Episode Archive

97 Meredith Axelrod

This week, mysterious time traveling minstrel Meredith Axelrod recorded live at the Ozark Folk Center State Park. Also, interviews with this amazing musical apparition. Mark Jones offers an archival recording of David Prine, brother of famed singer-songwriter John Prine, performing the tune “Southern Railroad Blues.” Writer, professor, and historian Dr. Brooks Blevins relates the history of panthers & wolves in the early Ozark region.

Delightfully engaging and unassumingly comic, Meredith Axelrod envisions the limitless potential of early twentieth century music, whether it be Ragtime, Music Hall, Pop Standard, Boogie Woogie, Tin Pan Alley, String band, Jazz, Country, Blues or even Jug Band music, and embodies the spirit that brought the music into existence in the first place. Her vocal style is unusual, probably because she learned to sing by listening to how folks did it a century ago – through the medium of cylinders and 78-rpm records.

The dominant theme throughout her expansive repertoire, is that, whatever the genre, these are songs she learns from the original sources (records and / or sheet music) which were released between the 1890s and the 1930s. Part of the allure of old time music, indeed any music throughout the history of recorded music, is hearing the original recordings as played and sung by the original performers in their heyday, loving what they’re doing and doing it because it means something to them in that moment, never because of nostalgia, and Meredith brings the same unbridled passion, earnest devotion and candid vitality to all of her music; she has found possibility and joy in the treasures of cultural folklore.
meredithaxelrod.com/about/

96 The Hogslop String Band

This week, high energy neo-traditional oldtime music phenomenon “The Hogslop String Band” recorded live at the Ozark Folk Center State Park. Also, interviews with this rowdy group of pickers. Mark Jones offers an archival recording of a very young Allison Krauss performing the traditional tune “Gardenia Waltz.” Writer, professor, and historian Dr. Brooks Blevins relates the history of black bears in the early Ozark region.

The Hogslop String Band is a Nashville based old time string band comprised of four energetic young musicians hailing from Georgia & Tennessee. Featuring Kevin Martin on the fiddle, Gabriel Kelley on guitar, Daniel Binkley on banjo and Casey "Pickle" McBride on the washtub bass, these boys surely raise a ruckus.

Upon forming as a pickup square dance band in the summer of 2009, The Hogslop String Band has since become one of the most sought after old time string bands. Known for their outrageous facial hair and a rollicking repertoire heavily based on Georgia and Middle Tennessee fiddle tunes, these boys have provided entertainment for fashion shows, political conventions and whiskey distilleries as well as countless weddings, festivals and soirees.

Following in the footsteps of such country music luminaries as Uncle Dave Macon and Gid Tanner, they put on a high energy show easily appreciated by both young and old alike. Despite an unkempt appearance, their undeniable charm is as certain to steal your heart as it will your daughters!
www.hogslopstringband.com

95 The Gordons

This week, inimitable Illinois husband & wife acoustic duo The Gordons recorded live at the Ozark Folk Center State Park. Also, interviews with these matrimonial music mavens. Mark Jones offers an archival recording of Ozark original Lonnie Finnley performing the traditional tune “Vienna Waltz.” Writer, professor, and historian Dr. Brooks Blevins relates the history of elk in the early Ozark region.

“The Gordons” – Gary and Roberta. Influenced by the great music of their era, this husband and wife duo were baptized by bluegrass music and have made wonderful folk music ever since. Accompanied by Gary’s tasteful Gallagher guitar and dobro, Roberta plays the American born Appalachian autoharp. With many recordings to their credit since 1976, harmony singing is their signature.
www.thegordonsmusic.com

94 The Purple Hulls

This week, talented twin Texan bluegrass and gospel duo The Purple Hulls recorded live at the Ozark Folk Center State Park. Also, interviews with these identical virtuosos. Mark Jones offers an archival recording of Ozark original Donnie Dutton performing the traditional tune “Wildwood Flower.” Writer, professor, and historian Dr. Brooks Blevins recounts the American geographer, geologist, and ethnologist Henry Schoolcraft’s experience in the early Ozark region.

You could easily say these two musicians were born to make music together. Identical twins Katy Lou and Penny Lea Clark of The Purple Hulls were raised on a working family farm in the deep piney woods of East Texas, but that didn’t stop the Texans from finding their way to the hills of Tennessee, specifically Music City, where they began touring with various country artists and writing songs for Nashville’s largest publishing company, Sony Tree. The Purple Hulls are no stranger to road life and are now blazing the trail as a dynamic sister duo, showcasing their unique sibling harmonies while ripping the strings off any instrument they can get their hands on. If you’re looking for authentic acoustic driven music delivered at its best, your search is over.
thepurplehulls.com

93 The Down Hill Strugglers

This week, Brooklyn, New York based old-time string band The Down Hill Strugglers recorded live at the Ozark Folk Center State Park. Also, interviews with this fantastic folk trio. Mark Jones offers an archival recording of Ozark original Dave Leatherman performing the traditional tune “Shoutin’ On the Hills.” Writer, professor, and historian Dr. Brooks Blevins recounts the American geographer, geologist, and ethnologist Henry Schoolcraft’s experience in the early Ozark region.

The Down Hill Strugglers is a string band composed of Eli Smith, Walker Shepard and Jackson Lynch, who play at various times; fiddle, banjo, guitar, mandolin and harmonica. Forming in 2008, they are influenced by the music that came out of rural America, including Appalachian traditions, music from the Deep South, and the Western States. They combine the feeling of the old music that can be heard on commercially recorded 78 RPM records (largely of the pre-WWII era) and field recordings made throughout the 20th century. They have been playing together for five years and have performed at the Newport Folk Festival, the Kennedy Center, the Library of Congress, the Brooklyn Folk Festival and many other places. In 2013 they were featured on the soundtrack to the Coen Brothers film, "Inside Llewyn Davis" produced by T-Bone Burnett.
- downhillstrugglers.blogspot.com

92 The April Verch Band

This week, Canadian Ottawa Valley fiddler, singer, and stepdancer April Verch recorded live at the Ozark Folk Center State Park. Also, interviews with April. Mark Jones offers an archival recording of Ozark originals Tim & Dennis Crouch performing the tune “Dill Pickle Rag.” Writer, professor, and historian Dr. Brooks Blevins recounts the American geographer, geologist, and ethnologist Henry Schoolcraft’s experience in the early Ozark region.

Fiddler, singer, and stepdancer April Verch knows how relevant an old tune can be. She was raised surrounded by living, breathing roots music—her father’s country band rehearsing; the lively music at church and at community dances; the tunes she rocked out to win fiddle competitions. She thought every little girl learned to stepdance at the age of three and fiddle at the age of six. She knew nothing else and decided early on that she wanted to be a professional musician. She took that leap, and for over two decades has been recording and captivating audiences worldwide, exploring new and nuanced places each step of the way.

While Verch is perhaps best known for playing traditional fiddle styles from her native Ottawa Valley, Canada, her performances extend into old-time American and Appalachian styles and far beyond, for a well-rounded tour-de-force of North Americana sounds. Verch and her fellow trio members pare down their arrangements, highlighting the simple pleasures of upright bass, guitar, clawhammer banjo, voices, fiddle, and stepping in intimate conversation. At the heart lie Verch’s delicate voice, energetic footwork, and stunning playing. Sometimes she sings, steps and fiddles all at once with apparent ease and precision. Verch is – as they say – a triple threat in performance, her live show a beautiful companion to her music: versatile, robust, and masterfully executed.
aprilverch.com

91 Frank Fairfield & Zac Sokolow

This week, California based multi-instrumentalists, singers, and purveyors of traditional Southwestern American folk music Frank Fairfield & Zac Sokolow recorded live at the Ozark Folk Center State Park. Also, interviews with Frank & Zac. Mark Jones offers an archival recording of Ozark original Frank Ellis performing the tune “Shamus O’Brien.” Author, folklorist, and songwriter Charley Sandage presents a portrait of The Meadowcreek Project, a sustainable agriculture & education facility located in the Ozarks.

Music has the power to transport us to another time and place. Frank Fairfield loves to harness that power with a broad audience of fellow music lovers and passionate musicians alike. Ever since a young age, Fairfield has found great joy and satisfaction by being involved in the creative music process. Frank plays down-home, old time folk music. He plays fiddle, guitar, banjo and he sings. Frank has been featured on NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert, as well as the PBS documentary series American Epic. Born in Fresno, California, he now lives in Los Angeles with his wife.
www.frankfairfield.net

On this show, Frank will share the stage with the equally adept multi-instrumentalist & singer Zac Sokolow. Zac is at home on guitar, banjo, fiddle, as well as mandolin. Sokolow is a founding member of the contemporary Americana band “The Americans,” also featured on PBS’ “American Epic.” Zac began learning music from his father at an early age, playing bluegrass as a child.
www.theamericansmusic.com

90 Marty Stuart & The Fabulous Superlatives

This week, five time Grammy Award winning traditional country, bluegrass, & Americana music legend Marty Stuart and his band, The Fabulous Superlatives, recorded live at the Ozark Folk Center State Park. Also, interviews with Marty. Mark Jones offers an archival recording of himself & Marty Stuart performing the song “The Train That Carried My Girl From Town.”

Marty Stuart is an American country music singer-songwriter & multi-instrumentalist, known for both his traditional style, and eclectic merging of rockabilly, honky tonk, and traditional country music. As a musical child prodigy, Marty grew up playing with some of the greatest names in bluegrass & country music. His early career saw him working with Lester Flatt, Vassar Clements, Doc Watson, Johnny Cash, Roy Orbison, Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis, Porter Wagoner, and many others. As an adult, Stuart launched a successful solo career that has spanned 30 years, and garnered five Grammy Awards. He has appeared on numerous TV shows including Hee Haw, The Nashville Network, and his own show “The Marty Stuart Show.” These days, he tours & records with his band “The Fabulous Superlatives,” featuring Kenny Vaughan on lead and acoustic guitar, Harry Stinson on drums and background vocals, and Chris Scruggs on electric, acoustic, steel and bass guitars, and background vocals.
www.martystuart.net

In this week’s “From the Vault” segment, musician, educator, and country music legacy Mark Jones offers a 1980 archival recording of himself & Marty Stuart performing the song “The Train That Carried My Girl From Town,” from the Ozark Folk Center State Park archives.

89 The Buffalo Gals

This week, award winning Neo-Bluegrass & Americana acoustic singer-songwriter duo The Buffalo Gals recorded live at the Ozark Folk Center State Park. Also, interviews with these incredibly talented Buffalo Gals. Mark Jones offers an archival recording of Ozark original Kenny Sims performing the traditional song “Butcher’s Boy.” Writer, professor, and historian Dr. Brooks Blevins profiles the curious history of Dogpatch USA, a unique theme park in the Ozarks for 25 years.

The Arkansas duo Buffalo Gals is comprised of Melissa Carper on vocals, upright bass & guitar and Rebecca Patek on vocals, fiddle & guitar. Both women being extraordinary songwriters as well as accomplished musicians, they bring to the stage a range of stories and down home feeling that’ll have your toes tapping and your heart yearning. Blending a classic Country music & Americana sound with a bit of humor and a decidedly modern sensibility, the Buffalo Gals’ music is at once authentic as well as intimately relatable. Rebecca Patek’s most recent album “Come up and Meet Me” was named Best Bluegrass Album for 2016, by the Independent Music Association.

88 Alasdair Fraser & Natalie Haas

This week, celebrated Scottish & Oldtime acoustic music explorers Alasdair Fraser & Natalie Haas recorded live at the Ozark Folk Center State Park. Also, interviews with this dynamic musical duo. Mark Jones offers an archival recording of Ozark original Roger Fountain performing the traditional fiddle tune “Bill Cheatham.” Writer, professor, and historian Dr. Brooks Blevins profiles the curious history of Dogpatch USA, a unique theme park in the Ozarks for 25 years.

The musical partnership between consummate performer Alasdair Fraser, "the Michael Jordan of Scottish fiddling", and brilliant Californian cellist Natalie Haas spans the full spectrum between intimate chamber music and ecstatic dance energy. Over the last 18 years of creating a buzz at festivals and concert halls across the world, they have truly set the standard for fiddle and cello in traditional music. They continue to thrill audiences internationally with their virtuosic playing, their near-telepathic understanding and the joyful spontaneity and sheer physical presence of their music.

Fraser has a concert and recording career spanning over 30 years, with a long list of awards, accolades, radio and television credits, and feature performances on top movie soundtracks (Last of the Mohicans, Titanic, etc.). In 2011, he was inducted into the Scottish Traditional Music Hall of Fame. Haas, a graduate of the Juilliard School of Music, is one of the most sought after cellists in traditional music today. She has performed and recorded with a who's who of the fiddle world including Mark O'Connor, Natalie MacMaster, Irish supergroups Solas and Altan, Liz Carroll, Dirk Powell, Brittany Haas, Darol Anger, Jeremy Kittel, Hanneke Cassel, Laura Cortese, and many more.

This seemingly unlikely pairing of fiddle and cello is the fulfillment of a long-standing musical dream for Fraser. His search eventually led him to find a cellist who could help return the cello to its historical role at the rhythmic heart of Scottish dance music, where it stood for hundreds of years before being relegated to the orchestra. The duo's debut recording, Fire & Grace, won the coveted the Scots Trad Music "Album of the Year" award, the Scottish equivalent of a Grammy. Since its release, the two have gone on to record four more critically acclaimed albums that blend a profound understanding of the Scottish tradition with cutting-edge string explorations. In additional to performing, they both have motivated generations of string players through their teaching at fiddle camps across the globe.
alasdairandnatalie.com/bio

87 Hubby Jenkins

This week, Country Blues & Oldtime music phenomenon and Carolina Chocolate Drops member Hubby Jenkins recorded live at the Ozark Folk Center State Park in Mountain View, Arkansas. Also, interviews with Hubby. Mark Jones offers an archival recording of Ozark originals Bess & Lester Kelley performing the Carter Family song “All the Good Times are Past & Gone.” Writer, professor, and historian Dr. Brooks Blevins profiles the curious history of Dogpatch USA, a unique theme park in the Ozarks for 25 years.

Hubby Jenkins is a talented multi-instrumentalist, who endeavors to share his love and knowledge of old-time American music. Born and raised in Brooklyn, he delved into his Southern roots, following the thread of African American history that wove itself through country blues, ragtime, fiddle and banjo, and traditional jazz. Hubby got his higher musical education started as a busker. He developed his guitar and vocal craft on the sidewalks and subway platforms of New York City, performing material by those venerable artists whose work he was quickly absorbing. An ambitiously itinerant musician, he took his show on the road, playing the streets, coffee shops, bars, and house parties of cities around the U.S. After years of busking around the country and making a name for himself, Hubby became acquainted with the Carolina Chocolate Drops. Since 2010 he has been an integral part of the Grammy award winning Carolina Chocolate Drops and continues to make solo performances.
www.hubbyjenkins.com

In this week’s “From the Vault” segment, musician, educator, and country music legacy Mark Jones offers an archival recording of Ozark originals Bess & Lester Kelley performing the Carter Family song “All the Good Times are Past & Gone,” from the Ozark Folk Center State Park archives.

From his series entitled “Back in the Hills,” writer, professor, and historian Dr. Brooks Blevins profiles the curious history of Dogpatch USA, a unique theme park in the Ozarks for 25 years. The first of a three part series, this episode chronicles the early years of an Ozark theme park based on the famous cartoon “Li’l Abner,” created by cartoonist Al Capp.

86 The Savoy Family Cajun Band

This week, distinguished traditional Louisiana Cajun music connoisseurs The Savoy Family Cajun Band recorded live at the Ozark Folk Center State Park. Also, interviews with renowned fiddler Joel Savoy. Mark Jones offers an archival recording of Ozark originals Ervin & Lily Freeze performing the song “Let Those Brown Eyes Smile at Me.” Author, folklorist, and songwriter Charley Sandage presents a portrait of Blanchard Springs National Park, featuring an interview with long time U.S. Forest Service visitor information specialist Tony Guinn.

The Savoy Family Cajun Band consists of father Marc, mother Ann, and brothers Joel & Wilson Savoy.

Marc Savoy was born and raised in the small Cajun prairie town of Eunice, Louisiana. Drawing inspiration from 'bals de maison' (house dances) in his father's outdoor kitchen, Savoy obtained his first accordion and began playing it at the age of 12. Playing the instrument led to repairing it and after disassembling enough accordions he began to build them. Playing the accordion has always been a natural part of his life from the dancehall to the home. The musicians with whom he has played Cajun music read like a who’s who of the finest in Cajun music, from the Balfa Brothers, DL Menard, Doc Guidry to early fiddle masters Dennis McGee and Wade Fruge.

