en:bio:paul_hemmings

Paul Hemmings

Hemmings, born and raised in California, is a trained jazz musician. Before concentrating on the ukulele, Paul Hemmings began his professional musical life as a jazz guitarist. Since 2001 he has been teaching at the Third Street Music School Settlement in New York.

He uses the ukulele to combine elements of modern Jazz, Blues, free improvisation and American Folk music.

Hemming has released several albums with his Paul Hemmings Uketet, a trio with ukulele, bass and drums founded in 2012.

About the ukulele, Hemmings has stated:

I just love that bright, organic, warm, and focused sound you can get out of a good ukulele, and that has everything to do with why I’ve chosen to focus my music around it recently. I also feel like the instrument’s limited range has forced me to be more creative in terms of doing more with less, which I think has helped me get closer to the elusive goal of finding my own sound.1)

Videos


Caravan (Duke Ellington)


Satin Doll (Duke Ellington)


The Paul Hemmings Uketet: Moon River / Folsom Prison Blues / Hello Bean


The Paul Hemmings Uketet: Summertime (George Gershwin)


Prelude, Cello Suite No. 1 (Johann Sebastian Bach)


On Improvisation (2015)