This is an excerpt from the print edition of Dirty Linen magazine #98 (February / March 2002). The magazine is available on newsstands and by subscription.

Acoustic Guitar Private Lessons: Chord and Harmony Basics
by Dylan Schorer
Hal Leonard ISBN 1-890490-44-X (2001); 119 pp.; paperback $16.95, incl. CD

Experienced guitar teacher and instructional writer Dylan Schorer presents a clear and readable exploration of chords and harmony which, despite the title, actually offers the reader tools to go far beyond the basics. He shows how more advanced and complex chords are constructed, and gives well-chosen examples of where and why one might want to use a diminished or suspended chord. He also covers embellishments. chord substitutions, playing up the neck, and tips on fingering for barre chords. Challenging material for new players and a good review for the more experienced. Audio CD of examples included.
— Kerry Dexter (Tallahassee, FL)

Holy Blues of Rev. Gary Davis Arranged for Fingerstyle Guitar
taught by Stefan Grossman
Mel Bay MB99463BCD/IS BN 0-7866-5920-3 (2001); $25.95; incl. CD
Ragtime Blues Guitar of Rev. Gary Davis
taught by Stefan Grossman
Mel Bay MB99464BCD/ISBN 0-7866-5921-1 (2001); $24.95; incl. CD

Few, if any, guitarists know the idiosyncratic and challenging guitar techniques employed by the late Rev. Gary Davis better than Stefan Grossman, who was a friend and pupil of Davis' during the last few years of his life. These two instructional packages are updated versions of the popular cassette tape instructional sets that Grossman produced in the late 1980s. They are characterized by painstakingly accurate tablature and close attention to how Davis' melodic approaches to a song changed, often within the same performance. The Holy Blues set provides tablature and audio instruction for six Davis gospel classics, including "Pure Religion," "I Am the Light of This World," and "Death Don't Have No Mercy." The Ragtime Blues set features six more secular numbers, including "Candyman," "Hesitation Blues," and "Baby Let Me Follow You Down." The CD format is superior to the original tapes for learning a particular tune, because cuing the start of a song can be accomplished with the flick of a button instead of trial and error rewinding. For anyone interested in learning in depth how the Rev. Gary Davis approached the guitar, these two sets are essential listening and reading.
— Michael Parrish (Downers Grove, IL)