Reviews

RED SQUIRREL CHASERS SHAKIN’ DOWN THE ACORNS Vigortone VT-2006 The Red Squirrel Chasers are composed of Stephanie Coleman, fiddle; Jim Collier, mandolin; Jim Nelson, guitar; and Dedo Norris, bass. They all sing, with the two Jims dividing the lead vocals. They played dances together for about ten years before deciding to combine their interests in…

LAURIE LEWIS & THE RIGHT HANDS THE HAZEL AND ALICE SESSIONS Spruce & Maple Music SMM 1013 One of the go-to sources for bluegrass songs in recent decades has been Hazel Dickens and Alice Gerrard. If you want great, heartfelt songs of determination, of earthy realism, of a quality that are solidly traditional but often…

CHARM CITY JUNCTION Patuxent Music CD-276 You’ve probably heard the old joke about how the world is divided into two types of people: those who divide the world into two types of people and those who don’t. The application here is to the realm of fiddle tunes. There are musicians deeply immersed in bluegrass or…

THE COX FAMILY GONE LIKE THE COTTON Rounder Records 11661-37553-02    If all the bluegrass fans in the world woke up in the morning to find their hopes for mainstream country radio had come true, this new album from the Cox Family is the kind of thing we’d be listening to over our coffee and eggs….

THE SUNNY MOUNTAIN SERENADERS INTO THIN HAIR L-Century LLC CD-1002    The Sunny Mountain Serenaders are a relatively new band, but the members bring a wealth of old-time music experience with them. Mark Campbell is a Virginia fiddler who has won (on fiddle) the prestigious Appalachian String Band Festival contest held in Clifftop, W.Va. Mac Traynham,…

GROUNDBREAKERS BLUEGRASS SINGER Home of Bluegrass HOBG-003    Jussi Syren and the Groundbreakers aren’t just a band that plays traditional bluegrass. They are a traditional bluegrass band that formed in 1995. Consider this. They are the first generation of bluegrass music in Finland. Just like the first two generations of American bands, most of their gigs…