Arlene, Mike, Scott, Sam, Jen, Ken, Bill, Bonnie and WendySue were here, along with Dennis, Janet, Tim, Ellen, Sarah, Linda, Brian and at least five other new people whose names I didn't get. This influx of new folks is because they saw Valerie Kellogg's big article in the Newsday about us. We're almost famous.

We had an OPEN JAM, which meant there was no special theme to the songs. Since there were so many new people, we didn't do some of the ones we had planned, and instead tried to pick easy stuff appropriate for beginners. I hope we can return to some of those (especially McCartney's Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey) on another evening.

1. Fly Me to the Moon, Kaye Ballard, 1954 (Arlene)

2. Mr. Sandman, the Chordettes, 1954 (Sam)

3. Mrs. Brown You've Got A Lovely Daughter, Herman's Hermits, 1965 (John/absent)

I believe John just had knee surgery and is going to convalesce for a few months. John, don't let your uke skills slip, and may you bear your suffering with some dignity.

4. Daydream, Lovin' Spoonful, 1966 (Scott)

Sounded fine. Not very hard. We missed a kazoo opportunity here during the whistling instrumental.

5. Move It On Over, Hank Williams, 1947 (Vin)

This was our best effort of the night. No mistakes. George Thorogood and the Destroyers had a hit with it in 1978. I never would have guessed Hank Williams wrote it.

6. Great Balls of Fire, Jerry Lee Lewis, 1957 (Vin)

7. Bad Moon Rising, CCR, 1969 (Ken)

We did this to show off for the first-time people. We've played it many many times. Everyone knows it and it's entirely easy.

8. Norwegian Wood (Key of C), Beatles, 1965 (Jen)

Surprisingly not difficult. It started with a C5, which most of us didn't do. A C worked all right. Ken played a chord melody version in C and it was a cool sound.

9. I Like Ukuleles, Joe Brown, 2012 (Arlene)

This was the first of two of Arlene's song salutes to that musical instrument which brings us such pleasure.

10. D'yer Maker, Led Zeppelin, 1973 (Scott)

We faltered because the chords were just displayed over the first verse, but it's a really easy C Am F G7 song. I bet it's the easiest Zeppelin song to play.

11. Up A Lazy River, Hoagy Carmichael, 1930 (Bill)

Loads of musicians have made recordings of this. I had it on the Mills Brothers Greatest Hits album. Bobby Darin had a hit with it in 1961.

12. Hey You, Pink Floyd, 1979 (Sam)

This went pretty well, though most of us weren't familiar with it.

13. The Beverly Hillbillies theme, (Ballad of Jed Clampett), Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs, 1962 (Arlene)

Bonnie and Arlene have decided to strike out on their own. Their new group is The Short Strings. They've been touring extensively in Scandanavia and have racked up millions of dollars in album sales. It's a wonder they still care to associate with us peasants after their enormous success, but they're remarkably down-to-earth. They treated us to a duet of this song.

14. Ukulele Swing, Jive Aces, 2011 (Arlene)

15. Stairway to Heaven, Led Zeppelin, 1971 (Sam)

Sam ended the show tonight with a solo. He did an impressive, solemn introduction, sped into some irreverent "happy ukey" verses, and ended with suitable solemnity. Well played, young man.

The library people threw us out at nine, instead of our usual quarter to ten. They stuck us in the cellar. Next time we'll be back in our normal spot and play for the full two hours and fifteen minutes. We'll be practicing Christmas carols for a concert at the Plainview Atria nursing home on Thursday, December 15, from 7:30 to 8:30. We've gone there twice in the past . The audience has been very forgiving.

-- Dan.