Hawaiian ukulele master Jake Shimabukuro has released a new collaborative album, Blues Experience, with Fleetwood Mac drummer Mick Fleetwood. The album, featuring ten tracks, primarily consists of instrumental pieces and was released on October 18. It showcases their interpretations of classic blues songs, some rock tunes, and one original blues composition.
In a recent interview, Shimabukuro shared insights into how this exciting project came to be and his experience recording with the esteemed Rock & Roll Hall of Fame member.
The collaboration began when Shimabukuro attended a Fleetwood Mac concert in Nashville a few years ago. After the show, he was invited backstage, where he and Fleetwood discussed the possibility of working together. Their plans solidified about a year later when Fleetwood brought his family to see Shimabukuro perform on the Hawaiian island of Maui, where Fleetwood owns a home.
Recalling their conversation backstage, Shimabukuro said they decided to enter the studio with a few songs and see where it would lead, given that they had never played together before.
The recording sessions took place at Fleetwood’s home studio in the Kula area of Maui, where they were joined by bassist Jackson Waldhoff and, on most tracks, keyboardist Michael Grande. Acclaimed blues guitarist Sonny Landreth and keyboardist Mark Johnstone, a long-time member of Fleetwood’s solo blues band, also contributed to the album.
Shimabukuro explained that their focus on the blues genre stemmed from Fleetwood’s long history with it. Before co-founding Fleetwood Mac, Mick was briefly a member of John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers, and the early incarnation of Fleetwood Mac was a blues band led by singer-guitarist Peter Green.
Recording with Fleetwood was “a dream come true” for Shimabukuro, who expressed his admiration for the legendary drummer. He praised Fleetwood’s collaborative spirit in the studio, stating, “Mick is just such a generous guy … he’s such a legend and an icon. [He was] such a generous spirit to give us that opportunity to record with him and reimagine these iconic blues [and] rock tunes.”
Shimabukuro reflected on the enriching experience, saying, “[I]t was just a stunning experience, and I learned so much from it. I grew so much from it. He’s so encouraging and really pushed me to step outside my comfort zone. He just said, ‘Oh, just have fun. [G]o for it, be experimental, and just play.’ And that’s kind of what we did.”
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