Ukulele and virtuoso are not words that appear in the same sentence very often. Hardly at all, to be accurate, but there is no other way to describe the performance we just witnessed by James Hill at St. Andrews by the Sea Episcopal Church in Nags Head.
Anyone who can pull off Jimi Hendrix classic VooDoo Child on a ukulele has got to get a vote for virtuoso. And for good measure there was also Michael Jackson’s Billie Jean. And some jazz; some amazing bluegrass, ballads, Canadian folk music.
To give Hill his due, it was as fine an example of outstanding musicianship as could be imagined, and the icing on the cake, as it were, was all of it was done on mandolin.
Much of what made the afternoon show particularly entertaining was how well Hill related to the audience. Witty and relaxed as he spoke to the audience, he brought humor, a sense of belonging and a lot of the beauty of the world to his performance.
Most people will probably carry with them the astonish sound of a ukulele player shredding to VooDoo Child. Or maybe Billie Jean. And they were amazing, but Hill also brought some jazz standards.
One of the first songs he played was a Django Rheinhart classic, After You’re Gone. Then, for an encore, Duke Ellington’s Don’t Get around much Anymore.
What truly made the music standout, though, wasn’t just the songs or selections; it was the passion and precision he brought with him from his home in Nova Scotia.
That precision was particularly apparent in some of the bluegrass numbers he performed.
Hill was brought to the Outer Banks by the Bryan Cultural Series. He was originally supposed to perform in spring of 2020, but COVID got in the way. It’s wonderful that the folks of the Bryan Cultural Series didn’t give up on this one and Hill didn’t give up on the Outer Banks.
There is always something fun and interesting happening on the Outer Banks from Corolla to Hatteras Village. Be sure to stay in a Brindley Beach Vacations home while exploring this sandbar by the sea.
