Tuesday, January 05, 2010

Dreaming With Iz


Dreaming With Iz
Photo & Text Copyright 2009 Seattle Daily Photo. All rights reserved, including reproduction or republishing.
I recently visited the Fremont neighborhood shop where luthier Matthew Tolley builds custom mandolins and guitars. I shot this closeup of an inlay hula dancer he had created on a ukulele. I have been seeing a lot of ukes being played around Seattle in the past year, and even saw the head of one poking out of the top of a guy's backpack on the bus the other day. With whole ukulele orchestras playing to sold out crowds in London, I think this extremely portable instrument has finally broken away from the geeky Tiny Tim image of yesteryear and become pretty hip. With the misty moisty rains and gray skies outdoors today, the little dancer got me thinking of tropical climbs and island music

7 comments:

brattcat said...

How fun. Rob in Barcelona posted a lute and you've posted a uke. Gotta love this community.

Bob Crowe said...

Yes, but before there was Tiny Tim, the main ukulele celebrity was Arthur Godfrey. Talk about showing your age. But as hip as ukes may have become, I'll never ne able to strip Tiptoe Through The Tulips off of them.

Clueless in Boston said...

I like the hula girl on the uke. It certainly gives it some panache.

B SQUARED said...

Unfortunately, it's popularity hasn't spread this way. Yet!

Chuck Pefley said...

Fun piece, Kim. Was that at Dusty Strings?

cieldequimper said...

Hello Kim, happy New Year! I'll try to fix your problem!

Isn't luthier a wonderful trade? I had no idea that the French and English language had the same name for this art. This is a fun example of an otherwise so classical trade.

Kim said...

@ Chuck, no this was at a private shop shared by three luthiers in Fremont, near Theo's. I happen to know Matthew and was there to see some of the pieces he was building.

@ Ciel, yes, it is a beautiful word, indeed. I remember walking about a mile along Rue du Rome and marveling at shop after shop of instrument makers. It was amazing. One of Matthew's family members lives in central France and makes early instruments, like lutes and hurdy gurdies.
-Kim