Ann Allen Savoy is a musician, photographer, record producer, and writer. Her destiny was sealed when she began to listen to rare collections of Cajun 78’s. She met her future husband, acclaimed accordion builder/musician Marc Savoy, and after their marriage she began documenting the Cajun culture, taking photographs, interviewing important musicians, and transcribing the Cajun French songs. Her documentation ultimately became a book, Cajun Music: A Reflection of a People Volume 1, which won the prestigious Botkin book award from the American Folklore Society. An avid photographer since high school, her photos have been exhibited at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts and at the Festival of American Music in Eugene, Oregon.

Joel Savoy is one of the most requested fiddlers in SW Louisiana today. Joel grew up in Eunice, Louisiana, literally at the feet of Cajun heros like Dennis McGee, Dewey Balfa, Michael Doucet, and Wade Frugé. In 2006 Joel founded Valcour Records. He’s worked and played with Linda Ronstadt,T-Bone Burnett, Steve Buckingham, Allison Krauss, Linda Ronstadt, Steve Miller, Tim O’Brien, Darol Angor and many more. Joel also builds accordions with his father, makes electric guitars and hi-end tube amps and studio gear, and is an excellent recording engineer.

Wilson Savoy, the youngest son of Marc and Ann, has made music since before he could walk. He began playing boogie-woogie and blues piano, inspired by Louisiana native Jerry Lee Lewis, at the age of 10. Wilson took up the accordion after graduating from high school. His major influences are his father, Amede Ardoin, and Iry Lejeune. Besides being a musician he is an avid filmmaker, and has produced films of many of the finest bands in SW Louisiana. (www.almenafilms.com) When he isn’t making and producing music videos and short biographies he is traveling with his three times Grammy nominated dynamic young band, the Pine Leaf Boys. - www.savoyfamilycajunband.com/index.html

85 Celebrating Ozark Heroes

This week, a celebration of Ozark traditional music pioneers and their influences. This special episode features Betse Ellis & Clarke Wyatt, The Creek Rocks, and The Aching Hearts recorded live at the Ozark Folk Center State Park. Mark Jones offers an archival recording of Ozark originals The Apple Family performing the traditional song “Who’s Gonna Dance With Sally Ann.” Author, folklorist, and songwriter Charley Sandage presents the Off the Beaten Path Studio Tour of the Ozarks, featuring an interview with Becky Dahlstedt, one of the organizers of the tour.

www.betseandclarke.com/bio/
www.thecreekrocks.com
theachinghearts.com/bio

84 Bruce Molsky’s Mountain Drifters

This week, preeminent old time fiddler Bruce Molsky and his Molsky’s Mountain Drifters recorded live at the Ozark Folk Center State Park. Mark Jones offers an archival recording of Ozark original Moon Mullins performing the tune “Tiptoe Through the Tulips.” Author, folklorist, and songwriter Charley Sandage presents a portrait of the M&NA railroad of the Ozarks, featuring an original song & interview from Tom Simmons, the very first director of the Ozark Folk Center.

Bruce Molsky is a self-described “street kid” from the Bronx who bailed on college and big city life for a cold-water cabin in Virginia in the 1970s. His mission? To soak up the passion that was dramatically upending his parent’s life plan for him – authentic Appalachian mountain music – at the feet of its legendary pioneers, old masters who are now long gone. Molsky’s Mountain Drifters also includes banjoist Allison de Groot and guitarist & singer Stash Wyslouch.

Today, Bruce Molsky is one of the most revered “multi-hyphenated career” ambassadors for America’s old-time mountain music. For decades, he’s been a globetrotting performer and educator, a recording artist with an expansive discography including seven solo albums, well over a dozen collaborations and two Grammy-nominations. He’s also the classic “musician’s musician” – a man who’s received high praise from diverse fans and collaborators like Linda Ronstadt, Mark Knopfler, Celtic giants Donal Lunny and Andy Irvine, jazzer Bill Frisell and dobro master Jerry Douglas, a true country gentleman by way of the Big Apple aptly dubbed “the Rembrandt of Appalachian fiddlers” by virtuoso violinist and sometimes bandmate Darol Anger.

Molsky digs deep to transport audiences to another time and place, with his authentic feel for and the unearthing of almost-forgotten rarities from the Southern Appalachian songbook. His foils are not only his well-regarded fiddle work, but banjo, guitar and his distinctly resonant vocals. From tiny folk taverns in the British Isles to huge festival stages to his ongoing workshops at the renowned Berklee College of Music, Molsky seduces audiences with a combination of rhythmic and melodic virtuosity and relaxed conversational wit – a uniquely humanistic, downhome approach that can make Carnegie Hall feel like a front porch or parlor jam session. - www.mountaindrifters.com

83 Antsy McClain & Muriel Anderson

This week, celebrated singer/songwriter & hometown humorist Antsy McClain with world renowned harp-guitarist Muriel Anderson recorded live at the Ozark Folk Center State Park. Also, interviews with Antsy & Muriel. Mark Jones offers an archival recording of Ozark originals Robert & Mary Gillihan performing the traditional song “Banks of the Ohio.” Author, folklorist, and songwriter Charley Sandage presents a portrait of the White River Line railroad of the Ozarks, featuring an interview with George Lankford, professor emeritus at Lyon College in Batesville.

Antsy McClain brings his unique blend of music and “humor with heart” to the stage, combining his original songs with a hilarious slide show, including Antsy’s own life observations, social commentary and imaginary sponsors from his home town trailer park of Pine View Heights. As a master storyteller with the likes of PBS, NPR and TEDTalks under his belt, Antsy includes humorous and serious songs in his shows. Songs such as “One Less Trailer Here in Pine View Heights,” My Baby Whistles When She Walks,” and “The Junk Drawer of Your Heart,” are keenly humorous observations about love and loss, while his more serious songs, like “Field Trip,” “I’m Everyone,” or “Falling in Love in America,” are more akin to personal journal entries written in the act of living. It’s this tightrope walk between humor and heart that makes Antsy McClain a true original.
- unhitched.com/antsys-bio/

One of the world’s foremost fingerstyle guitarists and harp-guitarists, Muriel Anderson is the first woman to have won the National Fingerstyle Guitar Championship. Her CD “Nightlight Daylight” was chosen as one of the top 10 CDs of the decade by Guitar Player Magazine her “Heartstrings” recording accompanied the astronauts on the space shuttle Discovery. She has performed/recorded with Chet Atkins, Les Paul, Victor Wooten and the Nashville Chamber Orchestra. Her obvious joy of music, humor and her facility across the genres of folk, classical, jazz, bluegrass and international music is revered by guitarists worldwide. An engaging performer, Muriel’s unique approach to the instrument virtually transforms the guitar into a lyrical choir, then a marching band, then a Japanese koto, then a Bluegrass band, one minute launching into a Beatles’ tune and the next, a Rodrigo concerto. Her video “Why Worry” has garnered a total of over 8 million views. Muriel is host of the renowned Muriel Anderson’s ALL STAR GUITAR NIGHT® and founder of the MUSIC FOR LIFE ALLIANCE charity.
- murielanderson.com/press/bio/

82 The Paul Brock Band

This week, world renowned Irish button accordion & melodeon player Paul Brock & his band recorded live at the Ozark Folk Center State Park. Also, interviews with this master of Irish traditional music. Mark Jones offers an archival recording of Ozark original Ulys Pilcher performing the traditional tune “Sally Goodin.” Author, folklorist, and songwriter Charley Sandage presents a portrait of the Little Red River of the Ozarks, featuring interviews with Arkansas Game and Fish Commission Stream Fisheries Biologist Jeff Quinn & Angela Chandler, Arkansas Geological Survey supervising geologist.

Button accordion and melodeon player Paul Brock is a multiple All-Ireland champion from Athlone, County Westmeath now residing in Ennis, County Clare. Brock’s solo album, Mo Charidin (Gael-Linn), was described by the Rough Guide to Irish Music as “a masterpiece of accordion playin.” Brock co-founded Brock McGuire Band in 2000 with fiddle player Manus McGuire. The band has gone on to record a number of highly acclaimed albums including Green Grass Blue Grass, a collaboration with 14-time GRAMMY Award winner Ricky Skaggs celebrating the connection between Appalachian and Irish music. In 2014, the band performed a fully-scored program of their music with the Mississippi Symphony Orchestra in Jackson, Mississippi.

As a soloist, Brock has toured extensively internationally. He has performed with leading musicians and has been a special guest artist on a number of occasions with acclaimed Irish band The Chieftains. In 1989, Brock and McGuire co-founded Moving Cloud, with whom he recorded two award winning albums for Green Linnet Records. Brock’s 2006 collaboration with Enda Scahill, Humdinger (Compass Records), was voted “Irish Music Album of the Year” by The Irish Times and “Instrumental Album of the Year” by The Irish American News. Brock’s many album credits include A Tribute to Joe Cooley (Gael-Linn) with fiddler Frankie Gavin. - https://paulbrockband.com

For this performance, Paul Brock is joined by famed Irish composer & teacher Denis Carey, multi-instrumentalist, singer, and dancer Dave Curley, and also multi-instrumentalist Shane Farrell.

81 The Barefoot Movement

This week, high energy Neo-Grass acoustic music phenomenon The Barefoot Movement recorded live at the Ozark Folk Center State Park. Also, interviews with The Barefoot Movement vocalist & co-founder Noah Wall. Mark Jones offers an archival recording of Ozark original Brooke Breeding performing the traditional tune “Tying the Leaves.” Author, folklorist, and songwriter Charley Sandage presents a portrait of the White river of the Ozarks, featuring interviews with Arkansas Game and Fish Commission Stream Fisheries Biologist Jeff Quinn and historian & folklorist Dr. George Lankford.

Heartfelt, energetic, and down home. Heralded by CMT Edge as "one of the most promising bands on the bluegrass scene," the music of the Nashville based group The Barefoot Movement is as down to earth as their intention for members of their audience: sit back, relax, take your shoes off, and stay a while. All the worries and frustrations of the world melt away as this charming, acoustic band takes listeners back to a simpler place and time. Whether you're seeking emotional ballads or rip-roaring barn-burners, you can expect a collection of music that offers something for everyone. With two full length albums, an EP of traditional music, several cross-country tours, and appearances at some of the top bluegrass festivals in the United States already under their belt, the possibilities for this act are endless. The group has enjoyed almost non-stop touring including a trip to Burkina Faso, Africa where they were guests of the American Embassy, and in September of 2014, they received a Momentum Award, naming them "Band of the Year" by the International Bluegrass Music Association.
- www.thebarefootmovementofficial.com/bio/

80 Leyla McCalla

This week, New York born Haitian-American classical & folk music sensation and former Carolina Chocolate Drops member Leyla McCalla recorded live at the Ozark Folk Center State Park. Also, interviews with Leyla. Mark Jones offers an archival recording of Ozark original & hammered dulcimer legend Jay Round performing a medley of traditional Irish tunes. Author, folklorist, and songwriter Charley Sandage presents an introduction to Ozark geology, featuring an interview with Arkansas Geological Survey supervisor Angela Chandler.

Leyla McCalla is a Haitian-American living in New Orleans, who sings in French, Haitian Creole and English, and plays cello, tenor banjo and guitar. Deeply influenced by traditional Creole, Cajun and Haitian music, as well as by American jazz and folk, her music is at once earthy, elegant, soulful and witty — it vibrates with three centuries of history, yet also feels strikingly fresh, distinctive and contemporary. Violist Free Feral - Guitarist, banjoist, and triangle Daniel Tremblay

Leyla’s debut album, Vari-Colored Songs: A Tribute to Langston Hughes, was named 2013’s Album of the Year by the London Sunday Times and Songlines magazine, and received additional raves from a number of other publications, including the New York Times, Boston Globe and Offbeat, for its haunting mixture of music and message. - leylamccalla.com

In this week’s “From the Vault” segment, musician, educator, and country music legacy Mark Jones offers an archival recording of Ozark original & hammered dulcimer legend Jay Round performing a medley of traditional Irish tunes, from the Ozark Folk Center State Park archives.

79 Jason Roberts Band

This week, two time Grammy Award winning Texas Swing fiddler and Asleep at the Wheel member Jason Roberts & the Jason Roberts Band recorded live at the Ozark Folk Center State Park. Also, interviews with Jason. Mark Jones offers an archival recording of four Ozark originals; Buddy Lancaster, Tom Simmons, Jackie Stewart, and of course Mark Jones performing “Bile Them Cabbage Down.” Author, folklorist, and songwriter Charley Sandage presents a profile of the Shawnee residents of the Ozark region.

Grammy Award winning fiddle player Jason Roberts brings his signature style to the Jason Roberts Band.
Having spent his childhood among legends in Texas honky-tonks -- and then nearly 20 years with the world-famous band Asleep at the Wheel -- Jason has soaked up the very best of Western Swing and brings his own signature style to this traditional American genre. Two Grammy Awards and four individual Hall of Fame inductions later, Jason and his Jason Roberts Band delight fans around the world.

Music is a family thing in the Roberts clan. Jason’s grandfather, Buck Roberts, a fellow Texas Western Swing Hall of Famer, toured nationally with The Roberts Brothers Rhythmaires in the 1940’s and 50’s. A 12-year-old Jason eventually fronted a band with his grandfather and other Rhythmaires’ veterans. From the other side, Jason’s grandmother played swing piano well past her 100th birthday. Jason learned to play on his grandfather Carl’s fiddle, an instrument that’s on stage with him to this day.

Legendary fiddler Johnny Gimble (Jason’s kin by marriage) took notice of young Jason's remarkable natural talent and took him under his wing. Jason has said, “Every good lick I know, I stole from Johnny Gimble.” By the time he was 15, Jason had played with greats like Gimble, Leon Rausch, Bobby Boatwright, Herb Remington, and other members of Bob Wills’ Texas Playboys.

From the White House to The David Letterman Show and the Kennedy Center to Bob Wills’ hometown of Turkey, Texas, Jason has helped keep the spirit of Western Swing alive across generations. His fiddle magic and endearing personality make him a fan favorite everywhere he plays.

https://www.jasonrobertsband.com

78 A.J. Croce: Two Generations of American Music

This week, American singer-songwriter and musical legacy A.J. Croce recorded live at the Ozark Folk Center State Park. Hear A.J. speak of getting to know his famous musical father, Jim Croce, through his inherited collection of personal archival recordings. “A.J. Croce: Two Generations of American Music,” is a blend of A.J’s own soulful music, his father’s enduring hit songs, and some of the music that they shared as influences, together. It is a glimpse into the life of one of America’s greatest songwriters and his equally talented progeny.

Adrian James "A.J." Croce is an American singer-songwriter. He is the son of singer-songwriters Jim Croce and Ingrid Croce.

“According to Willie Nelson, “A.J. Croce has wisdom beyond his years. With his music, he represents his generation with a profound sense of honesty in his lyrics and quality in his delivery. The future of entertainment is safe in his hands!”

Some artists are afforded the chance to tell their personal stories as they see fit, at a particular moment when they know the time has come. But for many, there is no choice — the story emerges hardwired to the music and they become forever identified with it no matter how their story may evolve or change.

A.J. Croce has been inextricably linked to a version of his own story by virtue of his name. He’s experienced a lifetime of comparisons to a father he lost at age two, whose music bears little resemblance to his own output yet still serves as a reference point despite the years that have passed and the many iconic mentors who have stepped in to offer their counsel, creativity, and endorsement throughout his long career.

It’s curious that it now feels necessary to include the reference, as enough time has passed that a new generation of tastemakers and journalists might not know who Jim Croce was — that he was a golden-voiced everyman, a singer-songwriter-guitarist who died too soon, leaving one of pop music’s most beautiful and memorable ballads (written about a young A.J.) in his wake.

Croce the younger, on the other hand, is a piano man, first and foremost, and a vocal stylist second. His muted growl pulls from a host of American traditions and anti-heroes — it’s part New Orleans, part juke joint, part soul, but somehow evokes New York, a continuum where John Lurie meets Lou Reed. He is further a songwriter, driven by a personal muse, informed by a life on a boomerang of tragedy.”

https://www.ajcrocemusic.com/about/

77 The Keisler Brothers Band

This week, traditional bluegrass & Ozark legends The Keisler Brothers Band recorded live at the Ozark Folk Center State Park. Also, interviews with this talented band of brothers. Mark Jones offers an archival recording of harmonica virtuoso Lonnie Glosson performing “Mama, I Want a Drink of Water.” Author, folklorist, and songwriter Charley Sandage presents a brief history of settlers to the Ozark region.

The Keisler Brothers Band is comprised of Redmond, Randy and Rick Keisler, as well as their long time friend Rodney Heslep. This traditional bluegrass group has been bringing their fiery brand of acoustic music to American audiences for four decades. Redmond Keisler, the leader of the group, plays Dobro, while his brothers Randy and Rick play bass & guitar, respectively. The brothers’ long time compatriot Rodney Heslep brings the all important three finger banjo to round out a perfect traditional high energy bluegrass sound. One of the Keisler Brothers’ specialties is their razor sharp harmony singing. Family harmonies are breathtaking to behold, and this family has been perfecting theirs for decades. True, honest, and decidedly down home, a Keisler Brothers show is a testament to their traditional bluegrass legacy.

In this week’s “From the Vault” segment, musician, educator, and country music legacy Mark Jones offers an archival recording of harmonica virtuoso Lonnie Glosson performing “Mama, I Want a Drink of Water,” from the Ozark Folk Center State Park archives.

76 Christmas!

This week, Christmas songs both traditional & rare, performed by an interesting array of folk musicians, recorded live at the Ozark Folk Center State Park. Hosts Dave Smith & Mark Jones present these festive archival holiday recordings. Mark Jones offers an archival recording of his father, Country Music Hall of Fame legend Grandpa Jones reciting a poem called “The Christmas Guest.” Aubry Atwater & Elwood Donnelly profile the story of folk music royalty Jean Ritchie’s first family Christmas tree.

Musicians at the Ozark Folk Center State Park have been putting on Christmas music shows for over four decades. As with most music performed at the park, the Christmas music represented here is not your normal collection of holiday standards. You’ll hear a few songs that you know and love, as well as many others that you’ve likely never encountered before. The eclectic range of musicians performing on this edition of Ozark Highlands Radio include Grandpa Jones, Randall Hylton, The Dowden Sisters, The Lonesome Cowboys, Joni Bishop, Bob Olivera, The Heritage Quartet, and more.

In this week’s “From the Vault” segment, musician, educator, and country music legacy Mark Jones offers an archival recording of his father, country music legend Grandpa Jones, reciting a poem called “The Christmas Guest,” from the Ozark Folk Center State Park archives.

Renowned folk musicians Aubrey Atwater & Elwood Donnelly profile influential folk music icons Jean Ritchie and the Ritchie Family, as well as explore the traditional Appalachian music and dance that the Ritchie Family helped to perpetuate into the modern American folk lexicon. This episode relates Jean Ritchie’s own childhood memories of an early Ritchie Family Christmas.

49 Don Edwards

This week, consummate cowboy balladeer and Grammy nominated performer Don Edwards performs live at the Ozark Folk Center State Park. Also, interviews with Don. Mark Jones offers an archival recording of Jesse Wright, singing the classic Jimmy Rodgers song “The Orphan Child.” Writer, professor, and historian Dr. Brooks Blevins profiles the second in a series of three Ozark regional ballads, “Lee Mills.”

One of America’s best loved and most enduring cowboy singers, Don Edwards is indeed an American treasure. His love and passion for traditional cowboy songs is second to none and has earned him a fan base worldwide. He knows the songs, the stories, and even some of the old trails that made the old West famous. Accompanied by his trusty guitar, Don takes us on a trip back in time when cowboy singers and songs echoed through the trails, taverns, and cattle drive camps of yesterday.

In this week’s “From the Vault” segment, musician, educator, and country music legacy Mark Jones offers an archival recording of the mysterious Jesse Wright, singing the classic Jimmy Rodgers song “The Orphan Child,” from the Ozark Folk Center State Park archives.

From his series entitled “Back in the Hills,” writer, professor and historian Dr. Brooks Blevins presents the second of three episodes on Ozark regional ballads. This episode features a recording of the traditional Ozark ballad “Lee Mills,” sung by husband and wife Berry and Clementine Sutterfield of Marshall, Arkansas on August 1, 1963. The recording was made by folklorist John Quincy Wolf, and is preserved in Lyon College’s “John Quincy Wolf Collection.”
web.lyon.edu/wolfcollection/son…erfieldlee1279.mp3

75 Jayme Stone & The Lomax Project

This week, neo-folk, Americana, and progressive bluegrass sensation Jayme Stone & The Lomax Project recorded live at the Ozark Folk Center State Park. Also, interviews with Jayme about his music and the ambitious Lomax Project. Mark Jones offers an archival recording of Ozark original Mona Fay Moody performing the traditional song “I Will Never Marry.”

Two-time Juno-winning banjoist, composer and instigator Jayme Stone makes music inspired by sounds from around the world—bridging folk, jazz, and chamber music. His award-winning albums both defy and honor the banjo’s long role in the world’s music, turning historical connections into compelling sounds. Stone is the consummate collaborator, unearthing musical artifacts and magnetizing extraordinary artists to help rekindle these understudied sounds. He is a passionate educator, producer, and instigator.

Jayme Stone’s Lomax Project focuses on songs collected by folklorist and field recording pioneer Alan Lomax. This collaboration brings together distinctive and creative roots musicians to revive, recycle and reimagine traditional music. The repertoire includes Bahamian sea shanties, Sea Island spirituals, Appalachian ballads, fiddle tunes and work songs collected from both well-known musicians and everyday folk: sea captains, cowhands, fishermen, prisoners and homemakers. Collaborators on this particular live show include Moira Smiley and Tristan Clarridge.

Moira Smiley is a singer & composer who creates and performs new work for voices. A musical polyglot, and vocal shape-shifter, her voice – and composing – are heard on feature films, BBC & PBS television programs, NPR, and on more than 60 albums. When she’s not leading her own group, Moira Smiley & VOCO, Moira tours with Indie artist tUnE-yArDs, Irish music powerhouse, Solas, The Lomax Project and Billy Child’s “Laura Nyro Re-Imagined.” Recent solo performances include TED, Stravinsky’s ‘Les Noces,’ the London Proms Festival, features on BBC3’s The Choir, and ABC Australia’s Books & Arts programs. Moira’s recordings feature spare, vocally driven collections of warped traditional songs, original polyphony and body percussion. In addition to her performing work, she is in high demand as a choral clinician, composer and arranger.

Multi-instrumentalist Tristan Clarridge is a 5-time Grand National Fiddle Champion and a pioneering cellist, synthesizing traditional folk influences with rhythmic vocabulary from jazz, rock and pop music, and leading a revolution among adventurous young cellists throughout the country. He has toured the world with bluegrass/nu-folk sensation Crooked Still and Darol Anger’s Republic of Strings, as well as Mike Marshall, Bruce Molsky and Cape Breton fiddle phenomenon Natalie MacMaster. Tristan’s latest collaboration, “The Bee Eaters,” features his talented sister Tashina Clarridge as well as hammered dulcimer wizard Simon Chrisman.

In this week’s “From the Vault” segment, musician, educator, and country music legacy Mark Jones offers an archival recording of Ozark original Mona Fay Moody performing the traditional song “I Will Never Marry,” from the Ozark Folk Center State Park archives.

74 Darol Anger & Mike Marshall

This week, oldtime, bluegrass, and psychograss pioneers Darol Anger & Mike Marshall recorded live at the Ozark Folk Center State Park. Also, interviews with these legendary instrumentalists. Mark Jones offers an archival recording of Ozark originals Bob & Kay Blair performing the traditional song “Red Green.”

Fiddler, composer, producer and educator, Darol Anger is at home in a number of musical genres, some of which he helped to invent. Exceptional among modern fiddlers for his versatility and depth, Anger has helped drive the evolution of the contemporary string band through his involvement with numerous pathbreaking ensembles such as his Republic Of Strings, the Turtle Island String Quartet, the David Grisman Quintet, Montreux, his Duo with Mike Marshall, and others. He has performed and taught all over the world with musicians such as Dr. Billy Taylor, Bela Fleck, Bill Evans, Edgar Meyer, Bill Frisell, David Grisman, Tony Rice, Tim O’Brien, The Anonymous 4, Marin Alsop and the Cabrillo Orchestra, the Detroit Symphony, Mark O’Connor, and Stephane Grappelli. Today Darol can be heard on NPR’s “Car Talk” theme every week, along with Earl Scruggs, David Grisman and Tony Rice. He was also the violinist on the phenomenally popular Sim City computer games. In addition to performing all over the world, he has recorded and produced scores of important recordings since 1977, is a MacDowell and UCross Fellow, and has received numerous composers’ residencies and grants. He has been a featured soloist on dozens of recordings and motion picture soundtracks. He is an Associate Professor at the Berklee School of music.

Mike Marshall made his Carnegie Hall debut at the age of 20 with jazz violin legend Stephane Grappelli as a member of the David Grisman Quartet. In 1985 he would perform in that famed hall with his own classical ensemble The Modern Mandolin Quartet in 1985. Mike has been at the forefront of New Acoustic music for over 40 years having been the founding member of many groups including the Montreux Band, Psychograss, Choro Famoso and The Anger Marshall Band. Between 1999 and 2003 Mike collaborated with Joshua Bell, Edgar Meyer, Bela Fleck and Sam Bush on two separate projects. These groups toured the U.S.A. extensively and performed at the Aspen Music Festival, San Francisco Performances and Chamber Music at Lincoln Center, NY. Both ensembles were nominated for Grammy Awards for their Sony Classical releases. In 2014 Mike was nominated for his third Grammy Award for his recording with the Turtle Island Quartet. Currently Mike is touring with German mandolin virtuoso Caterina Lichtenberg. The two have released two cds on the Adventure Music label and have performed at the Carmel Bach Festival, The Savannah Music Festival, the Bach Haus Liepzig, Germany and the Rockygrass Bluegrass Festival in Colorado and have been soloists with the New Century Orchestra under Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg, and Orchester l’arte del mondo from Cologne, Germany. He currently directs the Mike Marshall School of Mandolin through the ArtistWorks on-line educational company where he is teaching hundreds of mandolinists from around the world. Mike splits his time currently between his home in San Francisco, CA and Wuppertal, Germany where his wife, Caterina Lichtenberg holds the position of mandolin professor at the Cologne Music Conservatory.

In this week’s “From the Vault” segment, musician, educator, and country music legacy Mark Jones offers an archival recording of Ozark originals Bob & Kay Blair performing the traditional song “Red Green,” from the Ozark Folk Center State Park archives.

73 Dom Flemons

This week, Grammy award winning Oldtime singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Dom Flemons, accompanied by the versatile Brian Farrow, recorded live at the Ozark Folk Center State Park. Also, interviews with this Grammy award winning artist. Mark Jones offers an archival recording of country music royalty Jeanette Carter performing the classic song “Foggy Mountain Top.”

Raised in Phoenix, Arizona, Dom Flemons’ involvement with music began by playing percussion in his high school band. After picking up the guitar and harmonica as a teenager, he began to play in local coffee houses and became a regular performer on the Arizona folk music scene. Dom wrote his own songs and produced 25 albums of singer-songwriters and slam poets in the Phoenix area, including six albums of his own during this time. He took a brief break from playing music in order to pursue slam poetry (he majored in English at Northern Arizona University) and performed in two national poetry slams in 2002 and 2003. Aside from exploring slam poetry, he spent his early adulthood listening to records and discovering a love of folk music, blues, jazz, jug band music, country music and ‘50s rock ‘n’ roll. Dom became interested in folk musicians such as Phil Ochs, Dave Van Ronk, and Mike Seeger, as well as musicians such as Mississippi John Hurt, Howlin’ Wolf, Hank Williams, Chuck Berry and Carl Perkins. After stepping away from the slam poetry scene, he rekindled his interest in music, this time focusing on the old-time blues music of the pre-WWII era.

A multi-instrumentalist, Dom Flemons plays banjo, guitar, harmonica, fife, bones, bass drum, snare drum, and quills, in addition to singing. He says that he incorporates his background in percussion to his banjo playing. Dom’s banjo repertoire includes not only clawhammer but also tenor and three-finger styles of playing. He first picked up the instrument when he borrowed a five-string banjo from a friend who had removed the instrument’s fifth string. As a founding member of the Carolina Chocolate Drops, an African-American string band, Dom was able to explore his interest in bringing traditional music to new audiences. The band won a GRAMMY for its 2011 album Genuine Negro Jig and was nominated for its most recent album, Leaving Eden, in 2012.

Dom says he would like to use the traditional forms of music he has heard and immersed himself in over the years to create new soundscapes that generate interest in old-time folk music. Focusing very much on creating music that is rooted in history but taking a contemporary approach, Dom hopes to reexamine what traditional music can become.

In this week’s “From the Vault” segment, musician, educator, and country music legacy Mark Jones offers an archival recording of country music royalty Jeanette Carter performing the classic song “Foggy Mountain Top,” from the Ozark Folk Center State Park archives.

72 Spencer & Rains

This week, old time fiddling husband and wife duo “Spencer & Rains” recorded live at the Ozark Folk Center State Park. Also, interviews with this fascinating duo. A performance from old time fiddle legend Dan Levenson, and Mark Jones offers an archival recording of singer/songwriter Jimmy Connor performing his hit song “Grandma’s Featherbed.”

Spencer & Rains combines the talents of two extraordinary traditional fiddlers, Kansas fiddler Tricia Spencer with Texas artist and fourth generation fiddler Howard Rains. Together, the husband and wife duo Spencer & Rains have performed and taught nationally and internationally, preserving and building upon the traditions of their region. The duo are known for their twin fiddle harmony, which is a product of the influence of midwestern Scandinavian fiddlers Tricia heard as a child. At the same time, Howard’s distinct repertoire reintroduces listeners to the pre-contest styles of Texas fiddling. That same sense of harmony is in their vocals as well, which they pull from all manner of American folk music. Both multi-instrumentalists, they are steeped in tradition and are dedicated to the preservation, performance, and teaching of old time music.

A Southern Appalachian native, Dan Levenson was raised with old time music. He has become a true master musician and teacher in both the Clawhammer Banjo style and Old Time Fiddling. His dad called square dances and his mom played guitar, piano and sang. With 14 Mel Bay publications including his innovative Clawhammer Banjo From Scratch and 10 recordings to his name, Dan is one of the undisputed influences on today’s old time music aficionados. Dan Levenson is a modern day troubadour in the truest sense of the word. A full time musician, he travels the country with banjo and fiddle, singing songs and telling stories of the road, his musical journey and his Southern Appalachian roots. Dan is a native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, but now makes his home in Tucson, Arizona year round, when he is not on the road. His stage show, “An Evening with Dan Levenson" is an intimate evening of musical conversation that combines old time fiddle, Appalachian banjo, stories, and song in a storytelling format, celebrating life in rural Appalachia and life on the roads of America via the music of our country.

In this week’s “From the Vault” segment, musician, educator, and country music legacy Mark Jones offers an archival recording of singer/songwriter Jimmy Connor performing his hit song “Grandma’s Featherbed,” from the Ozark Folk Center State Park archives.

71 Old Ties

This week, Ozark oldtime duo “Old Ties” performs live at the Ozark Folk Center State Park. Also, interviews with the members of this eclectic duo, Allison Williams & Willi Carlisle. Mark Jones offers an archival recording of Ozark original Walter Gosser playing the traditional tune “Cripple Creek.” Author, folklorist, and songwriter Charley Sandage presents a piece on the uniquely American art form of shape note singing.

Allison Williams and Willi Carlisle were brought together by a passion for old-time music. The duo is best known around these parts as the leaders of monthly square dances at various hotspots throughout Northwest Arkansas. When they aren’t calling dances, Williams and Carlisle gig as “Old Ties.”

A native of the Arkansas Ozarks, Allison Williams got her start as a punk rock musician before rediscovering her musical roots. Several years in the mountains of North Carolina educated her in Appalachian banjo techniques, especially the fast distinctive styles of Hobart Smith and Wade Ward. Allison has toured internationally, sharing stages with Rhonda Vincent, Donna the Buffalo, and many other giants of the new roots music scene. Her solo CD ”Give Me the Roses” came out in the autumn of 2008, featuring driving arrangements of traditional old-time songs as well as eclectic originals, woven together by a talented backing band of rising stars: alumni of the Carolina Chocolate Drops, Old Crow Medicine Show, and the Wiyos, among others. Since then, Allison has toured internationally, playing to a sold-out Barbican Hall in London as part of the BBC’s “Folk America” special, and backing folk legend Michelle Shocked on her 2010 East Coast tour.

Willi Carlisle has, according to one reviewer, "an authenticity it takes some songwriters years to achieve." After years of collecting folklore, playing or calling square dances, and working in the avant-garde, Willi Carlisle is a multi-faceted writer, performer and instrumentalist. With a style forged in the fire of Ozark oldtime and an ever-growing collection of antique musics, Carlisle’s multi-instrumental stories hoot, stomp, and saunter through joys and troubles uniquely Southern and timelessly true. Equally comfortable on banjo, fiddle and guitar, Carlisle has earned accolades for his versatility with performances at the Ozark Folk Center, the Fayetteville Roots Festival, Thacker Mountain Radio, and Fringe Festivals across the country.

In this week’s “From the Vault” segment, musician, educator, and country music legacy Mark Jones offers an archival recording of Ozark original Walter Gosser playing the traditional tune “Cripple Creek,” from the Ozark Folk Center State Park archives.

