Kenny Raskin
Ukulele and So Much More!
At Maine Fiddle Camp we know Kenny Raskin as a musician (uke, guitar, singer). He and his family have been attending Camp as campers for many years. We’ve heard Kenny on stage, sometimes solo, sometimes with the family, sometimes with other groups playing and singing – old favorites, jazz, swing numbers. Always a great show. The last couple years, Kenny, often accompanied by his wife Joanna and son Evan, has been teaching uke in June and the first August week.
Here are a few words from Kenny’s MFC staff bio:
Kenny first picked up a ukulele at age 8, when a family friend bought him one. Now 50 plus years later, he’s not half bad! He’s got a menagerie of them, from soprano to baritone, and plays a variety of styles, swing music being his favorite. He taught an afternoon workshop in 2016 and Doug (MFC “Fearless leader”) spied on him. He must have liked what he saw, because lo and behold, he put him on the staff! Kenny has been an actor and physical comedian for 35 years, and has performed internationally, as well as on Broadway. He also starred as the lead clown in Cirque du Soleil’s Nouvelle Experience. He and Francis Berks make the acoustic duo The Doppelgangers.
So, whoa.. let’s back up a little here!!! …lead clown for Cirque de Soleil? Broadway??? Obviously there’s more here than a ukulele teacher! Here’s an excerpt from his website: For the past thirty five years, Kenny Raskin has made a name for himself as a leading physical comedian both in the United States and Europe, delighting audiences with a unique blend of theatrical pieces and clown characters. He starred as the lead clown Everyman in Cirque du Soleil’s universally loved NOUVELLE EXPERIENCE, and originated the role of Lefou, the comic sidekick of the villain Gaston, in the Broadway production of Disney’s BEAUTY AND THE BEAST. Kenny was also featured in Cirque du Soleil’s 3D IMAX film entitled JOURNEY OF MAN, and appeared as well as the Vaudeville Comedian in director Barry Levinson’s film, LIBERTY HEIGHTS. Before joining Cirque du Soleil, Kenny performed his one man show, THE AUDITION, for over ten years in theaters, universities and festivals throughout the United States and on television shows in Europe and South America. In the spirit reminiscent of the great old vaudevillians, Kenny explores the comic possibilities inherent in seemingly simple tasks, and injects an infectious sense of play into his performances, creating a true two way street between his audiences and himself.…
Want to see Kenny in action? Here’s a video of “My Old Friend”, Conceived and performed by Kenny Raskin, Music by Edmund Goulding/Beegie Adair
OK, so I realize that doesn’t have much to do with playing uke, so check this one out from a Maine Fiddle Camp “Old Time Variety Show” in 2016 – “Kenny and the Guys”!
Finally, Kenny has just released an album of his “greatest hits”. Wow! You can order a digital copy from iTunes, Amazon or CD Baby, or an actual CD directly from Kenny at: kenny@kennyraskin.com
Playing Ukulele is all the rage these days. In addition to “learning from the masters” (Kenny and others) there are plenty of opportunities to play your uke at Camp, even if your primary instrument is fiddle or guitar or piano… Come to Camp and try it out for a weekend or whole week. You can find out more about Maine Fiddle Camp (including the dates in June and August) HERE or sign up here
And once again, don’t forget to tune in to Pam Weeks’ and my weekly Tuesday night online mini-concert and jam. here’s the info: Tuesday night Online jam session and mini-concert with Pam Weeks and Bill Olson – FolkWorks
See y’all next month (or next Tuesday!) – bill
Kenny Raskin
Ukulele and So Much More!