Linda Stout

I have said lately that I've been having a nearly monogamous relationship with my baritone ukulele, an old Harmony, mahogany, probably 45 years old -- an older man? Well, gender and age is not so demarcated here or with real beings, either. I tune it in 5ths, "mournful," as the man who sold it to me observed. Or lonesome. Or like a dulcimer, too. I've been playing Cyndi Lauper's "Time After Time" on it. She plays it on a dulcimer, speaking of, just discovered the groovy Orlando, Fla., roots band Mohave, fronted by a cute guy with dreads named Bing who can really sing and play dulcimer, produces, too. I impulsively bought the Mohave CD from CDBaby, which loves me for more than that purchase, but for my own music there and my HostBaby affiliation. Or maybe they don't. Anyway, I am about to record a new baritone ukulele song. What I get with it is this roots/pop sound, sometimes jazz, too. I confess I wasn't completely monogamous with the Harmony baritone uke, was playing my friend's borrowed Taylor guitar, a pricey new one, nice but way bright. I tend to like warmer, darker jazz tones, so like the new old Yamaha classical with a smaller body I just bought quickly, but it was a good price at Rumble Seat Music in Ithaca. Check them out, mostly online sales of vintage instruments. My little koa Taylor is still, still in the darn shop. It misses me. I miss it. I guess I am not that monogamous, but a polyamorous instrumentalist.