Thanks to Craig Robertson for this interview!
Visit Craig Robertson's site to hear some great ukulele songs!
Craig hosts the frequent Ukulele Noir shows in the Boston area.

And while you're reading:
Hear Craig Robertson play "That Dress" (C. Robertson, 2006)
Hear Craig Robertson play "3 AM"

UkeTalk: Craig, fill us in on how you started playing music.

Craig Robertson: Hmmm... I started by learning to play a banjo my half-uncle gave me up at his log cabin in Maine. No, wait, that was a movie I saw. I started playing music in the sixties...

UkeTalk: What other musical instruments do you play?

Craig Robertson: Besides ukulele, I play guitar, acoustic and electric, electric bass, a lot of lapsteel and slide, some bad accordion. Eh, I can make irritating noises on most instruments.

UkeTalk: So, when did the ukulele became an important instrument to you?

Craig Robertson: About seven years ago. It appealed to the maverick side of my nature. I was tired of singer/songwriters with guitars everywhere.

UkeTalk: Is there one artist or song that really brought the ukulele to your attention?

Craig Robertson: No.

UkeTalk: The Le Domino ukuleles have proven to be your uke of choice. How and when did you connect with Le Dominos?

Craig Robertson: I got my first one about five years ago. It was, luckily, a great sounding ukulele in very playable condition. After stringing it up with concert gauge Aquilas, it truly sang.

UkeTalk: Do you have any other rare or unusual ukuleles in your collection?

Craig Robertson: Not really, some Kamakas, but mostly I try to keep only what I play. There are some SERIOUS collectors in this area, so it would be "coals to Newcastle".

UkeTalk: Do you mainly stick to the soprano uke, or do you mix it up a bit?

Craig Robertson: Real men play sopranos.

UkeTalk: You must be the most prolific mp3 poster on the uke scene. Do you have your own home studio?

Craig Robertson: I have a small demo set up at home. All digital right now. N-track, M-Audio mobile preamp, shure and MXL mics. I have to stress that I just use it for demos or "notebooking" what I'm writing. I just write a lot. I love music.

UkeTalk: Your terrific CD entitled "Practical Hypnotism" was released in 2003. Is there a follow-up on the way?

Craig Robertson: Yes, (big sigh) the new one will be out in the late fall, or for the holidays and will be, tentatively, titled "That Dress". It will also have about 20 songs on it.

UkeTalk: Has the ukulele influenced your songwriting style, or do your musical works have the same personality regardess of the instrument you write on?

Craig Robertson: Ukulele has definitely influenced the way I write. It's a great chord instrument and a great instrument for vocal accompaniment. Also, some keys "sit" better on a ukulele than on a guitar or piano.

UkeTalk: I hear that you're a heck of a guitar player, too. Do you consider the uke your main instrument these days, or do you still play a lot of guitar?

Craig Robertson: I've been playing more and more guitar recently. I love slide and lap steel, but just plain acoustic guitar has a lot of appeal for me also.

UkeTalk: Has the uke scene in Boston changed in the last few years?

Craig Robertson: Sure. I'm in it. And Ukulele Noir. The local population is becoming aware of the benefits of small instruments and their ability to penetrate their consciousness.

UkeTalk: Do I have my facts straight about the origin of Ukulele Noir; weren't you already hosting an open mic that shifted to an all-ukulele show?

Craig Robertson: Yep, you are well informed. I was hosting an open mic at the Sky Bar and more and more ukulele players showed up. So it just naturally evolved. The first Noir was going to be just a one time thing. But it was so much fun and so many more wanted to play that I kept it going. The next one will be number 15! Yow. Other than sex and beer, I don't do anything 15 times in a row. It's been a challenge.

UkeTalk: Your marketing motto for Ukulele Noir is "Small Instruments, Big Trouble". Would you care to elaborate on that?

Craig Robertson: The tagline I came up with was "Small Instruments, Big Fun" for the Ukulele Noir Cinq (5) poster. But Kurt, from Le Chauds Lapins, who were the guests, suggested "Small Instruments, Big Trouble" because he thought it sounded better. I agreed. It implies a certain level of intrique that I like, plus it's very droll.

UkeTalk: Any chance that you'll take Ukulele Noir on the road, perhaps a Rolling Ukulele Revue?

Craig Robertson: Only if Bob Dylan agrees to play. But, yes, we've taken it on the road once to the Rosegarden in Western MA and once to Baltimore last year. With so many participants, it's tough to get everyone to commit to any kind of "tour". On the other hand, I'm doing a solo tour of San Francisco and Portland, Oregon in the middle of September. The dates will all be announced on my website.

UkeTalk: And I did read on the Ukulele Noir site that there's a Montreal show coming up; how did that get put together?

Craig Robertson: Martin Pierre La Pierre, from Montreal, came down and played a tune at one Noir and then asked me if I'd like to bring a small band of Noiristas up to Montreal to play. I said yes, and we set it up for July 29th. Should be great fun.

UkeTalk: What came first, the uke or the fedora?

Craig Robertson: The fedora, definitely. I have WAY more fedoras than ukuleles. I've been wearing them for the best part of the last 30 years.

UkeTalk: OK Craig, here's the extra credit question: If the Music Police searched your home, what might they find in Craig Robertson's collection of CDs, tapes, and vinyl that would surprise us?

Craig Robertson: I hate the police. Any police. If they came into my house I would attack them with bread knives and dull CDs by annoying blues artists.