oak publications search: Bluegrass Mandolin

Subject: oak publications search
From: Gypsy
Date: 14 Dec 05 - 10:11 PM

hopefully, this subject title will work. We have an old Oak Publications book, Bluegrass Mandolin by Jack Tottle. At one time, it came with a record. Does anyone out there have a copy they could record for me? Would turn it into a cd, and send you a copy, plus your postage. Some of the subtleties are just better heard, than read. This has been out of publication for quite a while, or would contact the publisher. Any help or direction given would be deeply appreciated.

Subject: RE: oak publications search
From: pdq
Date: 14 Dec 05 - 10:32 PM

Jack Tottle is (was?) a college music professor in Tennessee, I believe. He did a CD in 2000 called "The Bluegrass Sound" for Copper Creek, cat # 165. It has a truly stellar lineup drawn from New Acoustic and Bluegrass. He is not as 'fluid' as someone who play hours each gig and must do so for a living, but he is very good. He also wrote most (if not all) of the compositions on that CD. That does not answer your question but this is Mudcat.

There is another mandolin instructor in the SF Bay Area named Jack Tuttle. They are not the same person.

Subject: RE: oak publications search
From: Gypsy
Date: 14 Dec 05 - 10:41 PM

But i appreciate the info anyway! The book is wonderful, but himself would really like to get a copy of the record. Found a copy of book at Alibris, with record, but by the time i get record copied, and book buyed, it winds up being about a 40$ thrill........i not got a turntable na more. But i can turn tapes into cd's!

Subject: RE: oak publications search
From: Gypsy
Date: 15 Dec 05 - 09:05 PM

Well, just thought i would try floating up to the top again............

Subject: RE: oak publications search: Bluegrass Mandolin
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 16 Dec 05 - 01:36 AM

...gurgle... (sinking to bottom again...)

I've got a few books like that which I picked up second hand, and looking for the missing little record.

Subject: RE: oak publications search: Bluegrass Mandolin
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 16 Dec 05 - 06:36 AM

Gypsy -

I have the book and the record, but I would question your Some of the subtleties are just better heard, than read.

In this case, the "record" is a "soundsheet" consisting of a two sided recording on thin flexible vinyl, and was barely playable when new. Even when new, it was about like playing a baggie on your turntable.

My copy probably hasn't really deteriorated all that much, but an attempt to make a tape copy was essentially a failure.

The verbal instructions and commentary are extremely basic, the mandoline sounds more like a honky-tonk piano (the ones with the tinkly balls), and - as when new - there are so many skips and crossbleeds in playback that it's virtually "unlistenable." The "stereo" claim on the record may be true, but the separate tracks are/were out of synch with each other.

Give Professor Tottle credit for "nice try" but I don't think you'll find any real value in the "record" even should you find one.

What's on the "record:"

Side 1
1. Nine Pound Hammer
2. Tuning, picking single strings, the slide, hammering on*
3. Woody's Rag
4. Wildwood Flower
5. Picking double strings*
6. Boil Em Cabbage Down
7. Old Joe Clark

Side 2
1. Cripple Creek
2. Pretty Polly
3. Careless Love
4. Fisher's Hornpipe
5. Billy In the Lowground
6. Home Sweet Home (Slow)
7. Home Sweet Home (Fast)
8. Black Diamond
9. Slickville

* two tracks are mostly commentary. It may be partly the poor quality of the recording, but what's mostly demonstrated is that the good professor has quite a bit of trouble coordinating "demonstrating" with talking.

Data: ©Oak Publications, A Subsidiary of Embassy Music Corporation, New York, 33 1/3 RPM Stereo.
MFD in U.S.A. by Eatone®Soundsheets Clearwater FL, 82674A&BXS.

Most of the tunes should be fairly easy to find, in .mid or abc if nothing else. You'd probably spend your effort better at using the title list above to make your own "CD collection of the songs in the book."

If you like, I could send you a .jpg of the "record label" that you could use on your CD, but the "record" as it came with the book was and is useless, in my opinion.

John

Subject: RE: oak publications search: Bluegrass Mandolin
From: Gypsy
Date: 16 Dec 05 - 11:05 PM

Thanks, John.......this is for the man, i had grave doubts as to the fidelity, meself. But i said i would give a try! ;>)

Subject: RE: oak publications search: Bluegrass Mandolin
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 17 Dec 05 - 05:23 AM

I had thought that if I could copy anything useful to a tape I might be able to get the tape to you; but there simply is no useable result.

One of the things I was able tell from running the attempt was that there is nothing "bluegrass" about the intructions on the disk. The demonstrations of "pick actions" relative to "single string" vs "double string" strokes, and the differences between a "hammer-on" or "pull-off" vs a "slide" might be of interest, but the disk doesn't really give a clear enough sound to hear what's going on, and the professor's attempts to "do it while talking talking about it" don't come across well. Those techniques are pretty general mandolin, and not particularly specific to bluegrass.

So far as I can tell, there is no discussion or demonstration of the key bluegrass technique of "chunking," which is the real difference in mandolin technique between bluegrass and music. (Excuse me, ... between bluegrass and other music.)

I can appreciate the "obligation" to try to find this record, but I seriously doubt that you'll find anything that will be worth the effort (or expense) required. PM me an email addy and I'll send you a scan of the label, and/or of the whole record if you want. A print of the .jpg should "play" about as well as any "real" copy you're likely to find, and would be "functionally interchangeable" if you don't have a turntable. (Note that since the whole record is a dead-black background, a full size print of the 3.5 inch square label on most inkjet printers will use about $10 worth of ink. Inkjet printers with small ink cartridges may not be able to print the solid black 8 inch square "record." I did an "invert" to black on white to print the label for reference.)

The tunes on the record should mostly be fairly easy to find, if you wanted to compile a CD of those tunes. Another option might be to hit the Hal Leonard and/or Mel Bay catalogs and look for a "Bluegrass Mandolin video" or a similar "Bluegrass Mandolin" book that comes with a cassette tape. Both have had stuff of this sort, but what's in stock varies since most of the production is in small lots and re-stocking is erratic.

John

Subject: RE: oak publications search: Bluegrass Mandolin
From: Gypsy
Date: 17 Dec 05 - 09:57 PM

JiK, yer too good! Have some stuff from the venerable MelBay coming for Christmas, assuming it gets here on time (other wise, will be a valentines present!) thanks ever so much for your time. Think i will just put a cheesy black coaster on himselfs desk, and say that is the disk............Happy Holidays to ya!

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