Jake Shimabukuro, considered one of the world’s top ʻukulele players, is performing four shows at the Blue Note Hawaiʻi on Tuesday, July 22, and Wednesday, July 23.
He will be joined by Jackson Waldhoff on bass, Michael Grande on keys and Shawn Pimental on the drums as the band gives audiences a sneak peak of the music it will play at the Fuji Rock Festival 2025 in Japan. Tickets are $35-$55. There is also a $10 food or beverage minimum for bar area seating, and a $20 one for premium seating.
“We're excited that the Blue Note is letting us come in to play our Fuji rock set for those two nights,” Shimabukuro told Aloha State Daily.
The event will feature the entire set planned for Japan, plus some additional music, including new compositions. Shimabukuro’s mastery of the ʻukulele shifts between genres like jazz, rock, blues, bluegrass, folk and classical music.
Just a few weeks ago, Shimabukuro took home three Nā Hōkū Hanohano awards. His album, “Blues Experience,” with Mick Fleetwood, leader of the rock band, Fleetwood Mac, released on Spotify on Oct. 18 in 2024. On Saturday, June 21, it won the Nā Hōkū Hanohano award for ʻUkulele Album of the Year. Its song, “Kula Blues,” also won the award for Instrumental Composition of the Year.
“It was just so inspiring to be able to play with him and to record this genre of music,” he said. “It's more of a blues album, so to tackle this type of music, especially on the ‘ukulele, that was very new for me. It was a challenge. I loved it. I always love trying to do new things and different things, and Mick was just so encouraging and so inspiring.“
Shimabukuro was also part of the team that took home the Nā Hōkū Hanohano award for Hawaiian Music Video of the Year. That project, called “Ka Na‘i Aupuni,” features Kalani Peʻa’s song from his Grammy-Award-winning album, “Kuini.” The video features Peʻa, as well as Shimabukuro and Kamehameha Schools Maui Hawaiian Ensemble.
In February of 2025, Shimabukuro released his latest album, “Live with Jake Shimabukuro,” which was recorded live at The Tracking Room in Nashville, Tennessee. That album features the song “While My Guitar Gently Weeps,” which brought him fame after he performed it on television and someone captured a video and placed it on YouTube, where it went viral and helped launch his touring career.
Shimabukuro just finished recording a holiday album, which will go live later this year. It features collaborations with Justin Kawika Young, Yo-Yo Ma, Michael McDonald of The Doobie Brothers, and more. There is also an old holiday track with his first band, Pure Heart, which he played with right out of high school.
The ʻukulele virtuoso started playing the instrument when he was about four years old and his mother sat him down to play a few cords.
“I always tell people how my parents would have to take the ʻukulele away from me so that I would do my homework or take a shower or eat my dinner or things like that,” he said. “That’s really how much I just love doing it. Even today, every chance I get I pick it up. I just love playing.”
Katie Helland can be reached at katie@alohastatedaily.com.
