Gerald Ross (born September 26, 1954, Detroit) is a musician specializing in American Roots Music – Swing, Early Jazz, Western Swing, Hawaiian, Ragtime and Blues. Playing the guitar, lap steel guitar and ukulele he has performed throughout the USA and Europe and has recorded seven solo CDs. Ross currently tours as a solo act performing and teaching ukulele and steel guitar at festivals and music camps.[1][2]
Gerald Ross | |
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 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | September 26, 1954 Detroit, United States |
| Genres | Swing, traditional jazz, blues, country blues, hawaiian, folk, western swing, swing, ragtime, jugband |
| Occupation | Musician |
| Instrument(s) | Guitar, Lap steel guitar, Ukulele |
| Labels | UkeTone, Brown & Serve |
| Member of | The Lost World String Band, The Continental Islanders, The MacPherson Strutters, The Mountain River Valley Boys, Sharkfeet |
| Website | geraldross |
Awards and recognitions
edit1993 – Won the WEMU Jazz Competition (solo artist category)
2010 – Won the 2010 Hawaii Music Awards Steel Guitar category.[3]
2010 – The aNueNue Ukulele company issued the Gerald Ross Signature Tenor Ukulele.[4]
2011 – Became an artist/endorser for Mya-Moe Ukuleles.[5]
2011 – Became an online columnist for Mel Bay's "Ukulele Sessions".[6]
2011 – Became an endorser for MI-SI instrument pickups.[7]
2012 – Became an endorser for the Kala U-Bass.[8]
2013 – Named Mya-Moe Ukulele Artist of the Month (June)[9]
2013 – Became the Music Director for the annual Ashokan Uke Fest (2013-2019).[10]
2014 – Gerald's steel guitar work was featured on the Hula Honey's CD 'A Hui Ho'. The CD won the Na Hoku Hanonano Award (Hawaiian Grammys – Jazz category)[11]
2015 – Named UkeFarm Radio Artist of the Month (January)[12]
2018 - Became an endorser for Henriksen amplifiers. Featured in Henriksen print advertisement - Ukulele Magazine, Winter 2017, Spring & Summer 2018, Winter 2019.
2020 - Ukulele Magazine Fall 2020. Full page feature story about Gerald’s two month musical lockdown during the Covid-19 pandemic in Spain
2021 - Gerald and Marcy Marxer[13][circular reference] hosted the awards presentation at the World Virtual Ukulele Contest sponsored by CF Martin guitars
2021 - Ukulele Magazine Winter 2021. A four page feature article profiling Gerald entitled ‘King Of Swing’
2022 - Ukulele Magazine Online. Gerald performs his arrangement of 'Christmas Time Is Here' online in the magazine's Holiday edition.
2024 - Gerald’s Swing, Blues and Jazz ukulele instructional site debuts on Patreon. patreon.com/gbross
Lost World String Band
editGerald Ross played guitar, ukulele, Cajun accordion and steel guitar with the LWSB from 1979 - 2011. The Lost World appeared numerous times on American Public Media's A Prairie Home Companion with Garrison Keillor.[14] The band's reputation for on-stage spontaneity and humor secured them a spot as the featured musical act at New York's famed comedy club The Improv for the 1982 New Year's show.
2020 Covid-19 Lockdown - Oviedo, Spain
editIn March 2020 a brief work/vacation in Oviedo, Spain became a fifty four day lockdown for Ross and his wife Margaret. Neither contracted Covid-19. Ross recorded four instrumental ukulele videos during the lockdown. Besame Mucho Sunday Magnetic Rag Music To Watch Girls By
Discography
editSolo
edit- Romance & Adventure
- Ukulele Stomp
- Moonlight And Shadows
- Ukulele Hit Parade
- Mistletoe Mazel Tov
- Swing Ukulele
- Absolute Uke
Collaborations
edit- Stoney Creek – Meet The Creek
- Lost World String Band – Ready To Wear
- After 10 Years – Elderly Instruments (w/MacPherson Strutters)
- Sally Rogers – In The Circle of the Sun
- Wheatland Festival – At This Stage – 30 Years at the Wheatland Festival
- Various Ukulele Artists – Square Pegs And Round Holes
- Yiddishe Cup – Klezmer Guy
- Greg Gattuso (Hilo Greg) – Little Songs For Big Kids
- Bosko & Honey Present... Ukulele Safari Volume 1
- The Beatles Complete on Ukulele – Paperback Writer
- The Beatles Complete on Ukulele – Penny Lane
- Katseye – Makin' Lemonade
- The Hula Honeys – A Hui Hou
- Tree Town Ukes – Veterans Song (guitar)
- Phil Doleman - And (guitar, bass, Dobro - UK release)
- Shawano Folk Festival - 40 years
Music Festival Appearances
edit
Ross makes appearances at a wide variety of venues as documented below. At most events there are workshops where he teaches participants aspects of the ukulele or steel guitar.[15]
Europe etc.