70 Adam Fudge

This week, Ozark guitarist, singer, and master of the three finger banjo Adam Fudge performs live at the Ozark Folk Center State Park. Also, interviews with Adam. Mark Jones offers an archival recording of harmonica player & Ozark original Lou Alderman playing the traditional tune “Danny Boy.” Author, folklorist, and songwriter Charley Sandage presents a portrait of Arkansan & country music superstar Patsy Montana, through the lens of archivist Bill McNeil.

Born and raised in the rich musical culture of the Arkansas Ozarks, Adam Fudge has pursued the legacy of his native mountain music with tenacity and a deep love for the traditional. Adam is a fine singer and guitarist playing traditional country & bluegrass, but his true love is the three finger style of banjo popularized by bluegrass legend Earl Scruggs. Adam has won numerous awards for his incredible banjo skills, both in Arkansas and at the traditional music proving grounds of Winfield, Kansas. As well as possibly being one of the greatest three finger banjo players alive today, his guitar skills and Jimmie Rogers style vocals are finely tuned as well. On this show, Adam performs with a variety of musicians including his brother bassist Shane Fudge, bluegrass legend Dave Brancecum, old time fiddler Roger Fountain, guitar guru Brad Apple, educator & multi-instrumentalist Bill Nesbitt, and prolific bassist Gresham McMillon.

In this week’s “From the Vault” segment, musician, educator, and country music legacy Mark Jones offers an archival recording of harmonica player & Ozark original Lou Alderman playing the traditional tune “Danny Boy,” from the Ozark Folk Center State Park archives.

69 Bill & the Belles

This week, old time early radio days throwback quartet Bill and the Belles performs live at the Ozark Folk Center State Park. Also, interviews with these novel retro performers. Mark Jones offers an archival recording of Ozark original Aubrey Richardson performing the traditional song “Bunker Hill.”

What began as a project to explore the space created between hillbilly and urban, between vaudeville and down home, has arrived somewhere entirely new. Bill and the Belles offers a contemporary reimagining of a bygone era, a vocal-centric performance that breathes new life into the sounds of early country music. At the foothills of the Blue Ridge and the forefront of old-time music, Bill and the Belles continue to further the music traditions of their region. From sentimental Southern ballads to the popular songs of Tin Pan Alley to regional fiddle breakdowns, a Bill and the Belles show is a celebration of the diversity country music once represented.

Bill and the Belles play alongside America’s top country and roots music artists as the house band for the historic radio program Farm and Fun Time presented by Radio Bristol and the Birthplace of Country Music. Lifelong musicians Kris Truelsen, Grace Van’t Hof, Kalia Yeagle, and Karl Zerfas bring to the stage an uplifting show unlike any other, full of humor, high spirits, and all-around revelry. It’s clear this group shares a rare musical connection and deep love for the music, and their excitement is contagious.

In this week’s “From the Vault” segment, musician, educator, and country music legacy Mark Jones offers an archival recording of Ozark original Aubrey Richardson performing the traditional song “Bunker Hill,” from the Ozark Folk Center State Park archives.

68 Ramona Jones

This week, old time fiddler, composer, actress, singer, Grand Ole Opry star, and country music royalty Ramona Jones performs live at the Ozark Folk Center State Park. Also, interviews with Ramona and her talented progeny. Mark Jones offers an archival recording of Ozark original Onis Morrison singing the traditional Ozark song “Dry & Dusty.” Author, folklorist, and songwriter Charley Sandage presents a portrait of Ramona Jones through the lens of archivist Bill McNeil.

Ramona Jones was a musician, actress, and composer known for Hee Haw (1969,) R.I.O.T.: The Movie (1996,) and He's So Fine (1993.) Born Ramona Riggins in Indiana, Jones met her first husband, country entertainer Louis Marshall "Grandpa" Jones while both were working at Cincinnati radio station WLW. They moved to Nashville in 1947. Grandpa Jones was a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame and a longtime Grand Ole Opry member. They were married 52 years until his death in 1998. A musician from a young age, Jones learned the fiddle from her father, then taught herself several other stringed instruments, competing in (and winning) several amateur contests during high school. She made her solo debut on the Opry in 1947, and performed all over the world with Jones, including shows for service members on the front lines during the Korean War. They later toured U.S. military bases in Italy, Austria, and Germany. In the mid-Fifties, the couple regularly appeared on the Washington, D.C.-based TV series Town and Country Time. She would go on to record numerous duets with her husband as well as a handful of solo singles for Monument Records, and albums that spotlighted her fiddle work. From its 1969 debut — and for the next 25 years — the couple appeared on TV's Hee Haw.

In this week’s “From the Vault” segment, musician, educator, and country music legacy Mark Jones offers an archival recording of Ozark original Onis Morrison performing the traditional Ozark song “Dry & Dusty,” from the Ozark Folk Center State Park archives.

67 Anna & Elizabeth

This week, prodigious purveyors of the past, multi-instrumentalists, singers and story tellers, Anna & Elizabeth perform live at the Ozark Folk Center State Park. Also, interviews with these unique performers. Mark Jones offers an archival recording of Ozark originals The Hall Family, performing the traditional song “Cowboy’s Dream.” Author, folklorist, and songwriter Charley Sandage presents a portrait of world famous cowboy poet & singer Glenn Orhlin.

The collaboration between Anna & Elizabeth spans worlds — between their homes in Brooklyn and rural Virginia -- between deep study of mountain ballads with old masters and explorations into the avant garde — between music, performance, and visual art. Anna & Elizabeth have performed across the country and in Europe. Highlights include: The Newport Folk Festival; NPR's Tiny Desk Concert; The Chicago Folk Festival; The High Museum of Modern Art (Atlanta); and the Cambridge Folk Festival (UK.) Their work has been featured on BBC Radio 2 and BBC3's Late Junction, Vice’s Noisey, the Huffington Post, and No Depression. They have shared the stage with Alice Gerrard, Mick Moloney, Sam Lee and Riley Baugus, Bruce Greene, Abigail Washburn, Wayne Henderson, and also National Heritage Award winners Sheila Kay Adams and Billy McComiskey.

Elizabeth Laprelle lives on a farm in Rural Retreat, Virginia, where she grew up, and has pursued her interest in mountain ballads for over a decade. Since the release of her debut album at age 16, she’s been hailed as one of the most dedicated students of the traditional unaccompanied style of her generation. The student of master singer Ginny Hawker and National Heritage Fellow Sheila Kay Adams, Elizabeth was the first recipient of the Henry Reed Award from the Library of Congress at age 16, and won the 2012 Mike Seeger Award at Folk Alliance International. She has released three solo ballad albums, and was called “the best young Appalachian ballad singer to emerge in recent memory” by UK’s fRoots Magazine.

Anna Roberts-Gevalt is a voracious and curious multi-instrumentalist originally from Vermont, described by Meredith Monk as a "radiant being." She fell in love with the sound of banjo in college, moved to the mountains, and learned with master musicians in Kentucky, Virginia, and North Carolina, becoming a blue-ribbon fiddler and banjo player (WV State Folk Fest, Kentucky Fiddle Contest.) She was a fellow at the Berea College Archive, a 2014 OneBeat fellow (Bang on a Can's Found Sound Nation,) artistic director of Kentucky’s traditional music institute, the Cowan Creek Mountain Music School, and curator of Baltimore's Crankie Festival. She has recently delved into new musical worlds, including recent work with composers Brian Harnetty, Nate May and Cleek Schrey, Matmos, David Rothenberg, Susan Alcorn, and saxophonist Jarrett Gilgore. She has contributed writing to No Depression and The Old Time Herald.

In this week’s “From the Vault” segment, musician, educator, and country music legacy Mark Jones offers an archival recording of Ozark originals The Hall Family, performing the traditional song “Cowboy’s Dream,” from the Ozark Folk Center State Park archives.

66 OHR Offstage: Fiddles! Fiddles! Fiddles!

One of the unique experiences for visitors to the Ozark Folk Center is the intimate matinee performances by our guest musicians. The shows are a unique way for musicians and guests share a time and space much different than a traditional indoor performance venue. There are often Q &A sessions, jokes, stories and of course, the occasional request from an audience member that make these sets so popular.

These performances take place in the backdrop of the Ozark Folk Center State Park Craft Village, a large outdoor area, home to over 20 artisans who demonstrate traditional and contemporary craftsmanship on site. Nestled in the center of the Craft Village is an old wooden covered stage. The area seats about 50 people but is always overflowing with people for the matinee sets by our guest artists.

Jay Ungar and Molly Mason are veterans of the acoustic music scene on the East coast and have been performing together for well over 20 years. Jay and Molly’s performance at the Ozark Folk Center State Park highlights all aspects of their musical style and ability. Ungar was born in the Bronx, the son of immigrant Jewish parents from Eastern Europe. He frequented Greenwich Village music venues during his formative period in the 1960s. He is probably best known for "Ashokan Farewell" (1982,) originally composed as a lament, which was used as the theme tune to the Ken Burns documentary The Civil War (1990.) Molly Mason has been a regular performer on Prairie Home Companion. In 1991, Ungar married Molly Mason, whom he had first met during the 1970s. They continue to perform as a duo, with their band, Swingology, and as the Jay Ungar and Molly Mason Family Band with Jay's daughter Ruthy Ungar (her mother is Lyn Hardy) and Ruthy's husband Michael Merenda. In 1992, Ungar and Mason provided the soundtrack to the acclaimed documentary film Brother's Keeper. In 2006 they headlined the Northwest Folklife Festival in Seattle.

Dennis Stroughmatt is a renaissance man. His passion for the Creole fiddle and French music of the Southern Illinois/Missouri region has lead him on a journey to the backwoods of Louisiana and the University of Quebec. He has nearly single handedly revitalized the original Creole music and French culture of the Illinois-Missouri region by rekindling a love and passion for the culture and song.

Masters of Texas style swing, fiddle and three voice harmony, The Quebe Sisters bring it like few can. Like other family and sibling performers we’ve featured on Ozark Highlands Radio, the Quebe Sisters (Grace, Sophia, and Hulda) have formed a sound and style that is both traditional and familiar, yet all their own. Each sister an accomplished fiddle player and singer, the trio specializes in western swing tunes with their signature three part harmony.

In this week’s “From the Vault” segment, musician, educator, and country music legacy Mark Jones offers an archival recording of Ozark original Shirley Greenfield singing the traditional song “Don’t Sing Love Songs, You’ll Wake My Mother,” from the Ozark Folk Center State Park archives.

Author, folklorist, and songwriter Charley Sandage presents an historical portrait of the people, events, and indomitable spirit of Ozark culture that resulted in the creation of the Ozark Folk Center State Park and its enduring legacy of music and craft. This episode focuses on Dr. Bill McNeil, the long time archivist at the Ozark Folk Center. For thirty years, from 1975 until his untimely passing in 2005, Dr. Bill McNeil served as the Ozark Folk Center’s folklorist and all-purpose advisor on all things dealing with traditional Ozark culture. During his tenure at the Folk Center, Bill McNeil guided the establishment of the Ozark Cultural Resource Center, an archival and teaching facility on the Folk Center’s grounds. This installment examines Dr. McNeil’s interest in the evolution of folk music traditions.

65 Clarke Buehling & Carl Anderton

This week, traditional American banjo performer & historian Clarke Buehling and his skilled protege’ Carl Anderton perform live at the Ozark Folk Center State Park in Mountain View, Arkansas. Also, interviews with Clarke & Carl. Mark Jones offers an archival recording of the Dogwood Stringband performing the song “Down in the Arkansas.” Author, folklorist, and songwriter Charley Sandage presents a portrait of Dr. Bill McNeil, the long time archivist at the Ozark Folk Center.

Clarke Buehling is widely recognized for his interpretations of late 19th Century, classic finger-style banjo, and is in the forefront of the recent resurgence of interest in the earlier minstrel banjo style. Much of his material is based around his extensive collection of 19th Century banjo and mandolin instruction books and sheet music. Clarke teaches banjo, fiddle, mandolin and guitar in Fayetteville, Arkansas, and plays with several popular old time stringbands, including The Skirt Lifters and The Ozark Highballers.

In this week’s “From the Vault” segment, musician, educator, and country music legacy Mark Jones offers an archival recording of Ozark original The Dogwood Stringband performing the song “Down in the Arkansas,” from the Ozark Folk Center State Park archives.

64 Autoharp Weekend 2016

This week, three world renowned autoharp virtuosos, Bryan Bowers, Karen Mueller, and Charles Whitmer perform live at the Ozark Folk Center State Park’s annual “Autoharp Weekend.” Mark Jones offers an archival recording of bluegrass legend Buck White performing the song “More Pretty Girls Than One.” Author, folklorist, and songwriter Charley Sandage presents a portrait of Dr. Bill McNeil, the long time archivist at the Ozark Folk Center, in which Dr. McNeil discusses Ozark folk tales.

Bryan Bowers takes the auto harp to places not known to exist. Sounds strange, but it’s true. He possesses a powerful and soulful voice, and is a regular contributor to the Annual Auto Harp Weekend at the Ozark Folk Center State Park. From Washington State, Bowers became very popular with the audience of the comedy radio program The Dr. Demento Show with his 1980 recording of Mike Cross' song "The Scotsman.” In 1993, Bowers was inducted into the Autoharp Hall of Fame whose membership includes Mother Maybelle Carter, Kilby Snow, and Sara Carter.

Karen Mueller is one of the top autoharp and mountain dulcimer players performing today. Her exciting and innovative performing style, featuring Appalachian, Celtic and contemporary music, has been applauded by critics and audiences from LA to Boston. Bluegrass Unlimited magazine has said "Karen Mueller's touch, timing and taste make her a true virtuoso. Her talent and clarity...deserve a wide audience.”

Charles Whitmer is a music educator and composer, as well as being an autoharp virtuoso. He currently has 612 traditional songs in print arranged for autoharp for which he is known internationally. In 2008 he was inducted into the Autoharp Hall of Fame. He is a current staff member of The Autoharp Quarterly as a sheet music editor and was also a long time staff member for I.A.D. Publications, a former international quarterly magazine for autoharp enthusiasts.

In this week’s “From the Vault” segment, musician, educator, and country music legacy Mark Jones offers an archival recording of bluegrass legend Buck White of “The Whites” performing the song “More Pretty Girls Than One,” from the Ozark Folk Center State Park archives.

63 The Lost & Nameless Orchestra

This week, Austin, Texas based fiddle driven folk pop and renowned Contra Dance band “The Lost & Nameless Orchestra” performs live at the Ozark Folk Center State Park. Also, interviews with this unique group of musicians. Mark Jones offers an archival recording of a much younger Mark Jones performing the song “Mountain Whippoorwill.” Author, folklorist, and songwriter Charley Sandage presents a portrait of Dr. Bill McNeil, the long time archivist at the Ozark Folk Center, focusing on Dr. McNeil’s attention to historical scholarship with regard to traditional music.

They may call themselves Lost & Nameless, but all it takes is a few notes for listeners to recognize this foursome is anything but. With original compositions featuring complex, turn-on-a-dime arrangements and performing histories dating to childhood, the members of this Austin-based band are seasoned professionals who whip up an unforgettable sonic whirlwind wherever they play. Lost & Nameless can be traced to St. Louis, where Arkansas fiddle champion Chris E. Peterson met vocalist/guitarist Patrick Conway in 1993. They began jamming together and did some busking and recording in Europe, then went their separate ways. Peterson eventually moved to Austin to attend graduate school and in 2006, Conway followed. They decided to form “a great live band” and within a week, found keyboardist Nathan Quiring. Vocalist/fiddler Kimberly Zielnicki, winner of the 2012 Old Settler’s Music Festival Youth Talent Competition, became a full-fledged member in 2008, at age 11. Together, they imbue their music with a playful energy and soulfulness. Their sound simultaneously evokes Ireland and Appalachia, old-time folk and timeless pop, with an orchestral fullness.

In this week’s “From the Vault” segment, musician, educator, and country music legacy Mark Jones offers an archival recording of a much younger Mark Jones performing the song “Mountain Whippoorwill,” from the Ozark Folk Center State Park archives.

Author, folklorist, and songwriter Charley Sandage presents an historical portrait of the people, events, and indomitable spirit of Ozark culture that resulted in the creation of the Ozark Folk Center State Park and its enduring legacy of music and craft. This episode focuses on Dr. Bill McNeil, the long time archivist at the Ozark Folk Center. For thirty years, from 1975 until his untimely passing in 2005, Dr. Bill McNeil served as the Ozark Folk Center’s folklorist and all-purpose advisor on all things dealing with traditional Ozark culture. During his tenure at the Folk Center, Bill McNeil guided the establishment of the Ozark Cultural Resource Center, an archival and teaching facility on the Folk Center’s grounds. This installment focuses on Dr. McNeil’s attention to historical scholarship with regard to traditional music.

