John Baldry has been involved with bluegrass music in UK for over 30 years. He was born in 1945 (co-inciding with the formation of the classic Monroe-Flatt-Scruggs band!) and first discovered bluegrass during the folk revival of the 1960s. His native town of Norwich was a centre for bluegrass and old time music activity, as was Cambridge, where John spent a total of five years of his life between 1965 and 1973. He was initially drawn to the more diversified styles of old time music and blues, and still believes that this is the best route to understanding bluegrass.

From initial efforts at playing folk guitar, John started learning the banjo from the Pete Seeger manual, from which began a lifelong interest in and addiction to tablature as a means of conveying musical instruction. The publication of the Earl Scruggs manual, Peter Wernick's Bluegrass Banjo, and in particular the tablature-rich Banjo NewsLetter, opened up new horizons for him. By this time (1973) he had moved to Surrey, to a day-job teaching English at a Further Education college, and met guitarist Chris Moreton (1997 UK National Champion). John credits Chris for encouraging him in his musical endeavours, and for giving him his first taste of success as a performer, when the two formed the band Foggy Bottletops, together with Dick Embery, Richard Killik and John Boston, all of whom have since become stalwarts of the UK bluegrass scene.

In 1977 John switched to mandolin as his main instrument, following right-hand finger strain problems with the banjo. He became aware of the relative lack of published mandolin tablatures, which led him in 1980 to start Bluegrass and Old Time Mandolin, a monthly (later bimonthly) tablature sheet/newsletter with a circulation both in UK and overseas. He received a lot of help and encouragement in this endeavour from mandolin pickers in USA, notably the author and publisher Niles Hokkanen, whose teaching courses John rates as second to none. BAOTM lasted until 1984, when John had to cease publication owing to increasing family and day-job commitments.

John has continued to play music and publish tablatures and articles. He rates himself as a competent and enthusiastic amateur mandolin player, who is keen to encourage others to develop their playing and their understanding of music. His own taste is particularly for traditional bluegrass and old time music, and Monroe-style mandolin. He has played with many bands, including Del Robinson and the Rocky Island Boys, Tom Wolf and a variety of scratch lineups at festivals with Chris Moreton, Dick Embery and others. As well as writing regularly for the North-West Bluegrass News, John has had tablatures, articles and record reviews published in such magazines as British Bluegrasss News, Old Time Music, Niles Hokkanen's Mandocrucian's Digest, Mandolin World News, the Minnesota Bluegrass and Old Time Music Association Magazine, Fretwire and Banjo Newsletter.

John sells his book of mandolin tablature,"Bluegrass and O.T. Mandolin Tablature Book No.1", which is still available at the 1985 price of £2.00, p&p included!!!

He is always ready to play and talk about bluegrass music! He can be contacted at: (weekends best)

John's Own Mandolin Web Site | Write to

John Baldry,
11 William Cowper Close,
Toftwood,
EAST DEREHAM,
Norfolk, NR19 1LT, UK
Tel: 01362-695503.

Updated 17th Oct 1999