Mandolin Cafe Archives - Page 2 of 3

Butch Baldassari benefit in Seattle

Mandolin Cafe has details on another Butch Baldassari benefit concert, this time in Seattle on December 1 at Dusty Strings.

Regular readers of Bluegrass Today will recall that Butch was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor earlier this year, and has been undergoing rigorous and aggressive chemo and radiation therapy to arrest the growth of the tumor. His contributions to the mandolin, bluegrass and music industry communities are well-documented, as a performer, composer, band leader and record label owner.

The show will feature performances from John Reischman, John Miller, Orville Johnson, John Miller, Grant Dermody, Trisha Gagnon and Nick Hornbuckle. All proceeds from the $25 tickets will support the Baldassari Medical Fund.

If you are unable to attend the show, but would like to make a contribution to Butch’s Medical Fund, you can do so online. Mandolin Cafe has set up a PayPal account where online credit card or PayPal contributions are sent directly to Butch.

If you would prefer to send a donation by mail – or simply pass along notes of encouragement – the address is:

Butch Baldassari
125 43rd Ave. N.
Nashville, TN 37209

Mandolin Giveaway at MandolinCafe.com

Our friends at MandolinCafe.com have teamed up with New Millennium Acoustic Design to give away a mandolin.

The prize is a Mix A5 model carbon fiber mandolin. Starting this morning, September 15, 2007, visitors of MandolinCafe.com will be able to register their name in the giveaway. Registration will only be open for one month. The winner will be announced on October 15, 2007.

Here’s some info about the instrument:

The giveaway instrument will feature an ebony fingerboard with a 12″ radius that is 1 3/32″ at the nut, Grover tuners, a Steve Smith adjustable ebony bridge, an engraved James tail-piece, an internally-mounted Schertler CDyn pickup for superb amplification and a TKL-style hardshell case.

The base price for this model is $3500 so this is a very nice prize.

Butch Baldassari mandolin benefit sale

Mandolin Cafe is handling the sale of a Gilchrist Model 1 mandolin, recently acquired through an anonymous donor, which be sold online to raise money for Butch Baldassari’s medical fund. Butch is undergoing treatment for an inoperable brain tumor, and was hospitalized again recently after experiencing sudden swelling in his brain.

This instrument was a custom commission built by Steve Gilchrist, an A style, oval hole mandolin. Additional images can be viewed at Mandolin Cafe.

Offers will be accepted over a two week period, with the mandolin going to the highest bid over $6000. The online sale will begin in the next few days, with an exact date to be announced later this week on the Mandolin Cafe front page.

Butch Baldassari update

Regular readers will recall us noting the unfortunate news that Butch Baldassari was diagnosed with cancer a month ago.

As we also mentioned in our previous post, the folks at Mandolin Cafe have set up a page where donations for Butch’s many expenses can be made. It’s a quick and easy process, using secure, PayPal processing.

He recently provided this hopeful update:

As some of you may know, I’ve been taking radiation and a pill-based form of chemo 5 days a week as of June 6. Last Wednesday, June 27 marked the halfway point… three weeks down, three weeks to go. Overall, I’ve been feeling quite good. My energy level was up and down for two weeks or so, but this week I felt very up in terms of energy. I’m also taking energy balancing treatment twice a week at an Integrative Health Care Center here in Nashville and got in another acupuncture session last Friday. When my treatment ends on July 18 I will be taking a closer look at some Alternative/Complementary therapies/treatments, which will may include high doses of Vitamin C in IV format, along with a prescribed round of focused supplements, along with more acupuncture and Chinese herbs. My outlook is that there are a lot of cancer survivors out there, and I plan on becoming one of them.

Butch has given those of us in the bluegrass and mandolin community a great deal over the years. If you have enjoyed his music, perhaps this is a fine chance to offer something in return.

Maske a donation online here.

Butch Baldassari Medical Fund

Butch Baldassari, a good friend to Bluegrass Today – and to everyone who loves bluegrass and mandolin music – has recently been diagnosed with a brain tumor. He starts chemo and radiation treatments this week, and we send him our most sincere best wishes and hopes for a full recovery.

Mandolin Cafe has established a support fund for Butch, to help with both medical and living expenses while he is down for treatment. We urge anyone who is in a position to make even a small donation to please do so.