62 The Side Street Steppers

This week, the witty & convivial Americana ragtime, blues & early jazz quartet, “Side Street Steppers” perform live at the Ozark Folk Center State Park. Also, interviews with these fascinating performers. Mark Jones offers an archival recording of Ozark original Buddy Lancaster performing the traditional song “Back up & Push.” Author, folklorist, and songwriter Charley Sandage presents a portrait of Dr. Bill McNeil, the long time archivist at the Ozark Folk Center, focusing on Dr. McNeil’s knowledge of traditional ballads.

Christian Stanfield and Miss Vera Victoria founded the Side Street Steppers in June of 2009. What began as a simple duo of musicians unearthing material from the Golden Age of American Gramophone recording has grown into a full-blown Memphis institution. The Side Street Steppers are a page from Americas past, playing rare and popular music from the 1920s and 30s. Dubbed the Golden Age of Gramophone Recording, the two decades between 1920 and World War II saw the rise of jazz and the birth of the blues, the demise of ragtime and the emergence of hillbilly music that would become known through the world as country music. The Side Street Steppers present a pastiche of this transformation of the American musical landscape, performing on vintage and homemade instruments. Get ready for plenty of hip-shaking, foot stompin', caterwauling and croonin’.

In this week’s “From the Vault” segment, musician, educator, and country music legacy Mark Jones offers an archival recording of Ozark original Buddy Lancaster performing the traditional song “Back up & Push,” from the Ozark Folk Center State Park archives.

Author, folklorist, and songwriter Charley Sandage presents an historical portrait of the people, events, and indomitable spirit of Ozark culture that resulted in the creation of the Ozark Folk Center State Park and its enduring legacy of music and craft. This episode focuses on Dr. Bill McNeil, the long time archivist at the Ozark Folk Center. For thirty years, from 1975 until his untimely passing in 2005, Dr. Bill McNeil served as the Ozark Folk Center’s folklorist and all-purpose advisor on all things dealing with traditional Ozark culture. During his tenure at the Folk Center, Bill McNeil guided the establishment of the Ozark Cultural Resource Center, an archival and teaching facility on the Folk Center’s grounds. This installment focuses on Dr. McNeil’s knowledge of traditional ballads.

61 Patsy Montana & Glenn Ohrlin

This week, original cowgirl, singer, songwriter, actress and Country Music Hall of Fame superstar Patsy Montana performs live at the Ozark Folk Center State Park. Also, interviews with this country music legend. Also featured is the inimitable cowboy poet & humorist Glenn Ohrlin. Mark Jones offers an archival recording of Ozark legend Cathy Barton performing the song “Ebenezer.” Author, folklorist, and songwriter Charley Sandage presents a portrait of Dr. Bill McNeil, the long time archivist at the Ozark Folk Center.

Patsy Montana, was an American country music singer, songwriter and actress. Montana was the first female country performer to have a million-selling single with her signature song "I Want to Be a Cowboy's Sweetheart", and is a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame. She was a mainstay on the National Barn Dance on Chicago radio station WLS for many years. Born “Ruby Blevins” in Beaudry, Arkansas, the 11th child and first daughter of a farmer, Patsy attended schools in President Bill Clinton's hometown of Hope, Arkansas. She was influenced early on by the music of Jimmie Rodgers, and paved the way for women in the male dominated world of country music.

Born in Minneapolis, MN in 1926, Glenn Ohrlin was a veteran of the cattle industry and worked the rodeo circuit, both while being an acquisitive singer, poet, & story teller. Glenn put his extensive knowledge and years of experience collecting Western folk songs into a book, “The Hell Bound Train,” as well as performing his authentic style of cowboy poetry & prose. Ohrlin performed at cowboy poetry gatherings across America, and at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. In the 1970’s, Glenn moved to Mountain View, Arkansas, where he continued his music career, lending regular performances at the Ozark Folk Center. We at the Ozark Folk Center State Park reap the benefit of having years of Glenn’s live performance recordings in our archives.

In this week’s “From the Vault” segment, musician, educator, and country music legacy Mark Jones offers an archival recording of Ozark original Cathy Barton performing the traditional song “Ebenezer,” from the Ozark Folk Center State Park archives.

60 Jerron "Blind Boy" Paxton

This week, old time blues, jazz, & traditional music prodigy Jerron “Blind Boy” Paxton performs live at the Ozark Folk Center State Park in Mountain View, Arkansas. Also, interviews with Jerron.

Jerron "Blind Boy" Paxton is an American musician from Los Angeles. A vocalist and multi-instrumentalist, Paxton's style draws from blues and jazz music before World War II and was influenced by Fats Waller and "Blind" Lemon Jefferson. According to Will Friedwald in the Wall Street Journal, Paxton is "virtually the only music-maker of his generation—playing guitar, banjo, piano and violin, among other implements—to fully assimilate the blues idiom of the 1920s and '30s, the blues of Bessie Smith and Lonnie Johnson.”

In this week’s “From the Vault” segment, musician, educator, and country music legacy Mark Jones offers an archival recording of Ozark legend Bookmiller Shannon performing the traditional murder ballad “The Banks of the Ohio,” from the Ozark Folk Center State Park archives.

From his series entitled “Fine Fiddlers of the Ozarks,” old time and Ozark fiddle aesthete Roy Pilgrim profiles traditional Ozark fiddler Absie Morrison. This installment features archival recordings of the traditional Ozark fiddle tunes “Dry & Dusty, The Concord March, and The Ozark Waltz.”

39 Tribute to Jimmy Driftwood

This week, legendary songwriter, performer, folklorist, and historian Jimmy Driftwood performs live at the Ozark Folk Center State Park. Dave Smith gives an historical portrait of the life of this remarkable Ozarker. Also, Ozark Highlands Radio host Dave Smith and producer Jeff Glover discuss the fine points of what makes “folk music,” and Mark Jones offers an archival recording of another Ozark original, Jean Simmons, performing the song “Unclouded Day,” in her pioneering mountain dulcimer style.

There was never a more popular, outspoken or controversial musician or personality to come out of Stone County, Arkansas than James Corbitt Morris (better known as Jimmy Driftwood). Driftwood was a driving force behind the creation of the Ozark Folk Center State Park and a successful singer songwriter who penned “The Battle of New Orleans” and “Tennessee Stud” among other notable songs. Jimmy helped put Stone County on the musical map and left a legacy that is still talked about to this day. Our program this week features special and seldom heard songs from some of Jimmy’s archival OFCSP performances.

Ozark Highlands Radio host Dave Smith and producer Jeff Glover discuss the fine points of what makes “folk music,” drawing from interviews & perspectives of various folk musicians.

Mark Jones' “From the Vault” segment offers an archival recording of Ozark original Jean Simmons, performing in her pioneering mountain dulcimer style the song “Unclouded Day,” from the Ozark Folk Center State Park archives.

59 Shane Adkins & Kirby Easler

This week, international guitar thumbpicking champion and songwriting humorist Shane Adkins performs live at the Ozark Folk Center State Park. Also, interviews with Shane. Featured as well, a performance and interviews from up and coming modern thumpicking prodigy Kirby Easler.

Alabama guitarist Shane Adkins comes by his talent honestly. As a boy, he learned from guitar legend and family friend Mose Rager in the heart of thumbpicking country, Drakesboro, KY. Shane applied those lessons and went on win the International "Home of the Legends" Thumbpicking Contest in Muhlenberg County, KY and the International Fingerstyle Guitar Championship in Winfield, KS. A talented songwriter, Shane takes a page from friend and fellow musician Mike Snider, writing songs with southern wit and humor. This performance was as one of the featured musicians who appeared at the Ozark Folk Center State Park’s annual Thumbpicking Weekend in May of 2016.

Kirby Easler is a Nashville-based guitarist from Charleston, South Carolina, specializing in solo acoustic performance and fingerstyle arranging. At 22 years of age, Kirby is a protégé of Grammy-winning guitarist John Knowles, CGP, and has worked and performed alongside some of the industry's top guitarists, including Thom Bresh and Tommy Emmanuel, CGP. In 2015 Kirby placed second in the Contemporary division of the National Thumpicker's Hall of Fame guitar competition, and in April 2014 Kirby and her Yorkshire Terrier, Grabel, were featured on The Late Show with David Letterman for an episode of "Stupid Pet Tricks.”

In this week’s “From the Vault” segment, musician, educator, and country music legacy Mark Jones offers an archival recording of Ozark original Dave Leatherman performing the song “From Mother’s Arms to Korea,” from the Ozark Folk Center State Park archives.

From his series entitled “Fine Fiddlers of the Ozarks,” old time and Ozark fiddle aesthete Roy Pilgrim profiles the Ozark tradition of square dances. This installment features archival recordings of actual Ozark square dances held in Galena, MO and Mt. Gaylor, AR in 1950.

58 "The Honey Dewdrops”

This week, neo-folk family troubadours “The Honey Dewdrops” perform live at the Ozark Folk Center State Park in Mountain View, Arkansas. Also, interviews with this talented husband & wife duo.

Based out of Baltimore, MD, the Honey Dewdrops continue a long line of husband and wife duos making beautiful music together. Laura Wortman and Kagey Parrish now reside in Baltimore, but have strong connecting roots to the music in their home state of Virginia. Their popularity continues to grow, as they have performed at MerleFest and the Redwing Roots Music Festival. Instrumentation is classic Americana and includes guitar, banjo, and harmonica. Coupled with spectacular vocal harmonies, their original material remains true to both traditional and contemporary forms of American roots music.

In this week’s “From the Vault” segment, musician, educator, and country music legacy Mark Jones offers an archival recording of Ozark original Bobby Hayes performing the traditional classic “Pretty Polly,” from the Ozark Folk Center State Park archives.

From his series entitled “Fine Fiddlers of the Ozarks,” old time and Ozark fiddle aesthete Roy Pilgrim profiles the legendary Ozark fiddler Max Collins. This installment features archival recordings of the classic fiddle tunes ”Railroad Runs Through Georgia, Old Number 9, Whistling Rufus, and Lonesome Hill.”

57 Merle Travis Thumbpicking Weekend 2016

This week, guitar legend Merle Travis performs live at the Ozark Folk Center State Park in Mountain View, Arkansas. A performance by Merle’s son, Grammy award winning songwriter, guitarist, and actor Tom Bresh. Also, performances from two thumbpicking guitar champions, Danny Dozier & Randy Buckner.

In 1979, the Ozark Folk Center State Park created an event to honor thumbpicking legend Merle Travis. In the early days the weekend featured a thumpicking contest and performances from the late Merle Travis and other popular guitarists. Over the years the event has continued on, and now hosts Merle’s son, Thom Bresh, as the feature performer each year. The event has grown to include traditional thumbpicking and contemporary fingerstyle guitar contests as well as workshops and jam sessions. This week, we feature performances from Thom Bresh, Danny Dozier, Randy Buckner, and an archival recording of Merle Travis himself, performing at the very first Ozark Folk Center Merle Travis Thumbpicking Weekend.

Merle Robert Travis was an American country and western singer, songwriter, and guitarist born in Rosewood, Kentucky. His song's lyrics often discussed both the lives and the economic exploitation of American coal miners. Among his many well-known songs are "Sixteen Tons," "I am a Pilgrim," and "Dark as a Dungeon." However, it is his unique guitar style, still called “Travis Picking” by guitarists, as well as his interpretations of the rich musical traditions of his native Muhlenberg County, Kentucky, for which he is best known today. He was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1970 and elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1977.

Thom Bresh has led an incredible, multi-faceted life in the entertainment business. To start, his birth father is guitar royalty, Merle Travis. Thom was raised in California during the golden age of television and worked as a stuntman/actor during his youth. He went on to become one of the premier practitioners of his fathers “thumbpicking” style of guitar. Harnessing a quick wit and an equally quick set of ten fingers, there is nothing like a Thom Bresh performance.

Danny Dozier is an Arkansas native and proud of it. He is one of the area’s premier guitar players, well versed in the Merle Travis “thumbpicking” style. Danny has worked with a wide variety of performers over the years including; Grandpa and Ramona Jones, Omar and the Howlers and regional favorite, The Leatherwoods.

Randy Buckner also plays the Merle Travis style of thumbpicking, as well as teaching guitar, banjo, ukulele, and mandolin in Springfield, Mo. A Springfield native, Randy has been playing guitar since 1973. He studied Jazz at Middle Tennessee State University, and has shared the stage with many great musicians including the legend himself, Merle Travis.

In this week’s “From the Vault” segment, musician, educator, and country music legacy Mark Jones offers an archival recording of Ozark originals Dean Hinesley & Andre Cannard performing the classic song “I Don’t Love Nobody,” from the Ozark Folk Center State Park archives.

56 OHR Offstage: Dom Flemons, Don Edwards, & Jerron Paxton

This week, two Grammy Award winning old time musicians and an up and coming folk/blues sensation perform live at the Ozark Folk Center State Park Craft Village. Featured on this special episode are Dom Flemons, Don Edwards, and Jerron Paxton.

Dom Flemons is a Grammy Award winning musician & singer-songwriter. Carrying on the songster tradition, Flemons strives to mix traditional music forms with a contemporary approach, to create new sounds that will appeal to wider audiences. Flemons co-found the Carolina Chocolate Drops, an African-American string band that won a Grammy for its 2010 album Genuine Negro Jig. Today, he tours throughout the United States and internationally as “The American Songster.

In this week’s “From the Vault” segment, musician, educator, and country music legacy Mark Jones offers an archival recording of Ozark original Adrian Parks performing the classic song “Under the Double Eagle,” from the Ozark Folk Center State Park archives.

From his series entitled “Fine Fiddlers of the Ozarks,” old time and Ozark fiddle aesthete Roy Pilgrim profiles the legendary Ozark fiddler Uncle Dick Hutchinson. This installment features archival recordings of the classic fiddle tunes “Christmas Eve, Judge Parker Take Your Shackles Off, Hell on the Nine Mile, and Sharecropper’s Blues.”

55 David Holt & Josh Goforth

This week, Grammy Award winning old time musician and TV personality David Holt performs live at the Ozark Folk Center State Park. Performing with David is his talented protégé Josh Goforth. Also, interviews with David & Josh.

In the early 1970’s David Holt made a journey to the rural Southeastern U.S. in search of the roots of American music. What he discovered had a profound effect on him as a person and a musician. Over the years David has been a sideman with Doc Watson, performed at the Grand Ole Opry, was a cast member on Hee Haw with Grandpa Jones, and even won a Grammy Award for his work with Doc Watson. Today, David enjoys a successful solo career and performers regularly with a variety of other musicians. For this show, David was joined by long- time friend and former protégé Josh Goforth. The two met when Josh was in grade school, where David was performing for a group of students. As fate would have it, they kept in touch and are now band mates all these years later.

In this week’s “From the Vault” segment, musician, educator, and country music legacy Mark Jones offers an archival recording of Ozark original Guyman Gammill singing a rare traditional song “White Dove,” from the Ozark Folk Center State Park archives.

From his series entitled “Fine Fiddlers of the Ozarks,” old time and Ozark fiddle aesthete Roy Pilgrim profiles the legendary Ozark fiddler Pete Howard. This installment features modern recordings of the classic fiddle tunes “Fire on the Mountain, Natchez Under the Hill, and Bear Creek.”

54 Dulcimer Weekend 2016

This week, it’s Dulcimer Weekend! A whole host of mountain & hammered dulcimer national champions perform live at the Ozark Folk Center State Park. Also, interviews with mountain dulcimer mavens Tull Glazener, Jeff Hames, and Debbie Porter discussing the origins, resurgence of popularity, and appeal of this humble mountain musical instrument.

For over 35 years, the Ozark Folk Center State Park has hosted the annual Dulcimer Jamboree. The annual event takes place in mid-April and features three days of specialized instruction and performances from the country’s top mountain and hammered dulcimer players. The mountain dulcimer remains one of the more popular folk instruments today. Its celebration in the Mountain View, Arkansas area as a core folk instrument has never waned over the years, with an active community of players and instrument makers. With origins dating back to Biblical times, the hammered dulcimer is a unique instrument in the percussion family. Like the mountain dulcimer, it found a home in the Ozark region among folk musicians and instrument makers alike. Music this week includes highlights from the 2016 event, including performances by Ted Yoder, Rick Thum, Bing Futch, Jeff Hames, Tull Glazener, Jess Dickinson, and Judson Steinback.

In this week’s “From the Vault” segment, musician, educator, and country music legacy Mark Jones offers an archival recording of Ozark original Dee Johnson singing the rare traditional lullaby “Buttercup Meadows,” from the Ozark Folk Center State Park archives.

From his series entitled “Fine Fiddlers of the Ozarks,” old time and Ozark fiddle aesthete Roy Pilgrim profiles the legendary Ozark fiddler Jim Means. This installment features archival recordings of the classic fiddle tunes “Pretty Polly, The Girl I Left Behind, Rose of the Garden, and The Blue Bells of Scotland.”

