Shimabukuro ices uke’s sound grandly

Jake Shimabukuro has explored many ideas with his music since stepping forward as a solo artist: electronic effects, high-speed strumming and the meticulous technique he has described as respecting the space between the notes.

The electronic Hendrix-style effects have been in abeyance in recent years, and on "Grand Ukulele" he plays with meticulous precision on some tracks and goes for it full force on others.

Fans of the "Hawaii Five-0" reboot will remember the lead-off song, "Ukulele Five-0," as a track on the "Hawaii Five-0: Original Songs From the Television Series" compilation released last November. Another song, "1 4 3 (I Love You)," was introduced on his 2010 album, "Peace Love Ukulele."

The new tunes include originals, remakes of three hits by major mainstream pop artists, and a single Hawaiian standard.

"Grand Ukulele" received a lot of pre-release publicity on the fact the producer is Alan Parsons, an internationally acclaimed audio engineer and recording artist. It’s a winning partnership. Parsons uses brass, percussion and string sections in various combinations to create melodic contrasts to Shi­ma­bu­kuro’s strumming and picking — "Over the Rainbow" is their biggest orchestral creation.

An instrumental remake of a singer’s hit is inherently different from the previous hit version and allows a musician more freedom in recording it than most vocalists can enjoy. Shi­ma­bu­kuro’s use of percussive techniques add dramatic impact to his beautiful arrangement of Adele’s hit "Rolling in the Deep."

With "Field of Gold," where his ukulele is joined by drums and a string section, he pays tribute to Sting in memorable style as well.

There are also several tracks where Parsons steps back and lets Shi­ma­bu­kuro demonstrate the range and depth of the ukulele as a solo instrument.

Finally, with "Akaka Falls," which he plays with a string section, Shi­­ma­bu­kuro brings the ukulele back to its place of origin and his birthplace as well.