What began as jam sessions at High Strung Violins and Guitars in 2007 transformed into the Durham Ukulele Orchestra (DUO), a quartet that plays more than a dozen different instruments. And they all sing, too! “You’d be surprised how much sound we can generate!” says founding member Brian Lewis. “In a group performance, the kinds and sizes of ukuleles we play – concert, baritone, six-string tenor and banjo uke – all have different sounds that blend well and complement one another.” They’ve played at the Nasher Museum of Art, Durham History Hub, Museum of Life and Science as well as regular music venues like The Pinhook, Fullsteam, James Joyce, Motorco and the old Broad Street Cafe. “We do many traditional jazz standards, but I think the real crowd pleasers are the rock/pop songs that most audience members know well but have not heard on ukulele,” says Jay Cunningham. “That might include tunes by Springsteen, ABBA, Talking Heads, The Who or The Black Eyed Peas.”
The Song That Inspired Me to Start Playing Music
NANCY Scott Joplin’s “Maple Leaf Rag” on piano. Although I had played piano prior to hearing Joplin’s rags, they drove me to really work at it.
JAY Del Shannon’s “Runaway.”
BRIAN When I was 11 years old, I heard Herman’s Hermits on the radio singing “I’m Into Something Good” (which was written by Carole King). I thought to myself, “How hard could that be?” and asked my mother if I could get a guitar and learn how to play.
The Album That Reminds Me of Home
NANCY The Beatles’ Abbey Road. My home is Pleasantville,
New York, 60 miles north of New York City.
JAY My home now is Durham since I started going to Duke (many) years ago, and I think the album that I most identify with here is Will the Circle be Unbroken with Doc Watson, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and others.
BRIAN I’m originally from Joliet, Illinois, near Chicago. Carole King’s Tapestry album came out during my senior year in high school there, and I played it so much that it will always remind me of where I grew up and the people I was hanging around with at the time.
The First Song I Truly Fell in Love With
NANCY The Beatles’ “I Saw Her Standing There.”
JAY Well, if you really want to go back a ways, it would probably be “The Battle of New Orleans” by Johnny Horton.
BRIAN “Tired of Waiting” by The Kinks.
If I Had to Save One Record and Throw Away the Rest
NANCY Derek and the Dominos’ Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs.
JAY It would be The Beatles’ Abbey Road.
BRIAN The Nightfly by Donald Fagen, described by The Wall Street Journal as “one of pop music’s sneakiest masterpieces.”
The Perfect Summer Anthem
NANCY Sheryl Crow’s “Soak Up the Sun.”
JAY Has to be The Beach Boys “Good Vibrations,” which is in our repertoire.
BRIAN “Summer in the City” by The Lovin’ Spoonful – also in our repertoire.
The Musician I Relate to the Most is …
JAY Probably George Harrison – who, by the way, was very much a ukulele aficionado.
BRIAN Mandolinist extraordinaire Sam Bush.
The Song That Sounds Surprisingly Great on Ukulele
JAY Probably it would be our version of “Pinball Wizard.” That one always surprises people.
BRIAN “Here Comes the Sun” by George Harrison and The Beatles.
The Record I Put on to Unwind
NANCY Anything by Durham songwriter Jon Shain.
JAY Generally I’ll turn on Pandora and plug in “Hot Club of France.”
BRIAN “Hot Dawg” by the David Grisman Quintet.
If the Durham Ukulele Orchestra Were to Cover a Song
by a Durham Artist, It Would Be …
NANCY The Gravy Boys’ “Please Don’t Take Me Back.”
JAY Maybe “Windy and Warm,” which was written by John Loudermilk in the ’60s and covered by Doc Watson.
