Song of the Day: Jake Shimabukuro, “While My Guitar Gently Weeps”

Song of the Day posts one cool cover every morning. Catch up on past installments here.

Last week we gave a somewhat tepid review to Amanda Palmer’s new album of ukulele Radiohead covers. No matter how good it had been though, it would pale in comparison to this. Hawaiian Jake Shimabukuro may be the world’s finest ukulele player, or at least the finest who regularly arranges classic pop songs for the instrument.

This video of him performing George Harrison’s “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” in Central Park is both technically astounding and emotionally resonant. His fingers fly up and down the small fretboard, making the strings speak with each note, much as Eric Clapton did on the original (did you know it was him playing, not George?). Difference is, Jake’s only got four strings to work with.

Check out more Jake Shimabukuro at his website or MySpace.