Tuesday, November 27, 2007


DaSilva Ukuleles is participating in Berkeley Artisans Holiday Open Studios every weekend in December. Folks coming by can watch work on ukuleles in various stages of completion, test drive new ukes, and check out Michael DaSilva's forward-looking ukulele programs.

Mike got a lot of nice ink from the San Francisco Chronicle last Sunday. Want to read Ian Lendler's take on the current enthusiasm for the ukulele? It's here at sfgate.com.

Mike's asked me to come play acoustic ukuleles on stage during the open house, and with such great sounding ukes on hand I can't resist. On Saturday I'll be there just as soon as I get everything put away from my usual 10:00am-1:00pm session on electric ukulele at Berkeley's venerable Nabolom Bakery. So expect me to be playing ukuleles at DaSilva's shop from three until six o'clock or so Saturday, and the next morning from 11am until about 2pm, at which time Al Dodge's Sun Dodgers will be ready to crank up the gramophone era sounds. (Faith Yang of Oregon took the picture above at DaSilva's.)


Tuesday, November 20, 2007



Hey friends of the UKEBOX thing

UKEBOX is now available at the iTunes Store. It's a foot in the door. If you'd like to see the door wedged open a little wider, there is a way you can help.

When you get to the iTunes Store you can search on Steven Strauss or UKEBOX and you'll get the album page. Listen to samples. If you've heard the CD and like it, consider saying something nice about it in the customer reviews. (I'd do it myself but there are people who would know instantly.) Even if all you hear is samples, feel free to say you like them.

Is this album in the wrong category (Easy Listening)? We don't come up among the recent releases in Easy Listening anyway, so what's the point of having that handle? Just makes ya fly lopsided...

You can help me pay for this album without any further outlay of funds, because I don't need to sell a million. But it'll take people unintentionally discovering UKEBOX while browsing. I just want a tiny fraction of that browsing market.

Have I mentioned we're at CDBaby, too? You can get a copy sent to your home or office. Samples there run two minutes, too, if hearing more of each tune would make a difference.

click to UKEBOX at CDBaby

Believe me, this is better than being signed to Warner Brothers.

Friday, November 09, 2007

SEPARATED AT BIRTH?



I'm just sayin'.