53 Lost Bayou Ramblers

This week, unique Grammy nominated Louisiana alternative Zydeco band “The Lost Bayou Ramblers” perform live at the Ozark Folk Center State Park in Mountain View, Arkansas. Also, interviews with the Lost Bayou Ramblers.

The Lost Bayou Ramblers were formed in 1999 by brothers Andre and Louis Michot, performing the roots Cajun music they learned as members of Les Frères Michot, the family band their father and uncles formed in the 80's. The brothers quickly began playing clubs and festivals around Louisiana, and taking the traditional music they were raised with to new levels of rhythmic energy and spontaneity. Over the years, the group has continually integrated new sonic elements to its live performances, always experimenting and growing the show to what it's become today, an eclectic mix of modern sounds and rhythms with ancient Cajun melodies and lyrics.

In this week’s “From the Vault” segment, musician, educator, and country music legacy Mark Jones offers an archival recording of Ozark original Melvin Wrinkle singing the rare traditional song “Home Sweet Home,” from the Ozark Folk Center State Park archives.

From his series entitled “Fine Fiddlers of the Ozarks,” old time and Ozark fiddle aesthete Roy Pilgrim profiles the legendary Ozark fiddler Ben Pollard. This installment features archival recordings of the classic fiddle tunes “Sand March, Hop Light Ladies, Dream Waltz, Silver Star Hornpipe, and Sail Away Red Dress.”

52 Roy Bookbinder

This week, old time acoustic blues legend Roy Book Binder performs live at the Ozark Folk Center State Park. Also, interviews with this celebrated legacy of the Reverend Gary Davis style of acoustic guitar blues. Mark Jones offers an archival recording of Ozark youth Dwight Moody singing the traditional classic, “In the Pines.” Old time and Ozark fiddle aesthete Roy Pilgrim profiles the legendary Ozark fiddler Skeeter Walden.

Guitarist Roy Book Binder has traveled the world as a solo performer for nearly 50 years. Roy’s career and playing style is heavily influenced by the late Reverend Gary Davis, who specialized in a unique style of guitar finger picking. Roy’s performances are as much a story of his life and experiences as they are a musical endeavor.

In this week’s “From the Vault” segment, musician, educator, and country music legacy Mark Jones offers a 1973 recording of Ozark youth Dwight Moody singing the traditional classic, “In the Pines,” from the Ozark Folk Center State Park archives.

From his series entitled “Fine Fiddlers of the Ozarks,” old time and Ozark fiddle aesthete Roy Pilgrim profiles the legendary Ozark fiddler Skeeter Walden. This installment features archival recordings of the classic fiddle tunes “Woody’s Hornpipe, Puncheon Floor, and Natchez on the Hill.”

51 Hoot & Holler

This week, alternative folk duo “Hoot & Holler” performs live at the Ozark Folk Center State Park. Also, interviews with the talented duo. A performance and interviews from “The Ozark Banjo Company.” Mark Jones offers an archival recording of Ozark original Walter Gosser singing the rare traditional classic, “Jimmy Brown the News Boy.” Old time and Ozark fiddle aesthete Roy Pilgrim profiles the legendary Ozark fiddler Lon Jordan.

“Hoot n’ Holler” are comprised of guitarist Mark Kilianski and fiddler Amy Alvey. Like our other performers this week, their partnership has roots at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA. Born from a love of American folk music, nurtured in Boston's burgeoning string band scene, and inspired by the authenticity and enduring spirit of traditional Appalachian mountain music, “Hoot & Holler” hit the road full time in 2016 while living in their camper van “Irene.” Their tender harmonizing and songwriting comes across as simple, honest, and fresh to the ears. Described as the perfect cross section of soulful grit and polished technique, you can expect the full range of dynamics when performing traditional and original old time fiddle tunes. Like a sonic cross-country road trip, you can hear the soundscapes from different parts of the country in their original songs: from the dirgy Louisiana swamp to the stark and sparse beauty of a Southwestern desert.

“The Ozark Banjo Company’s” Eden Forman (fiddle) and Lukas Pool (banjo) share a deep passion for old time and traditional American music. The two met while studying at Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA. Eden studied fiddle with Darol Anger and Bruce Molsky. She finds her musical home in American old time fiddle music, but her repertoire extends into many directions. Lukas grew up in Mountain View, Arkansas in the Ozark Mountains where he started playing banjo at the age of 12. Most nights were spent on the courthouse square with his friends and family learning and growing with the sounds of Ozark music. Lukas has had the honor of winning the national old-time banjo championship twice and has returned to Berklee as a guest professor. The pair now resides in Mountain View, Arkansas where they own and operate the Ozark Banjo Co. which specializes in creating handmade traditional and custom banjos.

In this week’s “From the Vault” segment, musician, educator, and country music legacy Mark Jones offers an archival recording of Ozark original Walter Gosser singing the rare traditional classic, “Jimmy Brown the News Boy,” from the Ozark Folk Center State Park archives. This 1973 recording also features Guyman Gammill and Dean Hinesley on guitars.

From his series entitled “Fine Fiddlers of the Ozarks,” old time and Ozark fiddle aesthete Roy Pilgrim profiles the legendary Ozark fiddler Lon Jordan. This installment features archival recordings of the classic fiddle tunes “Wake Up Jacob and Let's Go A Hunting, Granny Will Your Dog Bite, Fever River, and The Bluebird Waltz.”

50 The Quebe Sisters

This week, talented Texas trio The Quebe Sisters perform live at the Ozark Folk Center State Park. Also, interviews with the Quebe Sisters. Mark Jones offers an archival recording of Ozark original Betty Copeland singing a rare traditional gospel classic, “Life’s Railway to Heaven.” Writer, professor, and historian Dr. Brooks Blevins profiles the last in a series of three Ozark regional ballads, “Little Johnny Lee.”

Masters of Texas style swing, fiddle and three voice harmony, the Quebe (kway-bee) Sisters bring it like few can. Like other family and sibling performers we’ve featured on Ozark Highlands Radio, the Quebe Sisters (Grace, Sophia and Hulda) have formed a sound and style that is both traditional and familiar, yet all their own. Each sister an accomplished fiddle player and singer, the trio specializes in western swing tunes with their signature three part harmony.

In this week’s “From the Vault” segment, musician, educator, and country music legacy Mark Jones offers an archival recording of Ozark original and family music legacy Betty Copeland singing a rare traditional gospel classic, “Life’s Railway to Heaven,” from the Ozark Folk Center State Park archives.

From his series entitled “Back in the Hills,” writer, professor and historian Dr. Brooks Blevins presents the last of three episodes on Ozark regional ballads. This episode features a recording of the traditional Ozark ballad “Little Johnny Lee,” sung by Bessie Owens of Batesville, Arkansas on April 6, 1958. The recording was made by folklorist Mary Parler, and is preserved in the Ozark Folksong Collection of the University of Arkansas Libraries Digital Collections.
digitalcollections.uark.edu/cdm/singlei…/3286/rec/5

48 Suzy Bogguss

This week, world renowned country music recording artist Suzy Bogguss performs live at the Ozark Folk Center State Park. Also, interviews with Suzy. Mark Jones offers an archival recording of Ozark original Onus Morrison demonstrating the traditional dance fiddle technique of playing with “fiddle sticks.” Writer, professor, and historian Dr. Brooks Blevins profiles the first in a series of three Ozark regional ballads, “The Boy That Burned in the Berryville Jail.”

Best known for her country music hits in the 80’s and 90’s, Suzy Bogguss is an old time musician and fan at heart. Her 2011 release American Folk Songbook testified to this, and featured her versions of “Shenandoah, Banks of the Ohio, and Rock Island Line” among others. Now enjoying her “post stardom” career, and taking things at a decidedly and much welcomed slower pace, we caught up with Suzy for a feature performance at the Ozark Folk Center State Park. And yes, there are a few of her hits from the 80’s and 90’s in for good measure.

In this week’s “From the Vault” segment, musician, educator, and country music legacy Mark Jones offers an archival recording of Ozark original Onus Morrison demonstrating the traditional dance fiddle technique of playing with “fiddle sticks,” from the Ozark Folk Center State Park archives.

From his series entitled “Back in the Hills,” writer, professor and historian Dr. Brooks Blevins presents the first of three episodes on Ozark regional ballads. This episode features a recording of “The Boy That Burned in the Berryville Jail,” also called “Floyd Eddings,” sung by Ed Alford of Delmar, Arkansas on January 3, 1960. The recording was made by University of Arkansas folklorist Mary Parler, and is preserved in the University of Arkansas Ozark Folk Collection.
digitalcollections.uark.edu/cdm/singlei…/4193/rec/9

47 Bobby & Ruthie

This week, new fashioned folk duo Bobby Glendy & Ruthie Haynie perform live at the Ozark Folk Center State Park. A performance from the traditional family folk trio “Love Holler.” Also, interviews with Bobby & Ruthie, and also with “Love Holler.” Mark Jones offers an archival recording of famed songwriter & Ozark folklorist Jimmy Driftwood, playing a traditional instrument called the “picking bow.” Writer, professor, and historian Dr. Brooks Blevins profiles the last in a series of three Ozark song catchers, Max Hunter.

Bobby Glendy is a second generation guitarist who learned his love of music from his father. A long-time collaborator with many musicians in the Ozark region, Bobby is one of the finest flat pickers in the area and has a rich, resonate singing voice. Paired up with Ruthie Haynie, (vocals) the duo performs classic and traditional material with attention to detail and authenticity.

Emma and Caroline Russell are among the next generation of outstanding young Ozark musicians. The sisters have crafted a truly unique and heartfelt vocal harmony style that is unrivaled. Raised on the music of the Carter Family and other traditional sounds, Emma and Caroline (guitar/banjo) are joined by their father, Tracy on bass to form the group Love Hollar. The name, Love Hollar, references a geographical location near their home in Batesville, Arkansas. Their sound is real and without pretension. They sing and they do it VERY well.

In this week’s “From the Vault” segment, musician, educator, and country music legacy Mark Jones offers an archival recording of the famed songwriter & Ozark folklorist Jimmy Driftwood, playing a traditional instrument called the “picking bow,” from the Ozark Folk Center State Park archives.

From his series entitled “Back in the Hills,” writer, professor and historian Dr. Brooks Blevins presents the last of three episodes on Ozark song catchers, the Springfield, Missouri collectors. This episode features a recording of Gordon McCann, Glenn Rickman, and Missy Pearce in a traditional Ozark jam session at Crane, Missouri, on December 16, 1978. The recording was made by song collector Gordon McCann, and is preserved by Missouri State University’s Meyer Library in its online collections.
digitalcollections.missouristate.edu/cdm4/i…&REC=2

46 The Vogts Sisters

This week, seraphic modern folk duo “the Vogts Sisters” perform live at the Ozark Folk Center State Park in Mountain View, Arkansas. Also, interviews with the Vogts Sisters. Mark Jones offers an archival recording of Arkansas native Uncle Floyd Holland, singing the song “Suzy Licked the Ladle.” Writer, professor, and historian Dr. Brooks Blevins profiles the second in a series of three Ozark song catchers, John Quincy Wolf.

With haunting harmonies and wickedly creative songs, the Vogts Sisters (Maggie and Abigail) are relative new comers to the old time/acoustic music scene. While they draw from traditional instrumentation (guitar/fiddle/mandolin) and source material, their song repertoire is mostly original and features themes of coming of age in small town America. Harmony singing among family members is always something special and unique; it’s a sound and feel that comes from familiarity and unspoken communication. The Vogts stand out in a crowded field of similar performers, with a fresh sound from America’s Heartland.

In this week’s “From the Vault” segment, musician, educator, and country music legacy Mark Jones offers an archival recording of beloved Stone County, Arkansas native Uncle Floyd Holland, singing the humorous folk song “Suzy Licked the Ladle.” from the Ozark Folk Center State Park archives.

From his series entitled “Back in the Hills,” writer, professor and historian Dr. Brooks Blevins profiles the second of three Ozark song catchers, John Quincy Wolf. This episode features a recording of Owen Harvel performing the traditional song “Bad Companions” at Lunenburg, Arkansas on July 2, 1952. The recording was made by collectors John Quincy Wolf Jr. and his wife Bess, and is preserved by the Lyon College Regional Studies Center in its John Quincy Wolf Jr. Collection.
web.lyon.edu/wolfcollection/son…arvellbad1231.html

45 Tom Parker & Kathy Jensen

This week, political folk music provocateur and Ozark original Tom Parker performs live at the Ozark Folk Center State Park with his friends, songwriter Mark Crabtree and bass player Jeff Sowards. Also, interviews with Tom. Featured also is talented singer/songwriter and traditional music educator Kathy Jensen. Mark Jones offers an archival recording of traditional Ozark dance fiddler Charley Richardson, playing the fiddle tune “Gold Rush.” Writer, professor, and historian Dr. Brooks Blevins profiles the first in a series of three Ozark song catchers, Mary Parler.

Tom Parker was a bit of an enigma to us, in a good way. Here is the short story on how we found out about him. Virgil Brawley, Mountain View musician and member of Flat Broke, came to us one day after a trip to Springfield, Missouri and told us of a unique banjo player he saw at an old time jam. Not one to mince words “you should get this guy” he said, referring to this week’s feature artist, Tom Parker. Virgil went on about Tom and to paraphrase, noted that his banjo style was neither old time, nor modern, nor even bluegrass. Tom is just something different. Well, you can judge for yourself as we feature Tom on this weeks’ show.

Another one of Stone County’s fine multi instrumentalists (piano and guitar) and vocalists, Kathy Jensen is more than a working musician. She’s also a blueberry farmer and one of the key organizers and instructors for Stone County’s “Music Roots” program. Like so many in the Ozarks, she excels in multiple fields, and has a deep passion and understanding of what makes old time and traditional musics special.

In this week’s “From the Vault” segment, musician, educator, and country music legacy Mark Jones offers an archival recording of traditional Ozark dance fiddler Charley Richardson, playing the fiddle tune “Gold Rush.” from the Ozark Folk Center State Park archives.

From his series entitled “Back in the Hills,” writer, professor and historian Dr. Brooks Blevins profiles the first of three Ozark song catchers, Mary Parler Randolph. This episode features a recording of Jim Means performing the traditional banjo tune “Cripple Creek” at Goshen, Arkansas on November 9th, 1949. The recording was made by collectors Mary Parler Randolph and Merlin Mitchell, and is preserved by the University of Arkansas Mullins Library in its Ozark Folk Collection.

43 Avery Hill

This week, modern folk minstrel and intimate songwriter Avery Hill performs live at the Ozark Folk Center State Park. Also, interviews with Avery, and performances and interviews with our very own “Flathoof Stringband.” Mark Jones offers an archival recording of legendary Ozark balladeer Ollie Gilbert, telling the story of “The Preacher and the Bear.” Writer, professor, and historian Dr. Brooks Blevins profiles the second in a series of three Ozark Civil War Ballads, “The Battle of Pea Ridge.”

Hailing from Portland, Oregon, Avery Hill captures the essence of modern singer/songwriters in her music. Though Avery studied to be a school teacher, an environmental educator, and then a storyteller, all of these things eventually led her back to music, the thing she knows and loves best of all. Avery's first full-length recording, entitled “Dreams & Ghosts: A Family Album,” features intimate portraits, life lessons, & sometimes embarrassingly humorous songs inspired by her family’s history. Like a photo album, this collection of songs presents musical snapshots of different times in history, reflecting on universal themes of growing up and being brave.

Old Time Ozark music played with passion and love, that’s the “Flathoof Stringband.” The group is comprised of guitarist Mike Sutter, who was a member of the original Ozark Folk Center house band when the park opened in 1973. (Sorry to age you there, Mike.) On fiddle is Roger Fountain, another long time OFC musician and one of the best dance fiddlers, anywhere. Wes Kent holds down mandolin duties and, along with his wife Judy, is an active volunteer in many Stone County music endeavors. Long time OFC musician Gresham McMillon holds it all together with his steady roll on the upright bass.

In this week’s “From the Vault” segment, musician, educator, and country music legacy Mark Jones offers an archival recording of legendary Ozark balladeer Ollie Gilbert, telling her own version of the traditional story “The Preacher and the Bear.” from the Ozark Folk Center State Park archives.

From his series entitled “Back in the Hills,” writer, professor and historian Dr. Brooks Blevins profiles the second of three Ozark Civil War ballads. This episode features a recording of archivist Max Hunter himself, singing the Ozark Civil War ballad “The Battle of Pea Ridge,” that he learned from Allie Long Parker of Hog Scald Holler, Arkansas. The recording was made at the tenth annual meeting of the Arkansas Folklore Society in 1958, and is preserved in the Max Hunter Collection at Missouri State University.
maxhunter.missouristate.edu/songinforma…spx?ID=0126

44 Cathy Barton & Dave Para

This week, traditional folk troubadours and Ozark originals Cathy Barton & Dave Para perform live at the Ozark Folk Center State Park. Also, interviews with Cathy & Dave. Mark Jones offers an archival recording of his famous parents, Grandpa & Ramona Jones, singing the song “Kentucky.” Writer, professor, and historian Dr. Brooks Blevins profiles the last in a series of three Ozark Civil War Ballads, “The Battle of Prairie Grove.”

