonished to learn that he is self-taught, and learned from simply watching videos of Dennis Taylor, featured here the other day. He told me that he started with guitar, and quickly discovered the ukulele - his first was a little white Mahalo - the starter uke of many! And he has still only been playing banjolele for less than four years... to be so skilled at fourteen, and self-taught at that is impressive to say the least.

Needless to say a big fan Of George Formby, his favourite players are the late great Dennis Taylor and Dickie Speake. I think we'll be hearing a lot more of Lewis...

Watch this space for guest spots where Lewis will be talking about the greats of vintage banjolele world - the Ludwig, Abbott and Gibson. You need deep pockets for those... if only.....

By the way, as I said, Lewis is just one of the highly talented youngsters coming up in the banjo-uke world... watch this space also for more of them!

Pardon Me....Introducing Lewis Clifton!

On this blog over the months, I've played videos by most of my favourite banjolele players, but this is the first by young Lewis Clifton. If you watched the video of Dennis Taylor yesterday, look at the uke Lewis is playing here - yes, it is indeed Dennis's Ludwig. He was granted the privilege of playing it at the June Convention of the George Formby Society. And when you watch his rendition here of "Pardon Me" (1939, Gifford/Cliffe/Formby) you will see why. Lewis is one of the very accomplished young players who are the future of the society. He has a lovely relaxed style so reminiscent of Dennis Taylor. I love listening to Lewis play and sing! I think you will, too...



Enjoy that? I though you would..... thanks again to Peter Pollard (camera) and... Lewis is fourteen years old!

I enjoyed chatting with Lewis at the November meeting .... more of that next time!

Thanks for dropping by, friends!

Matthew J Richards - Banjo Ukulele Comparison NO 2

Tomorrow we'll be headed up to Blackpool once more for the September Convention of the George Formby Society... and we'll be listening once again to all those great old vintage banjo-ukes, that just have a great sound all their own.

It's really interesting to hear them compared side by side, and that is what Matthew has done here. These are at the top end of the quality/desirability stakes.

Fancy a Ludwig? So do I.... in your dreams!