Maine’s “Ukulele Eck” has been “out there” for four decades or so…singing and playing the ukulele, mandolin, tenor guitar, banjo, and musical saw in string bands, swing bands, vaudeville shows, and weird gigs of all sorts. A founding member of the Arm & Hammer String Band, the Neverly Brothers, the Blue Sky Serenaders, the Pinetones, Al Dente’s Inferno, and the Fabulous Lacklusters, Joel can’t seem to stay away from a stage and a microphone for very long. He studied the uke and tenor banjo with Roy Smeck, Vaudeville’s Wizard of the Strings, and now teaches at uke festivals and workshops around the country. He currently performs with the Uke-abilly duo, dos Eckies, and vaudeville duo, the Vododeeyos, and has recorded one CD “Tarnished Reputation” Ukulele Eck and the Fabulous Lacklusters, on Goodenuff Records. When not performing, he’s most likely to be found covered in sawdust, building the tools of his trade, ukes, mandolins, tenor guitars as proprietor of Earnest Uncommon Musical Instruments (www.earnestinstruments.com). His instruments are played and collected worldwide, and beyond!