Christmas time returns for guitarists

Cathal Cusack reports:

Something for real bluegrass fans this time!

Roland White has published a book of transcriptions of Clarence's early guitar playing. There is a CD accompanying the book and there is also (I know, this sounds like the shopping channel) a DVD with, among other things, some footage of Clarence and Roland playing on a 1960s TV show.

It costs $35 plus post so it's not cheap, but then neither was Clarence.

Clarence White was the first person to adapt Doc Watson's lead style to the guitar's role in a bluegrass band, so this book should be as much a part of the canon for guitarists as Earl Scruggs's book is for banjo-players. Cathal adds, with reference to the folk/old-time/bluegrass session every Wednesday at the Punch Bowl, Booterstown, Co. Dublin:

I brought a few people down to the Punch Bowl last week and I may have almost converted them to Americana! They are playing great music and there's great singing. I hope to get back down there myself again next week.