Ukulele Musician Jake Shimabukuro Returns to the CCPA on Fri., May 5, 8:00 PM

CERRITOS, CA – Noted for his “buoyant musicianship” and “brisk proficiency” by The New York Times and named a musical “hero” by Rolling Stone, ukulele sensation Jake Shimabukuro returns to the spotlight at the Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts (CCPA) on Friday, May 5, 8:00 PM. Ticket prices to the concert start at $65.

It’s rare for a young musician to earn comparisons to the likes of Jimi Hendrix and Miles Davis. It’s even harder to find an artist who has entirely redefined an instrument by his early 30s. But when a jaw-dropping YouTube clip of JAKE SHIMABUKURO’S performance of While My Guitar Gently Weeps went viral, the ukulele sensation’s career skyrocketed, leading to collaborations with Bette Midler, Yo-Yo Ma, Ziggy Marley, and Chris Botti.

Shimabukuro has taken the four-string, two-octave instrument across the entire music spectrum, encompassing Jazz, Blues, Funk, Bluegrass, Classical, and Folk. The ukulele master’s album Peace Love Ukulele, an acclaimed showcase of Jazz, Rock, Classical, Folk, and traditional Hawaiian music, topped the Billboard World Album Chart. His latest albums are Trio, which landed at No. One on Billboard’s Contemporary Jazz Albums chart, and Jake & Friends, featuring collaborations with Bette Midler, Willie Nelson, and Warren Haynes.

Since age 4, Shimabukuro has been playing the ukulele and in his hands, the instrument becomes a bold musical force. The New York Times hailed, “The innovation in his style stems from an embrace of restrictions: The ukulele has only four strings and a limited range. He compensates with an adaptable combination of rhythmic strumming, classical-style finger-picking and fret board tapping.” Rolling Stone concurred: “One of the hottest axmen of the past few years doesn’t actually play guitar.”

The musician has performed on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, The Late Show With Conan O’Brien, The Today Show, and Last Call With Carson Daly. Shimabukuro was nominated by President Joe Biden to be a member of the National Council on the Arts.

For tickets or more information, call (562) 916-8500, or go to cerritoscenter.com.

# # #