Butch Baldassari update

[Alex Orr]

Happy Birthday Butch!

[tjg]

Happy Birthday Butch! I've had Evergreen in my car CD player for the past week. Will be thinking and praying for you.

[greg_tsam]

Happy Birthday Butch! Mine is Dec.11. Good to share the birthday spirit with you, brother. Stay strong.

[Cheryl Watson]

<singing> Happy Birthday to You
Happy Birthday to You
Happy Birthday dear Butch
Happy Birthday to You!!!!!
<BIG DOUBLE STOP>

My prayers are still with you and your family,

Cheryl

[jasona]

Happy birthday!

[pickloser]

Happy birthday Butch! Your Victorian Christmas CD is giving me that Christmas spirit. Many Thanks,
Laura

[bluegrasshack]

Happy Birthday, Butch! The NW Bluegrass Assn. Yahoo! e-group told on ya! Now, the whole world knows it's your birthday! Your "Evergreen" means Christmas and glad tidings to me. Lucinda Cockrell's "Victorian Christmas" book with your CD plus "Mandolin Hymns" arrived recently. How wonderful! The holiday spirit is all over this house! Warm regards to you and your family from an ol' gal who doesn't play a note but admires your work! Pick away! Betty

[lastchair]

Happy Birthday Butch and Merry Christmas to your entire family. I know it is difficult, but be aware that you and your music continues to bring joy and happiness to many people.

I just bought Evergreen CD, Evergreen Music book/tab, Mandolin Hymns book/tab, Appalachian Dulcimer/Mandolin CD, Appalachian Mandolin book/tab (wish it had the dulcimer tab too). I already have the Mandolin Hymns CD. What a privilege to get these arrangements done by Butch.

Merry Christmas and you're in my prayers.

Clare

[tburcham]

Butch,

I will keep you in my prayers.

Tim Burcham

[AlanN]

Butch (or anybody else who knows),

Who is the banjo and guitar on that tune above? Nice groove there, buddy.

[fredfrank]

Butch (or anybody else who knows),

Who is the banjo and guitar on that tune above? Nice groove there, buddy.

My guess is that it's Mike Bub on banjo and Jeff White on guitar. I could be wrong, but I'm almost 73 percent sure I'm not.

My prayers are with ya Butch.

[AlanN]

Jeff White sounds right. It ain't Bub.

[magwa]

I may be a lousy mando player, but I think I have a good ear. Maybe if I just snap this band a few times..."Ug, Ug! Ugg!!!!" Nope. Still can only play eight chords.

Thanks for the band. My thoughts are with you all during this season and beyond.

[jkmando3]

Here's hopin' you and that wonderful family of yours has a great Christmas, Butch!......I just finished listening to the Evergreen cd and couldn't help but shed a few tears and wish I had met you before. My Dad got to know you in Vegas some years ago, and you were always spoken of very highly by Him. He was a East coast transplant (WV), and played guitar in a way that you had commented was the real bluegrass style you liked. That made his day......his name is John Spence, and he now lives in Columbus, Oh. His thoughts and prayers as well as mine are with you, and hope we can finally meet face to face someday.......take care, and Thanks so much for your wonderful music, my Friend.......J.K. Spence......jkmando3@yahoo.com......handmade by unknown maker F5

[Marcus CA]

It's not a bluegrass or a Christmas tune, but I really love your version of Gershwin's "Piano Prelude II" on the Reflections album with John Carlini. It's so rich and soulful.

Have a great Christmas with your family and friends. Judging from the length of this thread, it looks like you've fed your mandofamily quite well.

[stringduster]

What a perfect way to say how much we miss you,Butch. Last last night I was sitting and listening to one of my absolute FAVORITE tunes of yours, Frangenti, and thinking about the loss we all share. I take a miserable photo but real pride this time, this one is for you!

[Sinclair Baldassari]

Stringduster,
Thanks for the photo. They still mean a lot to me!
Sinclair

[Michael Gowell]

Wow, almost a hundred thousand views of this thread.