The fund web site is configured to accept Visa or Mastercard donations online. Donations by check and cards/well wishes can be sent by mail to:

Butch Baldassari
125 43rd Ave. N.
Nashville, TN 37209

Find the Butch Baldassari Medical Fund web site online.

Stolen: 1994 Randy Woods Mandolin

Folks, it always bothers me when I hear that someone’s instrument has been stolen, but it’s especially troubling when it happens in your own area.

Last week in Blacksburg, VA a 1994 Randy Wood F model mandolin with varnish finish, fern inlay, and the fancy pearl tuners was stolen. The serial number of the instrument is ~~11294~~.

The owner is offering a reward for the return of the instrument and may be contacted via an online form on the Mandolin Cafe.

UPDATE 1/4/13: We have learned that the serial number shown above was given to us in error.

Below is an affidavit from Randy Wood indicating that the mandolin with that number was sold, through Tony Williamson, to a customer in Japan, who still has the instrument in his possession.

Randy indicates that he did not produce any varnish fern models in 1194 or ’95.

We regret the error.

Free iPods from Mandolin Cafe and Butch Baldassari

If you are a mandolin player, or lover, here is a great opportunity for you. SoundArt Recordings is giving away several Apple iPods along with your choice of five CDs of mandolin music from the SoundArt Catalog as part of a giveaway hosted by the Mandolin Cafe.

SoundArt Recordings is the mandolin focused recording label of Butch Baldassari in Nashville, TN. Butch and Mandolin Cafe are giving away one iPod each to three lucky winners, including a 4GB iPod nano (retail $199.00, pictured here) and two iPod Shuffles (retail $75.00 each).

Starting February 1, 2007 visitors to the Mandolin Cafe will be able to sign up for a chance to win. The winning entries will be selected randomly on February 15, 2007. No purchase is necessary to register.

Butch says the idea for the give away originated with Mandolin Cafe’s owner Scott Tichenor.

The i-pod idea was Scott Tichenor’s….we gave away cd’s last year….so this year it’s something different.

Butch added that he didn’t have much experience with the iPod, but had thought about the device and had several significant questions about it.

I wonder how many mandolin notes it would take to fill up an iPod?

Do they make a BlueGrass iPod…..you know, one that only plays songs in B? (that’s what i hear walking the halls @ RBW)

Or maybe a DAWG iPod….only plays tunes in a Minor Key….back in the day i used to tell some of my old girlfriends that my car radio only picked-up Country Music…..some of them believed me!!!

Hmm…maybe we should suggest these things to Apple!

Mandolin lesson with your morning coffee

Our friends at Mandolin Cafe have a unique item in their online store sure to please mandolinists on your holiday gift list.

It’s a coffee mug with a mandolin chord chart printed around the cup surface – it’s two gifts in one!

See larger images on their Cafe Press store site.

Vintage Festival Photos

Mandolin Cafe is directing attention to a post in their forum, that was started last September. The post contains a whole bunch of vintage photos from bluegrass festivals. It’s great for scrolling through and saying things like “Wow!”, “Oh My!”, etc. I’ve only made it through the first couple of pages so far, but it’s incredible. There are pictures of everyone, including Ricky Skaggs, Jerry Douglas, Bill Monroe, Earl Scruggs, Jimmy Martin, Herschel Sizemore, and the list keeps going. If they were at a festival in 1967 – 1970 or so, there is probably a picture of them. Very cool.

Check it out here.

Charlie Derrington Memorial Fund

Our friends at Mandolin Cafe have posted about a Memorial Fund in honor of Charlie Derrington, longtime Gibson employee and good friend to the mandolin and those who play one. Charlie was killed in a tragic auto accident a month ago, and the fund is established to offer support for Charlie’s widow, Susan, and their daughter, Anna, now in college.

According to the Cafe posting, contributions can be sent by mail, with checks made payable to Susan Derrington, at the following address:

Susan Derrington
5706 Vine Ridge Dr.
Nashville TN 37205-1324

Visit Mandolin Cafe to make a donation via PayPal, with all donated funds being deposited into an account controlled by Charlie’s family. We second their request for support, and hope that readers of Bluegrass Today will take a moment to contribute in honor of a man who gave so much to our music.

Gibson has also established a Memorial Fund in Charlie’s name.