Homespun has released mandolin transcription books to match two recent CDs from Butch Baldassari, Mandolin Hyms and Appalachian Mandolin & Dulcimer. Each book contains complete mandolin transcriptions in both tablature and standard notation, plus a copy of the original CD.

Mandolin Hymns contains 15 popular hymns and sacred songs including I Am A Pilgrim, Amazing Grace, Simple Gifts and What A Friend We Have In Jesus.

The book offers 37 pages of mandolin transcriptions and the accompany CD has the songs performed in instrumental arrangements in a string band style with Butch on mandolin. Other players include Aubrey Haynie and Andrea Zonn on fiddle, Robert Bowlin on guitar, Stuart Duncan on banjo, and Dennis Crouch and Mike Bub on bass.

The Appalachian Mandolin book includes the CD Appalachian Mandolin & Dulcimer, which featured duets between Butch and the late dulcimer legend David Schnaufer, along with mandolin transcriptions for the 14 traditional tunes they recorded.

Fans of Appalachian fiddle music will recognize the tunes, with favorites like June Apple, Sandy River Belle, Black Mountain Rag, Flop Eared Mule, Cold Frosty Morn and 9 others included.

Our regular readers will recall that Butch has been battling a pernicious brain tumor this past year. A great many of his friends and students in the mandolin world have been very generous in their support, and picking up these two new Homespun book/CD sets would be a fine way to champion Butch and all he has contributed to our music, while you pick up some fine music and mandolin arrangements at the same time.

We are delighted to pass along that Butch is currently in a clinical trial at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and is in good spirits according to his wife, Sinclair.

Pete Wernick, a.k.a. Dr. Banjo, has long been regarded as one of the pre-eminent banjo instructors in bluegrass music. His book, Bluegrass Banjo, published in 1974, has sold over 200,00 copies and taught thousands to become banjo pickers over the last 30 years. Together with Tony Trischka, he compiled the reams of information offered in the massive volume, Masters of the 5 String Banjo, with interviews, photos and information on 68 popular banjo players.

Pete has also released a number of instructional videos, focusing primarily on helping new players get started and learn to jam with one another.

His newest, Bluegrass Banjo Backup, has just been released from Homespun Video. It is designed for new pickers, and includes footage from his previous Bluegrass Slow Jam and Bluegrass Jamming DVDs. After showing video from an actual jam session, Pete describes the techniques, lick and patterns being employed, which are also found in the included tab booklet.

The new Wernick DVD can be ordered directly from Pete’s web site, or from Homespun, which also features a couple of bits of sample video.

Secrets for Successful Flatpicking is the title of a new instructional DVD on Homespun Video with current, and five time IBMA Guitar Player of The Year, Bryan Sutton.

The DVD covers both lead and rhythm guitar playing and is described  a “tricks of the trade” presentation to help improve flatpicking speed, power, timing and musicianship

From the Homespun site:

Bryan addresses many of the problems that he sees in aspiring pickers, and passes along tips on how to keep your picking hand and arm tension-free and your fretting hand supple and quick. He provides drills and exercises, teaching an arsenal of licks, bends, double stops, slides and other devices that will help you build powerful and memorable solos.

Tunes covered include Daley’s Reel, Texas Gales, Wild Bill Jones and Beaumont Rag.

A complete description and online video samples can be found on the Homespun site.

Gibson has made a brief video lesson from Sonny Osborne available on their web site. It is taken from his Homespun DVD, The Bluegrass Banjo of Sonny Osborne, and has him demonstrating his solo for Sunny Side Of The Mountain.

The video clip runs about a minute and a half, and a tab for the song is presented on the Gibson site along with the video.

Mandolin Cafe has published a press release from Gibson that promises more online lessons from Gibson artists, but it isn’t clear whether there will be any new content, or simply video and tab samples from commercially available DVD releases.

Pete Wernick describes his latest instructional DVD from Homespun Tapes, Bluegrass Slow Jam for the Total Beginner, as “A Super-Easy, No-Fail Play-Along Session.” Designed for relative beginners on any bluegrass instrument, this DVD allows a new player to pick along on 17 popular bluegrass standards at a comfortable speed - a crucial step in building the confidence you need to join in at jams. All the tunes on the DVD require just four chords (G, C, D and A) and the tunes are played by Pete, along with a band made up of bluegrass professionals.

Visit Pete’s web site for more details.