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Sacramento-based modern jug band the Loose Acoustic Trio consists of Richie Lawrence (accordion, vocals), Ken Cooper (guit-jo, mandolin, vocals), and Steve O'Neill (upright bass, vocals). Lawrence co-founded the polka band Rotondi with his songwriting partner Paul Lacques after moving from his home state of Oklahoma to Los Angeles. When that group broke up, he relocated to Sacramento, where he met New York native Cooper, who also had worked in L.A. as a songwriter (his song "Out on a Limb" was recorded by the Dillards). O'Neill, from California, spent four years playing bass with the bluegrass band California Zephyr before joining the Loose Acoustic Trio. They built up a following in the San Joaquin Valley, playing festivals and fairs including the California State Fair, the Sacramento County Fair, and the Cotati Accordion Music Festival. Their debut album, Brand New Mind, released on August 23, 2005, marked the beginning of independent label Big Book Records, run by Lawrence and Lacques. Their second album, Sorrow Be Gone, released on May 20, 2008, featured a cover of the Who's "Pinball Wizard." ~ William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide
