Nature, My Musical Muse
Dec 30, 2009 Uncategorized
I was so inspired by the grandeur of the Grand Canyon, its vastness and majestic beauty , I began to play my guitar and almost effortlessly the melodies just began to flow and blend in with the sounds of the open country. I almost didn’t bring my guitar, fortunately, my girl-friend reminded me in a sing-song voice something to the effect of “ Greg Shenkman, forget me not.”
Greg Shenkman on the Ukelele
Dec 28, 2009 Uncategorized
The ukelele is a “mini-me” of the acoustic guitar. It originated in Hawaii and in almost every Hawaiian themed music you can hear the sounds of the ukelele. I will never forget watching The Don Ho show hearing him sing the song “Tiny Bubbles” strumming along on his ukelele. Tiny Tim was a big man with long hair and a high pitched voice that played the ukelele on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, that was very entertaining. The ukelele is a real fun and easy instrument to play, you can even learn how to play it on the internet. I like to take my ukelele with me when I go to Hawaii. I pretend that I am Don Ho as I walk on the shores of the Hawaiian Islands.
Greg Shenkman likes Jimmy Page “Number Two” Les Paul
Dec 22, 2009 Uncategorized
Gibson Custom has announced the Gibson Custom Jimmy Page Number Two Les Paul Limited Edition guitar modified by the legendary Jimmy Page himself. Here’s what they have to say in their press release…
Every musician knows that late ’50s Sunburst Les Paul Standards are hard enough to come by as it is. Obtaining a pristine and exemplary ‘59 ‘Burst and modifying it for heightened performance and vastly expanded tonal options? Unheard of… unless, of course, you’re Jimmy Page. That’s exactly what the legendary Led Zeppelin guitarist, perhaps the world’s most iconic Les Paul player, did with his own ‘59 Les Paul Standard, and now–thanks to the extreme efforts of Gibson’s Custom Shop and the intimate cooperation of Jimmy Page himself–the artist’s hallowed “Number Two” Les Paul is available to mere mortals, in the form of the Custom Shop Jimmy Page “Number Two” Les Paul. Produced in strictly limited numbers, with two levels of aging, this guitar captures the look, feel, sound, and versatility of one of the greatest artist-owned Les Pauls of all time, and it is likely to disappear from authorized Gibson dealers in record time. Greg Shenkman likes this idea.