The list of contributing artists to a new CD, The Road Home, A Tribute to Butch Baldassari, reads like a chapter from Who’s Who in Acoustic Music.

In other words, some of the top names in several genres of acoustic music “combined to give us this great musical tribute to mandolin master Butch Baldassari,” according to a statement issued by the label, Sound Art Recordings.

“Butch created new interest in this age-old instrument in a wide variety of musical genres. He was an inspiration to people who loved his music and who knew him as a friend,” according to the statement. “He performed and recorded with many of the top names in bluegrass, Celtic and other genres He moved between bluegrass festivals and symphony halls with ease and grace, earning respect and admiration in these seemingly disparate worlds. He was the driving force behind the Nashville Mandolin Ensemble and was an adjunct professor at Vanderbilt University’s Blair School of Music.”

Baldassari died Jan 10 at a Nashville hospice at the age of 56.

Baldassari was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor nearly two years before his death.

Vanderbilt described Baldassari as “a Blair School of Music professor who created a cottage industry around his love of mandolin music.”

“Butch Baldassari was a wonderful artist, a warm and generous teacher and a great colleague and friend,” said Mark Wait, dean of Vanderbilt’s Blair School of Music shortly after Baldassari’s death. “We were extremely fortunate to enjoy his affiliation with the Blair School and to learn from this remarkable man.

All proceeds from the sale of the tribute CD go to a college fund set up on behalf of Baldassari’s son, Blake Baldassari.

The track listing includes:

1. River Sound JOHN CARLINI
2. Stealin’ TIM O’BRIEN
3. Cold Frosty Medley STEVE KAUFMAN
4. Veglia E Sona BEPPE GAMBETTA & CARLO AONZO
5. The Snowy Road TOM ROZUM
6. 1st Corinthians 1:18 RICKY SKAGGS & KENTUCKY THUNDER
7. Erica’s Song RON BLOCK
8. Draw For 5 CHRIS JONES & THE NIGHT DRIVERS
9. The Gift KEITH LITTLE
10. Goodbye Pork Pie Hat TONY MCMANUS
11. East Virginia Blues SAM BUSH
12. Red Fox Waltz ROBIN BULLOCK
13. Two of Us JOHN REISCHMAN AND THE JAYBIRDS
14. Dawg’s Waltz DAVID GRISMAN
15. Pine Grove Furnace JIM RICHTER AND WILL KIMBLE
16. Happy Hollow MIKE COMPTON
17. A Place In The Heart SCOTT TICHENOR
18. Western Red DON STIERNBERG
19. Rose City Waltz ROLAND WHITE
20. Butch’s Bounce Back NASHVILLE MANDOLIN ENSEMBLE

The CD can be ordered from http://www.soundartrecordings.com