Book Reviews
 The Song Train: 56 Great Two-Chord Songs Anyone Can Play, by Harvey Reid & Joyce Andersen. $49.95 with four CDs
We'll start off with a review of a book that would be a terrific gift for anyone who plays guitar even just a little bit. It's hardcover, not much bigger than two CD boxes laid side-by-side, which is no coincidence as there are two CDs nestled inside each of the covers. The pages are chock full of cool old photos, plus playing tips and historical notes. Most of the songs are well-known, stick-in-your-brain examples that work well with just two easy chords and simple strums (one of my pet peeves is that beginners often focus on learning lots of chords before they learn how to play even one chord convincingly). Included are early blues, classic country, and even a few R & B standards. You'll learn the words the old-fashioned way, by listening to the songs, because one of the quirks in U.S. copyright law is that you can sell your recorded version of a song without permission (as long as you pay royalties), but you often can't reprint the lyrics…go figure.
This is a handsome book, one you'll happily leave on a coffee table for guests to discover, but also a book you'll take in the car so you can sing along with Harvey and Joyce. With a little practice, the next time you’re asked to contribute a song you'll be able to jump right in.
 The Crow, New Songs for the 5-String Banjo, by Steve Martin. $19.95
Yes, THAT Steve Martin! Tony Trischka has written the tablature to the songs on the CD of the same name. Notes on how best to play these new tunes are by Steve himself, and as you'd expect, are often funny. You’ll probably want the CD, which is not included but easily available.
 Traditional Southern Italian Mandolin Tunes, by John T. La Barbera. $17.99 with CD
Here's the real stuff, but not necessarily for the beginner on mandolin. It's both a method book and a collection of traditional tunes that show the mandolin to full advantage. Chord symbols are given for guitar accompaniment. This is the type of music that started the whole mandolin craze in America in the 1880s, and it’s easy to hear why. If you have older Italian relatives or friends, learn a couple of these tunes and you'll bring tears to their eyes, and probably more food to your table than you can handle. As one would expect, many are ballads and love songs with a high romantic content, so be careful!
If you would like instruction in playing this kind of mandolin music, Gryphon has a genuine Italian instructor, Achille Bocus, who is a highly accomplished performer and teacher.
 The Essential Clarence White Bluegrass Guitar Leads, by Roland White (and others). $34.95 with 2 CDs
Here are breaks or leads for 14 classic bluegrass fiddle tunes and traditional songs encountered at just about every jam session today. The first CD includes video footage of Clarence teaching two tunes, but most of the instruction is in the detailed tab and notes in this 100 page book that accompany the original recordings of Clarence included on the first CD. The second CD has rhythm tracks, at two tempos, so you can put what you’ve learned to the test.
 Scales and Argeggios for 5-String Banjo, by Pete Pardee. $60
Over 200 pages of instruction and highly musical exercises for three-finger (bluegrass) style banjo playing. Pete is famous among banjo pickers for his ability to play Bach transcriptions that are so convincing you forget what instrument he is using. No matter what kind of music you want to play on the banjo when you slip on your picks, these exercises will help develop the fluidity and timing needed to give your playing a boost.
 Gibson Mastertone Flathead 5-String Banjos of the 1930s and '40s, by Jim Mills. $45
For the bluegrass banjo fanatic, this book is a detailed and exhaustingly researched study of 19 examples of the rarest Gibson banjos of all, the original 5-string models with a flathead tone ring. Can banjos really be worth six figures? You bet, and here are 19 examples!
 Gibson Electric Steel Guitars, by A. R. Duchossoir. $40
A handsome, hardbound book covering Gibson’s steel guitars made from 1935 to 1967. Every detail you could find on one of these instruments is covered, including many you'd probably never notice. Yes, this book probably only appeals to a niche market, but it's so well done any guitar fanatic can appreciate it.
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