Long time purveyors of traditional old time music, Dave and Cathy are outstanding performers with a rich history tied to many well-known old time musicians in the Ozark region. Cathy Barton is well versed in both clawhammer banjo and hammered dulcimer. She’s performed and toured with Ramona Jones and Jimmy Driftwood among others, and was a featured hammered dulcimer player at one of the first Walnut Valley festivals in Kansas. Dave Para is a guitarist and a longtime resident of Booneville, Missouri. He has a great fondness for Civil War era songs and folklore. Along with Bob Dyer, Dave was a stalwart in the central Missouri folk music scene in the mid 70’s. It was during that time he met and teamed up with Cathy. The two currently live in Booneville, MO, and perform regularly at festivals and workshops around the United States.

In this week’s “From the Vault” segment, musician, educator, and country music legacy Mark Jones offers an archival recording of his famous parents, Grandpa & Ramona Jones, singing a song about Grandpa’s birthplace called “Kentucky,” from the Ozark Folk Center State Park archives.

From his series entitled “Back in the Hills,” writer, professor and historian Dr. Brooks Blevins profiles the last of three Ozark Civil War ballads. This episode features a recording of Sara Jo Fendley, accompanying herself on the banjo, performing “the Battle of Prairie Grove” at the Leslie Homecoming on June 13, 1963. The recording was made by collector John Quincy Wolf Jr., and is preserved by Lyon College on its John Quincy Wolf Folklore Collection website.

42 Sad Daddy

This week, original Ozark Old Time folk minstrel and songwriting group “Sad Daddy” performs live at the Ozark Folk Center State Park. Also, interviews with these interesting and innovative songwriters. Mark Jones offers an archival recording of Ozark legend Bookmiller Shannon, playing the traditional song “Shortnin’ Bread.” Writer, professor, and historian Dr. Brooks Blevins profiles the first in a series of three Ozark Civil War Ballads, “The Battle of Wilson’s Creek.”

“Sad Daddy” combines the talents of four unique Arkansas musicians in one convenient package. The group features Brian Martin on guitar, Melissa Carper on bass, Joe Sundell on banjo, and Rebecca Patek on fiddle. Sad Daddy performs all original material, and their songs have the unique quality of sounding familiar yet new at the same time. Music fans in these parts are notoriously very selective about “new” or “original” music. Suffice it to say, Sad Daddy easily won over a tough room. Oh, and the name? Guitarist Brian Martin tells the story of an old Arkansas backwoods man who’s common refrain to something in less than a good state of operation….”that’s one Sad Daddy….”

In this week’s “From the Vault” segment, musician, educator, and country music legacy Mark Jones offers an archival recording of Ozark legend and dance banjo maven Bookmiller Shannon, playing the traditional song “Shortnin’ Bread.” from the Ozark Folk Center State Park archives.

From his series entitled “Back in the Hills,” writer, professor and historian Dr. Brooks Blevins profiles the first of three Ozark Civil War ballads. This episode features a 1958 archival recording of Doney Hammontree, singing the Ozark Civil War ballad “The Battle of Wilson’s Creek,” A somewhat humorous ballad sung from the perspective of one of those German soldiers – the “Dutch” as their American neighbors mistakenly called them – “The Battle of Wilson’s Creek” is basically a battlefield variant of any number of songs poking fun at immigrants in the nineteenth century. The recording is preserved in the Max Hunter Collection at Missouri State University.

41 Grace Stormont

This week, original Ozark Alternative Folk music ingenue Grace Stormont performs live at the Ozark Folk Center State Park. Also, interviews with this fast rising new folk artist. Mark Jones offers an archival recording of the Junior Rackensack Society, singing the Jimmy Driftwood song “Down in the Arkansas.” Writer, professor, and historian Dr. Brooks Blevins profiles the Brockwell School, and its tradition of education in the uniquely American art form of shape note singing.

One of the most exciting and talented young musicians in Arkansas, Grace Stormont is just getting started. After moving to Mountain View, Arkansas a few years ago to immerse herself in the local music scene, Grace has made a name for herself among a long list of outstanding musicians. A multi-instrumentalist (bass, guitar, banjo and dulcimer,) sixteen year old Grace also excels as a vocalist and interpreter of traditional Ozark ballads. Her musical phrasing and insight are well beyond her age. Aside from her solo performances, which are featured on this program, Grace also performs with the incredible all female group “Pretty Lil Miss.”

In this week’s “From the Vault” segment, musician, educator, and country music legacy Mark Jones offers an archival recording of the Junior Rackensack Society, singing the Jimmy Driftwood song “Down in the Arkansas,” from the Ozark Folk Center State Park archives.

From his series entitled “Back in the Hills,” writer, professor, and historian Dr. Brooks Blevins profiles the Brockwell School, located in Brockwell, Arkansas, and its tradition of education in the uniquely American art form of shape note singing. This episode features an archival recording of Orgel Mason and a gospel quartet singing the traditional song “It’s a Mighty Hard Road to Travel.”

40 Lazy Goat String Band

This week, Original Ozark Old Time phenomenon “The Lazy Goat String Band” performs live at the Ozark Folk Center State Park. Also, a performance from the dynamic mountain dulcimer duo Jack & Mary Giger, as well as interviews with “The Lazy Goat String Band” and Jack & Mary. Ozark Highlands Radio host Dave Smith and producer Jeff Glover discuss the fine points of what makes “folk music,” and Dave Smith offers Mark Jones an archival recording of, well, Mark Jones playing the traditional song “Arkansas Traveler,” in the clawhammer banjo style of his famous father, Grandpa Jones.

“Authentic, heartfelt, and relevant” are just a few words that folks have used to describe the Lazy Goat String Band. Consisting of Arkansas State Fiddle Champion Emily Phillips and the father/son duo of Scott and Samuel Blake (guitar/banjo,) the Lazy Goat String Band captures the sound and feel of pre-war musical ensembles like few other bands.

Jack & Mary Giger have been regular performers at the Ozark Folk Center State Park for many years, and are active in a number of dulcimer events around Mountain View and Stone County, Arkansas. The duo (husband and wife) perform traditional songs with Mary’s wonderful voice leading the way.

Ozark Highlands Radio host Dave Smith and producer Jeff Glover discuss the fine points of what makes “folk music,” drawing from interviews & perspectives of various folk musicians.

Mark Jones' “From the Vault” segment offers an archival recording of, well, Mark Jones playing the traditional song “Arkansas Traveler,” in the traditional clawhammer banjo style of his famous father, Grandpa Jones, from the Ozark Folk Center State Park archives.

38 "The Upjumpers"

This week, original Ozark Old Time stringband “The Upjumpers” perform live at the Ozark Folk Center State Park. A performance from the unique Canadian Contra dance band “Maivish,” as well as interviews with “The Upjumpers.” Also, Ozark Highlands Radio host Dave Smith and producer Jeff Glover discuss the fine points of what makes “folk music,” and Mark Jones offers an archival recording of Ozark Original Elliot Hancock, singing the traditional song “Hole in the Stocking.”

Two families combine to form one special group. That’s the uncomplicated secret to the sound of “The Upjumpers.” A collaboration of the Pool family: Scott (guitar;) Shay (fiddle;) and daughter Rebecca (cello;) and the McCools: Jackie (bass;) Crystal (fiddle;) and Lillyanne (claw hammer banjo,) the band has deep family ties and a strong sense of community. “The Upjumpers” performs traditional mountain music including vocal selections and fiddle tunes.

Each year, the Ozark Folk Center State Park hosts the annual Folk Dance Days weekend. As part of the entertainment, a house band is hired for the weekend to provide music for traditional contra dancing events. “Maivish" explores time-honored melodies and songs with traditions from the British Isles, Ireland and America. The group is a collaboration between American fiddler Jaige Trudel and British born guitarist Adam Broome, and includes Matthew Olwell on flutes, bodhrán, and percussive dance.

Ozark Highlands Radio host Dave Smith and producer Jeff Glover discuss the fine points of what makes “folk music,” drawing from interviews & perspectives of various folk musicians.

Mark Jones' “From the Vault” segment offers an archival recording of Ozark Original Elliot Hancock, singing the traditional song “Hole in the Stocking,” from the Ozark Folk Center State Park archives.

37 Clark Family Trio

This week, the unique and inimitable Clark Family Trio, accompanied by virtuoso guitarist Bill Nesbitt, performs live at the Ozark Folk Center State Park. Performances from the youthful Old Time string band “Possum Juice,” as well as interviews with the Clark Family and Possum Juice members. Also, Ozark Highlands Radio host Dave Smith and producer Jeff Glover discuss the fine points of what makes “folk music,” and Mark Jones offers an archival recording of Ozark Highlands Radio host Dave Smith, singing the classic Stephen Foster song “My Old Kentucky Home.”

Family bands always have that extra bit of bonding (sometimes even tension) that makes the music more compelling. The Clark Family Trio consists of mother Cindy on bass/vocals, daughters Sophie and Sally Ann on lead and harmony vocal, with guitarist Bill Nesbit rounding out the “trio.” Natives of Arkansas and stalwarts in the Stone County music scene, the Clarks cover a wide variety of material from traditional to modern, all with a signature family harmony.

Comprised from some of Stone County’s finest youth musicians, “Possum Juice” is a traditional string band that features Oakley Smith on fiddle, Kai Perry on mandolin, Alana Brewer on guitar and Judy Munn on bass. The group specializes in traditional Ozark fiddle tunes and other instrumental music common to the area.

Ozark Highlands Radio host Dave Smith and producer Jeff Glover discuss the fine points of what makes “folk music,” drawing from interviews & perspectives of various folk musicians.

Mark Jones' “From the Vault” segment offers an archival recording of Ozark Highlands Radio host Dave Smith, singing the classic Stephen Foster song “My Old Kentucky Home,” from the Ozark Folk Center State Park archives.

36 Ruby Pines

This week, the talented and versatile Ruby Pines performs with a variety of great musicians, including her father Larry Snyder, live at the Ozark Folk Center State Park. Also, interviews with Ruby Pines, Ozark Highlands Radio host Dave Smith and producer Jeff Glover discuss the fine points of what makes “folk music,” and Mark Jones offers an archival recording of Ozark original Judy Husky, singing the classic song “Let’s All Go Down to the River.”

Rachel Kempf (aka Ruby Pines) had an unassuming musical introduction at the Ozark Folk Center State Park. At one time she worked as a front desk assistant. Rachel made mention to another park employee that she did “some singing” on the side. We’re quite glad that conversation happened. Now a married mother of four, Rachel still performs at the OFCSP regularly, covering a wide range of musical styles. As “Ruby Pines” she performs traditional music of the region in a group that includes her father, Larry Snider on banjo. With “Romantics” the leanings are toward more traditional jazz standards.

Ozark Highlands Radio host Dave Smith and producer Jeff Glover discuss the fine points of what makes “folk music,” drawing from interviews & perspectives of various folk musicians.

Mark Jones' “From the Vault” segment offers an archival recording of Ozark original Judy Husky, singing the classic song “Let’s All Go Down to the River,” from the Ozark Folk Center State Park archives.

35 Next Generation

This week, a select few of the next generation of Ozark folk musicians perform live at the Ozark Folk Center State Park. Also, interviews with the teachers and administrators of an innovative new school music program called “Music Roots.” Historian & folklorist Charley Sandage presents an exploration of the Ozark Folk Center as an institution of learning, and Mark Jones offers an archival recording of Ozark original Dave Leatherman performing the song “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot.”

Started by local musician Joe Jewell, the “Next Generation” concert is a long standing tradition at the Ozark Folk Center State Park. The show features area musicians and performers, all under the age of 21. The continued success of the concert series is a testament to the deep well of music and tradition the community has to draw upon. Featured performances by; The Cobb Brothers, Clancey Ferguson, Twang, Grace Stormont and Sibling Rivalry.

Historian & folklorist Charley Sandage presents an exploration of the Ozark Folk Center as an institution of learning. Charley interviews Folk Center staff about their role in presenting, preserving, and promoting traditional ways of the Ozark region through various educational activities and workshops.

Mark Jones' “From the Vault” segment offers an archival recording of Ozark original Dave Leatherman, performing the classic song “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot,” from the Ozark Folk Center State Park archives.

34 Wil Maring and Robert Bowlin

This week, accomplished modern folk performers and songwriters Wil Maring & Robert Bowlin perform live at the Ozark Folk Center State Park. Also, interviews with Wil & Robert, Dave Smith and producer Jeff Glover ask the question “What is folk music,” and Mark Jones offers an archival recording of Clark Fowler leading the “Sacred Harp Singers.”

Wil Maring got her start as a songwriter, picking out songs, while working at her family’s roadside fruit stand outside Carbondale, IL. And while she’s since traveled the world, Wil continues to call rural Illinois her home. Her voice and songwriting reflect the natural, uncomplicated beauty of the rural Midwest.

Wil is joined by her longtime musical collaborator Robert Bowlin. Robert is an accomplished guitarist and fiddle player, and a native of Pocahontas, Arkansas. He has extensive credits for guitar and fiddle, performing with Bill Monroe and Kathy Mattea, among other notable musicians.

Ozark Highlands Radio host Dave Smith and producer Jeff Glover discuss the fine points of what makes “folk music,” drawing from interviews & perspectives of various folk musicians.

Mark Jones' “From the Vault” segment offers an archival recording of legendary shape note expert Clark Fowler, leading the Sacred Harp Singers in a traditional rendition of the song “Angel Band,” from the Ozark Folk Center State Park archives.

33 Van Colbert/Dave Para & Cathy Barton

This week, award winning Missouri Ozark traditionalist Van Colbert performs live at the Ozark Folk Center State Park. A performance from Old Time musicians Dave Para & Cathy Barton. Also, interviews with Van Colbert, Dave Para & Cathy Barton. Ozark Highlands Radio host Dave Smith and producer Jeff Glover discuss the fine points of what makes “folk music,” and Mark Jones offers an archival recording of famed songwriter and Ozark original Jimmy Driftwood.

Like an old pair of jeans, Van Colbert and his family band are familiar and very comfortable in almost any setting. Van leads the group on banjo and vocals, with a laid back and easy style. Van and his family have been playing music all of their lives, in and around the Springfield, MO area. Van also performs with the “Blackberry Winter Band,” whose music was the soundtrack for the 2010 Oscar nominated film Winter’s Bone.

Performing together for over 30 years, the husband and wife team of Dave Para and Cathy Barton have long been tuned into the sounds, traditions, and ways of old time musicians. Cathy Barton was an early adopter of Grandpa Jones’ “claw-hammer” style of banjo playing. She worked with both Grandpa and Ramona in Mountain View, AR and Nashville, TN among other musical hot spots over the years. Dave Para (guitar/vocals) moved to rural Missouri in the late 70’s and began what has been a long and fruitful career as a musician. The duo was recorded as part of the annual “Tribute to Grandpa Jones” event at the Ozark Folk Center State Park.

Ozark Highlands Radio host Dave Smith and producer Jeff Glover discuss the fine points of what makes “folk music,” drawing from interviews & perspectives of various folk musicians.

Mark Jones' “From the Vault” segment offers an archival recording of famed songwriter and Ozark original Jimmy Driftwood performing a song, using a hickory leaf as a musical instrument, from the Ozark Folk Center State Park archives.

32 Steel Wheels

This week, Shenandoah Valley, Virginia progressive folk roots Band “The Steel Wheels” perform live at the Ozark Folk Center State Park. Also, interviews with the band, and Mark Jones “From the Vault” segment.

The Steel Wheels are a four piece acoustic band that combines the instrumentation and song structure of traditional Old Time music with a modern sensibility and drive. Performing together since 2010, The Steel Wheels hail from the rich musical grounds of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Virginia. The band sponsors and organizes an annual music festival, held in the lush Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, called the “Red Wing Roots Music Festival.”

Mark Jones' “From the Vault” segment offers an archival recording of Ozark original Doug Ward performing the traditional song “The Fox,” from the Ozark Folk Center State Park archives.

31 Roe Family Singers

This week, Minnesota Old Time quartet “The Roe Family Singers” perform live at the Ozark Folk Center State Park. Also, interviews with the Roe Family Singers, Aubrey Atwater & Elwood Donnelly present a discussion on African roots in American folk music, and Mark Jones offers an archival recording of Ozark original Barbara Sanders.

The “Roe Family Singers” are led by the husband and wife duo of Quillan and Kim Roe. With traditional old time instrumentation (guitar, auto harp, and claw hammer style banjo,) the group performs a wide variety of traditional old time tunes. What separates them from similar bands are the exceptional vocal harmonies and high energy of their song interpretations.

