Music is a gift, and the ability to play it is a blessing. Be grateful for both. – Anonymous

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Walking up the creaky wooden steps, there are what seems like hundreds of slippers all around the front door. Soft music floats through the air, inviting me to the back yard. Aunties and Uncles fill every lawn chair and the keiki run around in the freshly cut grass. There’s a warm breeze blowing and at least a dozen friends strum along, kanikapila style, to a tune we all know and everyone sings the words to. These are the songs of my life. I am home. And I am grateful.

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By now, if you know the ‘ukulele, you might know the name, the innovator who is Jake Shimabukuro. He has captivated audiences around the world with his unique and dynamic style. With his mother as his first teacher of the instrument, Jake embraced a deep love and respect for the `ukulele and has explored new and unexpected ways to push the boundaries of what was possible on the humble four-strings. Each album has showcased his mastery of the instrument and his ability to weave together diverse genres to create a cohesive and captivating musical experience. He is undoubtedly one of the most innovative and exciting musicians of his generation, changing the perception of the instrument itself and breaking barriers of what kind of music it is capable of.

Enter his newest, and most personal album yet. Grateful is a coming home for Jake. With a literal who’s who of Hawai`i based musicians, this collection of songs is performed live, in studio with Jake’s friends, contemporaries, mentors, and heroes – all kanikapila style in a return to his roots. Grateful is the follow-up to the critically acclaimed duets album with artists from Willie Nelson, Ziggy Marley and Bette Midler to Jimmy Buffett, Jack Johnson and Kenny Loggins. It was these collaborations that inspired him to go back to the beginning and play with the musicians who first inspired him as he was growing up in Hawai`i. Jake shares a connection with each and every artist on this album.

In addition to his impeccable musicianship, Jake is also a gifted storyteller, weaving together musical narratives that draw listeners in and leave them spellbound. He wanted to bring the power of each artist’s stories to this album.

Once the musicians decided on the song that they wanted to record, Shimabukuro along with producer and engineer Grande and Fletcher, worked on a plan on how to best capture the live collaboration. In the studio, the musicians played through the song a couple of times and then Michael would press record. All live in the studio and tracked in the same room together, just like the old days.

The artists on the album include Brother Noland, Bryan Tolentino, Chris Kamaka, Connor Johnson, Del Beazley, Fiji, Henry Kapono, Herb Ohta, Jr., Ignace Jang, Jeff Peterson, John Cruz, John Feary, Justin Kawika Young, Pure Heart (Jon Yamasato and Lopaka Colón), Kawika Kahiapo, Kimié Miner, Manaola, Mark Yamanaka, Pōmaika`i Keawe Lyman, Raiatea Helm, and Ron Artis II. The title track of the album, “Grateful,” is an original song by Justin Kawika Young. The two friends toured together on the mainland and the simple message from the chorus struck a chord with Jake each night as they performed it.

“And if it’s 10 years or two, or a lifetime with you,
I’ll just be grateful for what I got.
When only minutes remain, on the rest of our days,
I’ll just be grateful for what I got.”

And Jake couldn’t be more grateful.

Jackson Waldhoff is a bass player from Honolulu, Hawai’i. He grew up in Kyoto, Japan; moved to Hawai’i in 2010. Waldhoff started playing guitar and bass as a way to make friends while learning English. In 2018, Waldhoff graduated from audio engineering school and worked as an audio engineer with Jake Shimabukuro on several projects, including “Trio,” “Jake & Friends”, and a track for Alan Parsons. Jackson Waldhoff and Jake Shimabukuro started touring together in 2018, and perform concerts around the world.

Born and raised in Hawai’i, Justin Kawika Young first found success in his island home. He accumulated eleven number-one hits on Hawai’i radio before relocating to Los Angeles. He quickly established a following in the local music scene there and connected with other singer/songwriters including Colbie Caillat, eventually joining her band.

Young toured with Caillat as her acoustic guitarist/background vocalist and cowrote two songs on Caillat’s All Of You album. In 2019 Justin and Caillat formed a band in Nashville with two friends called Gone West. They debuted at The Grand Ole Opry in October of 2019 and their first single, What Could Have Been, hit the top 25 at Country radio. Gone West has accumulated of 30 million Spotify streams.

Justin will be touring this Spring opening for David Ryan Harris and in Winter 2022 with world renowned instrumentalist Jake Shimabukuro.

Justin’s original music can also be heard on the soundtracks of Point Break, Wild Horses and The Walking Dead TV series.