Butch Baldassari Trio • American Portraits

Biography by Craig Harris

The mandolin has been turned into an instrument of melodic brilliance by Butch Baldassari. A former member of Lonesome Standard Time, Baldassari has continued to explore his six-stringed instrument on his solo albums and recordings with the Nashville Mandolin Ensemble. In addition to working with Richard Greene's Grass Is Greener since 1995, Baldassari is the leader of his own group, the Butch Baldassari Trio, featuring guitarist Gene Ford and mandocello player John Hedgecoth.

Influenced as much by the Beatles and Frank Sinatra as he is by Bill Monroe, Baldassari played guitar with his brother, Buster, in late-'60s garage bands. A trip to the 1972 Philadelphia Folk Festival proved to be the impetus for Baldassari's switch to the mandolin.

After earning a bachelor's degree in music from the University of Scranton, Baldassari moved to Las Vegas for post-graduate studies at the University of Nevada in Las Vegas. While there, he befriended three musicians who were forming a tradition-rooted bluegrass band, Weary Hearts, and he was invited to join. The group went on to win the International Band Competition held by the Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music in America in 1989. Their debut album, By Heart, was released shortly afterwards.

Moving to Nashville in 1985, Baldassari continued to explore the possibilities of the mandolin. While attending the Classical Mandolin Society convention in 1990, he conceived the Nashville Mandolin Ensemble, an 11-piece group featuring mandola, mandocello, guitar, and bass. After four months of rehearsals, the band made its public debut at the Dark Horse Theater in Nashville in October 1991.

Baldassari has remained active with numerous outside projects. As a member of Lonesome Standard Time from 1992 to 1996, he recorded three albums -- Lonesome River Band, Mighty Lonesome, and Lonesome as It Gets. Together with innovative bluegrass fiddler Richard Greene and his band, the Grass Is Greener, Baldassari recorded Wolves A' Howlin' in 1996 and Sales Tax Toddle in 1997.

Baldassari's musical career has been balanced by his work as a teacher. In addition to conducting bluegrass mandolin workshops in Nashville, he became the adjunct associate professor of mandolin at Vanderbilt University's Blair School of Music in 1996.

https://www.allmusic.com/artist/butch-baldassari-mn0000943417/biography

Note:

In May 2007, Baldassari was diagnosed as having an inoperable brain tumor, and died Saturday January 10, 2009 in Nashville at age 56.

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Biografía de Craig Harris

La mandolina se ha convertido en un instrumento de brillantez melódica de Butch Baldassari. Ex miembro de Lonesome Standard Time, Baldassari ha seguido explorando su instrumento de seis cuerdas en sus álbumes solistas y grabaciones con el Nashville Mandolin Ensemble. Además de trabajar con Grass Is Greener de Richard Greene desde 1995, Baldassari es el líder de su propio grupo, el Butch Baldassari Trio, con el guitarrista Gene Ford y el mandocello John Hedgecoth.

Influenciado tanto por los Beatles y Frank Sinatra como por Bill Monroe, Baldassari tocó la guitarra con su hermano, Buster, en bandas de garage de finales de los 60. Un viaje al Festival Folklórico de Filadelfia de 1972 resultó ser el impulso para que Baldassari cambiara a la mandolina.

Después de obtener una licenciatura en música de la Universidad de Scranton, Baldassari se trasladó a Las Vegas para realizar estudios de postgrado en la Universidad de Nevada en Las Vegas. Mientras estuvo allí, se hizo amigo de tres músicos que estaban formando una banda de bluegrass de raíces tradicionales, Weary Hearts, y fue invitado a unirse a ella. El grupo ganó el Concurso Internacional de Bandas de Música de la Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music in America en 1989. Su álbum debut, By Heart, fue lanzado poco después.

Trasladándose a Nashville en 1985, Baldassari continuó explorando las posibilidades de la mandolina. Mientras asistía a la convención de la Classical Mandolin Society en 1990, concibió el Nashville Mandolin Ensemble, un grupo de 11 músicos con mandola, mandocello, guitarra y bajo. Después de cuatro meses de ensayos, la banda hizo su debut público en el Dark Horse Theater de Nashville en octubre de 1991.

Baldassari ha permanecido activo con numerosos proyectos externos. Como miembro de Lonesome Standard Time de 1992 a 1996, grabó tres álbumes: Lonesome River Band, Mighty Lonesome y Lonesome as It Gets. Junto con el innovador violinista de bluegrass Richard Greene y su banda, Grass Is Greener, Baldassari grabó Wolves A' Howlin' en 1996 y Sales Tax Toddle en 1997.

La carrera musical de Baldassari ha sido equilibrada por su trabajo como profesor. Además de dirigir talleres de mandolina de bluegrass en Nashville, se convirtió en profesor asociado adjunto de mandolina en la Blair School of Music de la Universidad de Vanderbilt en 1996.

https://www.allmusic.com/artist/butch-baldassari-mn0000943417/biography

Nota:

En mayo de 2007, Baldassari fue diagnosticado con un tumor cerebral inoperable y murió el sábado 10 de enero de 2009 en Nashville a la edad de 56 años.

Tracks:
1 - Two Girls from Galax
2 - Ocotillo
3 - Cruising the Trace
4 - As Far as I Can See
5 - Honky Grass Stomp
6 - Waltz for Bill Monroe
7 - Seneca Square Dance/Chinquapin Hunting
8 - Caravan
9 - Stardust
10 - Over the Rainbow
11 - For J.L


Release Date: 1 Jan. 2000
Label: Soundart
Total Length: 39:09
Genres:
    Country
    Folk
    Miscellaneous




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