edit- Ukulele Festival of Great Britain – Cheltenham, England
- Sevilla Ukulele Festival – Sevilla, Spain
- Ukulele Ceilidh – Liverpool, Nova Scotia, Canada
- Montreal Uke Fest – Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Ukulele Festival Of Scotland - Dumfries, Scotland
- Vancouver Ukulele Festival – Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Hawaii Island Ukulele Retreat - Big Island, Hawaii
- Czech Ukulele Festival - Prague, Czech Republic
- Royal City Uke Fest - Guelph, Ontario, Canada
- Ukulele Bike And Barge - Avignon, France
USA East
edit- Augusta Heritage Swing Week – Elkins, WV
- Ashokan Western & Swing Week – Olivebridge, NY
- Swannanoa Gathering – Guitar Week – Asheville, NC
- Strathmore Uke/Guitar Summit – Bethesda, MD
- New York Uke Fest – NY, NY
- M.A.U.I. Ukefest – Annapolis, MD
- New Jersey Uke Fest - Morristown, NJ
- Steve Kaufman’s Acoustic Camp - Maryville, TN
- The Kalamazoo Fretboard Festival – Kalamazoo, MI
- Wheatland Festival – Remus, MI
- Midwest Uke Fest – Indianapolis, IN
- Milwaukee Uke Fest – Milwaukee, WI
- Bliss Fest – Cross Village, MI
- Windy City Uke Fest – Chicago, IL
- Tampa Bay Ukulele Getaway – Tampa, FL
- UkeFest at the Music Center at Strathmore – Bethesda, MD
- UkeFest Virginia – Richmond, VA
- Mighty Uke Day II, IV, V, XI – Lansing, MI[16]
- Great Bear Music Festival – Bloomingdale, MI
- Ashokan Uke Fest – Olivebridge, NY[17]
- Midwest Uke Fest – Ft. Wayne, IN
- HSGA Hawaiian Music Festival – Joliet, IL
- Belfast Ukulele Festival - Belfast, ME
- Lake Anne Ukulele Festival – Reston, VA
- Uketoberfest Interlochen – Interlochen, MI
- Ukulele Festival of South Florida - Fort Lauderdale, FL
- Funky Frets Uke Fest - Philadelphia, PA
- Allegheny Ukulele Soiree - Altoona, PA
- Midwest Uke Camp - Olivet, MI/Holland, MI
- Guitar Intensives - Bar Harbor, ME
- City Of Lights Uke Fest - Aurora, IL
- Nutmeg Uke Fest - Simsbury, CT
USA West
edit- Puget Sound Guitar Workshop – Bremerton, WA
- Palm Springs Uke Fest - Palm Springs, CA
- Wine Country Uke Fest – Napa, CA
- Portland Uke Fest – Portland, OR
- Reno Uke Fest - Reno, NV
- Denver Uke Fest - Denver, CO
- Port Townsend Ukulele Festival - Port Townsend, WA
- Uke U-7 - Bend, OR
- Southern California Uke Fest, Los Angeles, CA
- Uketoberfest – Eugene, OR
- Lone Star UkeFest – Dallas, TX
- West Coast Ukulele Retreat – Pacific Grove, CA
- The California Coast Music Camp – Foresthill, CA
- Mighty Mo Uke Fest – St. Louis, MO
- Menucha Ukulele Band Camp – Portland, OR
- Hawaiian Steel Guitar Festival – Fort Collins, CO
- Colorado Roots Music Camp - Colorado Springs, CO
- NAMM Show - Los Angeles, CA
- Rocky Mountain Uke Fest - Durango, CO
- Ukekopelli Festival - Albuquerque, NM
- Great Minnesota Uke And Bluegrass Gathering - Minneapolis, MN
Appears in
edit- Kazoozie Kazoos TV commercial (uncredited – performer/actor and announcer)
- Mighty Uke (uncredited – playing steel guitar at the New York Uke Fest)
- Wheatland – The First 40 Years (Photos and soundtrack with the Lost World String Band)
References
edit- ^ "Kalamazoo Gazette Article on Gerald Ross" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on September 24, 2015. Retrieved January 22, 2011.
- ^ "Live radio interview – Ukulele Perspectives 2010". Archived from the original on July 17, 2011. Retrieved January 22, 2011.
- ^ "Hawaii Music Awards – Steel Guitar". Archived from the original on September 27, 2011. Retrieved January 22, 2011.
- ^ aNueNue Gerald Ross Signature Tenor Ukulele
- ^ Mya Moe – Gerald Ross Artist Page
- ^ Mel Bay's Ukulele Sessions
- ^ MI-SI Endorsement List
- ^ "U-Bassists". Archived from the original on June 28, 2012. Retrieved June 15, 2012.
- ^ Mya-Moe News May 31, 2013
- ^ "Uke Fest | Ashokan Music and Dance Camps". ashokan.org. Archived from the original on December 7, 2013.
- ^ "Hula Honeys win Na Hoku Hanonano award". Archived from the original on May 28, 2014. Retrieved May 29, 2014.
- ^ Uke Farm Radio
- ^ Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxer
- ^ University of Michigan press 2008 Interview with Gerald Ross
- ^ Ashokan Ukulele Camp – Workshops Archived June 17, 2013, at the Wayback Machine>
- ^ "Mighty Uke Day Comes to Old Town Lansing". Archived from the original on August 9, 2014. Retrieved June 7, 2013.
- ^ Ashokan Ukulele Camp – Workshops Archived June 17, 2013, at the Wayback Machine>