How many of us grew up with the voice of Jiminy Cricket singing
“When You Wish Upon A Star” from
Pinnochio? There was always something soothing about that
voice, no matter how old of a kid you are. I might not remember
much about my childhood, but even at the age of 27, I find
something therapeutic about hearing that song.
These same people might cringe when offered the chance to listen
to an album with the title of
Ukulele Ike Sings Again – I know I wasn’t especially
thrilled about it at first. Ah, but reading the liner notes to this
disc (part of Disney’s “The Archive Collection”, and a disc that
can only be purchased through them), I discovered that “Ukulele
Ike” was in fact Cliff Edwards – better known as the voice of
Jiminy Cricket. Oh, well, in that case…
As it turns out, this disc of Edwards singing 16 songs backed by
the “Wonderland Jazz Band” is truly pleasurable to listen to, for
the most part. It is incredibly short – in fact, too short, it
seems – but Edwards knows how to take a song from his past and keep
it fresh.
Now, keep in mind that this disc was released sometime in the
1950s originally (although I have not been able to find out which
year it was released – I forgot to ask my friends at Disney that),
meaning these songs are from the ’20s, ’30s and ’40s. However, good
music does know no time barriers, and Edwards often is able to
deliver the goods.
The all-out rendition of “Singin’ In The Rain,” complete with
Edwards providing scat vocals in the breaks, is a sign of the joy
this album contains. Though some of these songs might not be
familiar to younger listeners, the time barrier won’t seem to
matter when it comes to the delivery. From a gentle croon on “I’ll
See You In My Dreams” to a happily busy rendition of “Sunday” (two
versions are on this disc, including an uncredited “single” version
with the scat overdub), Edwards maintains a lot of the magic
through his distinctive vocal style.
Weaknesses? Yes, there are a few – such as the way some of the
tracks run into each other to create surprising medleys. I
personally would have preferred to hear full versions of “Toot,
Toot, Tootsie, Goodbye,” “No No Nora” and “Five Foot Two, Eyes Of
Blue” instead of them all mashed together. And although Edwards can
sing almost anything, his slipping into an Irish brogue midway
through “K-K-K-Katy” ends up to be a bit annoying, moreso than if
he had delivered the whole song that way. Fortunately, this song
quickly melds into “When You Wore A Tulip,” the only time I’ll give
my blessing to the medley on this album.
But what about the ukulele, you may ask? Well, as it turns out,
Edwards’s work on the ukulele often seems to be buried in the mix,
coming forward on songs like “Sunday” very well. And, much to my
surprise, Edwards is a very good player – from what he’s playing ,
it sounds like the ukulele is a more complicated instrument than I
would have originally thought.
Whether you’re a kid of 5 or 85,
Ukulele Ike Sings Again is sure to provide some level of
pleasure. It might bring back old memories or help you create new
ones. And though Edwards’s singing career might be all but
forgotten to us young pups, albums like this are sure to remind us
there was more to Edwards’s life than an animated cricket.
For more information on this disc or any other in the
“Archive Collection” or to order this volume, please visit
Walt Disney’s Web site.
