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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…

HOEDOWNS, REELS, AND FROLICS: ROOTS AND BRANCHES OF SOUTHERN APPALACHIAN DANCE—BY PHIL JAMISON—University of Illinois Press 9780252080814. Paperback, b&w photos, $28. (Univ. Of Ill. Press, 11030 S. Langley Ave., Chicago, IL 60628, press.ullinois.edu.) Written by a nationally known old-time musician, flatfoot dancer, and square dance caller who teaches Appalachian music, dance, and mathematics at Warren…

CLAWHAMMER BANJO: TUNES, TIPS & JAMMING—BY WAYNE ERBSEN—Native Ground, No Number. Spiralbound, 120 pp., two CDs and mp3, $24.95. (Native Ground Books & Music, 109 Bell Rd., Asheville, NC 28805, www.nativeground.com.) There is an awful lot to love about this book. If you’ve ever used one of Erbsen’s books, this one is a must have….

JAKE AND REBEKAH WORKMAN DEEP INTO THE HEART No Label No Number It won’t be long before most of the bluegrass community knows the name Jake Workman, since he joined Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder near the end of 2015 on the recommendation of Bryan Sutton and Cody Kilby. Meanwhile, we can enjoy Deep Into…

LONESOME MEADOW TICKET TO MY NAME No Label No Number After releasing five CDs in six years, Lonesome Meadow seemed to go on a recording hiatus. With their return to recording, this family band (the Jacksons)—bassist Mark, guitarist John, fiddler Anne-Marie, and banjoist Gary—from Ohio has selected a format that has more cover tunes than…