Two Book Reviews by Chris Wilson
 Kaufman’s Collection of American Fiddle
TunesArranged by Steve Kaufman This is indeed a weighty tome, with over 400 pages and nearly as many tunes this has to be a must for any aspiring guitar picker. Published by Mel Bay the printing is exceptionally clear and legible (even to a myopic old sod like me!) on A4 size paper. At £20 it’s excellent value and none of the arrangements seem to be too difficult to play (mind you, I’ve not tried them all yet!) For people not familiar with the tunes there’s a CD available at £14 where Steve plays them all, so what’s your excuse for not buying this package? I’ve got mine! The Winfield Winners This is a totally different type of book from the Kaufman one. It’s still priced at £20 and published by Mel Bay (where would we be without him!) but it includes a CD with the pieces played by the respective artists, some of whom are Mark O’Connor, Peter McLaughlin, Gary Cook, Orrin Starr, Roy Curry and Steve you-know-who. A word of caution - all the pieces are those played by the winners of the Walnut Valley National Flatpicking Championship, i.e. the best in the U.S.A., so it isn’t kids stuff! However, if like your fearless reviewer you’re not that easily deterred, by all means have a go, but be prepared for a bit of hard work and plenty of running around the fingerboard.
Both books are available at Frets Old &
New
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