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Mary Martin performs on her ukulele Sunday when a celebration concert is held in memory of her late husband, Frank D. Schaefer. The public is invited. |
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The duo Sonic Uke, made up of Ted Gottfried and Jason Tagg, adds a bit of whimsy to this Sunday’s concert at the Provincetown Art Association and Museum. |
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Final tribute turns into town event
By Melora B. North
Banner Staff
Before Frank D. Schaefer died last year he let it be known to his wife, Mary Martin Schaefer, that he wanted a memorial celebration in Provincetown for his friends. Well, that’s what he’s getting — in celebration of Schaefer’s life there’s going to be an Outermost Uke Memorial concert at 3 p.m. April 6 at the Provincetown Art Association and Museum, and everyone’s invited.
“It was Frank’s idea to have the memorial,” says Martin Schaefer, a uke player herself. “I wouldn’t do it under my own steam but it’s what Frank wanted.”
And it’s only natural that it takes place at PAAM, since he was a photographer and lifetime member who not only belonged but also took part in the maintenance of the building.
“He helped patch ceilings and did odd jobs,” says Martin Schaefer. “He owned an inn — he was handy.”
The event is shaping up into a virtual reunion of uke players from across the country as well as Nova Scotia, most of whom knew Schaefer and his wife, who has played with a majority of the musicians. Much as he loved the ukulele, Schaefer himself never played. He left that up to Martin Schaefer and their uke friends.
“He may have held it a few times but he never played,” says Martin Schaefer laughing.
For this memorial celebration there will be eight performers playing what Martin Schaefer refers to in fun as “small instrument, big trouble.” It is her fervent belief that the uke is capable of dishing up a heaping dose of fun and good times, a spirit of good will and harmony.
“How can you have a chip on your shoulder with a uke?” she asks. “When you’re in a room full of uke players it’s always a nice place to be. They are so friendly with one another. It’s fun to watch.”
Originally from Nova Scotia, Martin Schaefer, in addition to the ukulele, plays viola and piano. In fact, when silent movies are shown at WOMR radio station in Provincetown she is flipping the ivories, transporting the audience back in time.
For this concert she hopes to play a few of her husband’s favorite songs. She also will play one of her original compositions, “Lateral Lisp,” a tune that amused and delighted her husband to no end. And, she plans to perform the giddy old classic “Abba Dabber Honeymoon” with John Kavanagh, an old friend she once studied uke with as a child.
For his part, Kavanagh will be a bit more circumspect when he plays some classical jazz, pop and folk. He may even surprise the audience with a touch of hot jazz or perhaps a couple of songs from the ’20s. He’s eclectic and multi-instrumental, a player of the upright bass, viola da gamba, guitar and banjo.
Keyboardist for The Cars, Greg Hawkes comes to the Cape to play some complex oldies from the ’40s and ’50s on his pineapple uke. Adding to the performances will be Jamie Scandal, who lives up to her name.
“She’s a New Yorker, she’s a wonderful performer,” says Martin Schaefer. “You can’t take your eyes off her, but sometimes, well, she bleeps herself with a bike horn.”
Patsy Monteleone brings a collection of original works to the concert that are influenced by the Tin Pan Alley days, Duke Ellington, Hoagy Carmichael, Irving Berlin and Cole Porter, to name a few idols. He plays show tunes, old-time folk, Hawaiian selections and pop ballads. It’s fair to say his performance will be a mix of all things music.
Tom Harker, known as Ukulele Man, is a former English teacher who now writes uke songs based on anything from love to politics. He’s even written a song about Pee Wee Herman, and has opened for such notables as Leon Redbone and Mojo Nixon.
Adding a dash of craziness to the program will be the duo Sonic Uke, Ted Gottfried and Jason Tagg, two guys with a definite sense of humor and a penchant for hamming it up. Known for performing in costumes such as hula skirts, they often can be seen singing on their Greenwich Village stoop in the summer or anyplace warm where there is a fresh brew in the winter.
The Sunday afternoon performance of songs that vary from Bach to rap is a tribute to the late Frank Schaefer but it is also a town party to which all are welcome.
“He loved Provincetown deeply,” says Martin Schaefer. And he loved the uke.
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Apr 3rd, 2008