Prolific folk musicians Aubrey Atwater & Elwood Donnelly profile influential folk music icons Jean Ritchie and the Ritchie Family, as well as explore the traditional Appalachian music and dance that the Ritchie Family helped to perpetuate into the modern American folk lexicon. This episode offers a discussion on African roots in traditional American folk music.

Mark Jones' “From the Vault” segment offers an archival recording of Ozark original Barbara Sanders performing the song “Gypsy’s Warning,” from the Ozark Folk Center State Park archives.

30 Riders in the Sky

This week, Grammy Award winning cowboy quartet “Riders in the Sky” perform live at the Ozark Folk Center State Park. Also, Mark Jones offers an archival recording of Ozark originals Bud & Karen Bell.

For over 30 years, “Riders in the Sky” have kept the “cowboy way” of music alive, performing traditional songs from Roy Rogers, Gene Autry, and other classic Western music artists. They are two-time Grammy Award winners, boasting exceptional musicianship across the board. For this program, the band was performing show number 6,235. There are a lot of ways to crunch those numbers, but that would essentially amount to over 17 years of successive shows. That is some real staying power.

Mark Jones' “From the Vault” segment offers an archival recording of Ozark originals Bud & Karen Bell performing the song “Cannonball Blues,” from the Ozark Folk Center State Park archives.

29 Poor Valley Girls

This week, East Tennessee all-girl stringboard “The Poor Valley Girls” perform live at the Ozark Folk Center State Park. Also, Interviews with The Poor Valley Girls, Aubrey Atwater & Elwood Donnelly present “Women Warrior Ballads,” and Mark Jones offers an archival recording of Ozark original Jay Round.

The “Poor Valley Girls” hail from the hallowed musical grounds of Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia. “Poor Valley” refers to the geographical region that both Heather Pace and Madison Brown call home in Virginia. This region of the United States also includes Bristol, TN, which is known for the “sonic-boom” of country music recordings, on the Victor Record label in the early 1920’s (Jimmy Rogers and The Carter Family, among others.) For their performance at the Ozark Folk Center State Park, Heather and Madison are joined by friend and musician, Colleen Trenwith. This recording is a wonderful example of how the traditional sounds of their region have moved seamlessly to the next generation of musicians.

Mark Jones' “From the Vault” segment offers an archival recording of Ozark original Jay Round performing the traditional song “Soldiers’ Joy,” from the Ozark Folk Center State Park archives.

28 Carolyn Carter and The Cobb Brothers

This week, Arkansas True Folk singer/songwriter Carolyn Carter and Bluegrass prodigies “The Cobb Brothers” perform live at the Ozark Folk Center State Park. Also, Interviews with Carolyn and the Cobbs. Aubrey Atwater & Elwood Donnelly present seafaring songs of the Ozarks & Appalachia, and Mark Jones offers an archival recording of Ozark original Lynn Young.

Carolyn Carter is a Stone Country, Arkansas native and a regular performer at the Ozark Folk Center State Park. Carolyn is a gifted songwriter and singer, whose talents are now becoming apparent to a larger audience, outside of Arkansas. Blessed with a songbird’s voice, Carolyn’s original compositions can be both haunting and heartwarming, reflecting her experiences growing up in the Ozarks.

“The Cobb Brothers” (Caleb-fiddle/guitar/banjo/piano, Samuel-mandolin/guitar, and Nathan-guitar/bass) spent their youth in their hometown of McCrory, Arkansas, and learned their love of music from their father, Carl. A later move to Mountain View, AR gave the trio an active and supportive music community, where their skills could flourish. Individually, their skill on each instrument take a back seat to no one, and the trio of brothers helped usher in the latest generation of notable musicians into the Stone County region.

Prolific folk musicians Aubrey Atwater & Elwood Donnelly profile influential folk music icons Jean Ritchie and the Ritchie Family, as well as explore the traditional Appalachian music and dance that the Ritchie Family helped to perpetuate into the modern American folk lexicon. This episode offers a presentation of seafaring songs of the Ozarks & Appalachia, influenced by the English, Irish, and Scottish heritage of these mountain settlers.

Mark Jones' “From the Vault” segment offers an archival recording of Ozark original Lynn Young performing the song “San Antonio Rose,” from the Ozark Folk Center State Park archive

27 Muriel Anderson

This week, world renowned finger style and harp guitar phenom Muriel Andersen performs live at the Ozark Folk Center State Park. Aubrey Atwater & Elwood Donnelly profile authentic Ozark balladeer Almeda Riddle, and Mark Jones offers an archival recording of Grand Old Opry and Hee Haw star Grandpa Jones.

Muriel Anderson is a former National Thumbpicking Guitar Champion, a fine 6 string picker, and practitioner of the many stringed harp guitar. Creating a sound like no other, the harp guitar incorporates a multitude of strings that cover a wide sonic range. The result can be both ethereal and otherworldly, or just downright mind blowing. Muriel’s repertoire includes traditional folk music, world music, and original compositions.

Prolific folk musicians Aubrey Atwater & Elwood Donnelly profile influential folk music icons Jean Ritchie and the Ritchie Family, as well as explore the traditional Appalachian music and dance that the Ritchie Family helped to perpetuate into the modern American folk lexicon. This episode offers a profile of authentic Ozark balladeer Almeda Riddle, and features an archival recording of Almeda singing the traditional ballad “Will the Weaver.”

Mark Jones' “From the Vault” segment offers an archival recording of Grand Old Opry and “Hee Haw” star Grandpa Jones performing his song “Mountain Dew,” from the Ozark Folk Center State Park archives.

26 Mike Snider

This week, comedian, banjo prodigy, Grand Old Opry star and Hee-Haw alum Mike Snider performs live at the Ozark Folk Center State Park. Aubrey Atwater & Elwood Donnelly discuss the cultural cross-pollination of traditional folk music, and Mark Jones offers an archival recording of original Ozark musician Floyd Holland.

Mike Snider plays banjo, and has a great sense of humor. So much so, we’ve dedicated an entire program to his recent performance at the Ozark Folk Center State Park. Mike is a long tenured member of the Nashville music scene, having performed on “Hee Haw” and the Grand Ole Opry among other notable venues. He’s a former national champion banjo picker (3 finger style,) but has converted to the more traditional claw hammer style in recent years. Mike is joined by a wonderful backing group of musicians for this performance.

Renowned folk musicians Aubrey Atwater & Elwood Donnelly profile influential folk music icons Jean Ritchie and the Ritchie Family, as well as explore the traditional Appalachian music and dance that the Ritchie Family helped to perpetuate into the modern American folk lexicon. This episode offers a discussion of cultural cross-pollination of traditional folk music, as illustrated through the traditional song “Red Rocking Chair.”

Mark Jones' “From the Vault” segment offers an archival recording of original Ozark musician Uncle Floyd Holland, performing the tune “My Darling Nellie Grey,” from the Ozark Folk Center State Park archives.

25 Malcolm Holcombe

This week, North Carolina insurgent country folk singer/songwriter Malcolm Holcombe performs live at the Ozark Folk Center State Park. Aubrey Atwater & Elwood Donnelly profile legendary banjo ingenue Lily Mae Ledford, and Mark Jones offers an archival recording of original Ozark dulcimer master craftsman Lynn McSpadden.

Malcolm Holcombe may not be a household name to music fans, and that probably suits him just fine. Among his peers however, he’s respected and revered. Holcombe has shared the stage with Merle Haggard, Richard Thompson, John Hammond, Leon Russell, Wilco and Shelby Lynne. Though his instrumentation is nothing new to the singer/songwriter genre (guitar and vocals), Malcolm sets himself apart with honest and touching songs, arranged and crafted from his unique perspective. Malcolm is joined by longtime collaborator Jared Tyler on various stringed instruments and vocals.

Mark Jones' “From the Vault” segment offers an archival recording of original Ozark dulcimer master craftsman Lynn McSpadden, performing the traditional tune “Castle Grand,” from the Ozark Folk Center State Park archives.

24 Lukas Pool & "The Moonlight Ramblers"

This week, Nationally recognized clawhammer banjo prodigy and Stone County native Lukas Pool with his band “The Moonlight Ramblers” perform live at the Ozark Folk Center State Park. Also, interviews with Lukas, Aubrey Atwater & Elwood Donnelly relate Jean Ritchie’s childhood recollections of a real old fashioned mountain Christmas, and Mark Jones offers an archival recording of original Ozarker Horance Smith.

Lukas Pool has done quite well, playing claw hammer banjo. After honing his craft in the fertile musical grounds of Stone County, AR, Lukas went on to win a few national banjo championships, and study at the Berklee College of Music. He later went on to become the first dedicated instructor at Berklee in the claw hammer style. In recent years, Lukas performed with Steve Martin (yes, the actor AND banjo player) among other notable gigs. Along with his partner, Eden Forman, Lukas began building instruments under the Ozark Banjo Co. moniker. Lukas and Eden (fiddle) are joined in this recorded performance by John Mailander on mandolin and fiddle, and Nick DiSebastian on guitar.

Mark Jones' “From the Vault” segment features a rare recording of original Ozarker Horance Smith performing “Hobo’s Meditation,” from the Ozark Folk Center State Park archives.

23 Locust Honey

This week, Nashville based neo-folk stringband “Locust Honey” performs live at the Ozark Folk Center State Park. Also, interviews with “Locust Honey,” Aubrey Atwater & Elwood Donnelly present a history of the “Play Party,” and Mark Jones offers an archival recording of original Ozark fiddler Red Gillihan.

“Locust Honey” features the guitar, fiddle, and harmony singing of Meredith Watson and Chloe Edmonstone. After forming a musical partnership in Asheville, NC, the two have been touring the US and abroad since 2012. Their 2014 release, “Never Let Me Cross Your Mind” was in the top ten on the Folk DJ Charts for much of that year, and earned them an international audience. While their musical backgrounds are quite diverse, it’s easy to hear traditional old time and classic country influences in their music.

Renowned folk musicians Aubrey Atwater & Elwood Donnelly profile influential folk music icons Jean Ritchie and the Ritchie Family, as well as explore the traditional Appalachian music and dance that the Ritchie Family helped to perpetuate into the modern American folk lexicon. This episode focuses on the history of “play parties,” a type of traditional party game that originated in Batesville, Arkansas, and became common in 19th Century North America.

Mark Jones' “From the Vault” segment features a rare recording of original Ozark fiddler Red Gillihan performing his very own “KBTA Waltz,” from the Ozark Folk Center State Park archives.

22 The Leatherwood and Apple Brothers

This week, the Original Ozark Stringband “The Leatherwoods” perform live at the Ozark Folk Center State Park. Also, interviews with “The Leatherwoods,” a performance from “The Apple Brothers,” Aubrey Atwater & Elwood Donnelly present memoirs of Jean Ritchie, and Mark Jones offers an archival recording of Ozark musician Freeman Thomas.

“The Leatherwoods” have been a mainstay in the Arkansas music scene for years. Their songs and musical traditions have been passed down through many generations of Ozark families. Lead by Pam Setser on vocals, guitar and mountain dulcimer, “The Leatherwoods” features some of the area’s finest musicians including Roger Fountain on fiddle, Teresa Johns on bass/vocals, and the omnipresent Danny Dozier on guitar and mandolin.

Renowned folk musicians Aubrey Atwater & Elwood Donnelly profile influential folk music icons Jean Ritchie and the Ritchie Family, as well as explore the traditional Appalachian music and dance that the Ritchie Family helped to perpetuate into the modern American folk lexicon. This episode focuses on Jean Ritchie’s memories of her family’s first radio, and her impressions of how “Hill Music” was presented in that media.

Mark Jones' “From the Vault” segment features a rare recording of Ozark original Freeman Thomas performing the true folk song “Cowboy Wheel,” from the Ozark Folk Center State Park archives.

21 Grandpa and Ramona Jones

This week, radio & television legend, and Country Music Hall of Fame member Grandpa Jones performs with his wife, Grand Old Opry star Ramona, live at the Ozark Folk Center State Park.

Grandpa Jones was a performer during the golden age of radio, and later found success as a cast member on the syndicated television program, “Hee Haw.” After years of living near Nashville, TN, Grandpa moved to Mountain View, Arkansas in the early 1980’s. Along with his wife Ramona, they ran the Grandpa Jones Dinner Theater. The theater employed many musicians, many of whom are still around the Ozarks today including their son Mark and guitarist Danny Dozier. We’ll dig deep into the archives this week for a set of music, featuring some of Grandpa’s finest performances at Ozark Folk Center State Park.

Also featured, a set from the “Jones Family Band” with Ramona, Alisa and Mark Jones. This performance from the Jones Family Band was the last one recorded at the Ozark Folk Center State Park before Ramona passed in late 2015.

Renowned folk musicians Aubrey Atwater & Elwood Donnelly profile influential folk music icons Jean Ritchie and the Ritchie Family, as well as explore the traditional Appalachian music and dance that the Ritchie Family helped to perpetuate into the modern American folk lexicon. This episode focuses on Jean Ritchie as a songwriter, and features Jean’s performance of her original song “Black Water.”

Mark Jones' “From the Vault” segment features a rare recording of Ozark original Jim Bullard, performing the traditional song “Glory Land,” from the Ozark Folk Center State Park archives.

20 The Howlin Brothers

This week, the unconventional folk-blues-rock-bluegrass trio “The Howlin’ Brothers” perform live at the Ozark Folk Center State Park. Also, interviews with “The Howlin’ Brothers,” Aubrey Atwater & Elwood Donnelly present memories of Balis Ritchie, and Mark Jones offers an archival recording of original Ozark musicians Aubrey Richardson & Mike McGee.

“The Howlin’ Brothers” are Ian Craft, Ben Plasse, and Jared Green. The trio has a wide ranging appeal as evidenced by their popular performance at the Ozark Folk Center State Park. Combining banjo, fiddle, guitar and upright bass, they perform traditional and original music with a sound familiar to fans of old time, roots, and Americana styles. Of note is fiddler and banjo player Ian Craft; he could be creating a new style of hybrid banjo playing.

Renowned folk musicians Aubrey Atwater & Elwood Donnelly profile influential folk music icons Jean Ritchie and the Ritchie Family, as well as explore the traditional Appalachian music and dance that the Ritchie Family helped to perpetuate into the modern American folk lexicon. This episode focuses on memories of Balis Ritchie, and features Aubrey & Elwood’s performance of the traditional song “I've Been a Foreign Lander.”

Mark Jones' “From the Vault” segment features a rare recording of Ozark originals Aubrey Richardson & Mike McGee performing the traditional folk song “Cluck Ole Hen,” from the Ozark Folk Center State Park archives.

19 Duane Porterfield

This week, multi-instrumentalist and mountain dulcimer champion Duane Porterfield performs live at the Ozark Folk Center State Park. Also, interviews with Duane, Aubrey Atwater & Elwood Donnelly profile the influential folk musician Jean Ritchie, and Mark Jones presents an archival recording of his mother, Grand Ole Opry star Ramona Jones.

Duane Porterfield is a retired law enforcement officer from Kansas…and no, he won’t be checking your tags for current registration. Like many others, Duane moved to Mountain View to enjoy the laid back lifestyle and welcoming music community. In 2014 Duane was attending the annual Walnut Valley Music Festival and was poked, prodded, and otherwise coerced into competing in the mountain dulcimer contest. Not necessarily prepared or planning to compete, he had to borrow an instrument from a local vendor. Turns out, he won first prize! He’s a fine fellow to boot and we are happy to feature him.

Renowned folk musicians Aubrey Atwater & Elwood Donnelly profile influential folk music icons Jean Ritchie and the Ritchie Family, as well as explore the traditional Appalachian music and dance that the Ritchie Family helped to perpetuate into the modern American folk lexicon. This episode focuses on Jean Ritchie’s introduction of the mountain dulcimer to the New York City folk revival of the 1960’s, and features Jean Ritchie performing an haunting version of the traditional song “Pretty Saro.”

Mark Jones' “From the Vault” segment features a rare recording of Mark’s mother, Grand Ole Opry star Ramona Jones, performing the traditional song “Roving Gambler,” from the Ozark Folk Center State Park archives.

18 Dennis Stroughmatt

This week, bona fide Illinois French trouveur & fiddler Dennis Stroughmatt performs live at the Ozark Folk Center State Park. Also, interviews with Dennis, folklorist and author Charley Sandage offers an historical sojourn into Ozark culture, and Mark Jones presents an archival recording of a trio of Ozark originals, Walter Gosser, Mike Hill, and Dean Hinesley.

Mark Jones' “From the Vault” segment features a rare recording of a trio of Ozark originals, Walter Gosser, Mike Hill, and Dean Hinesley performing the song “Roving Gambler,” from the Ozark Folk Center State Park archives.

17 Harmony

This week, the accomplished traditional folk trio “Harmony” perform live at the Ozark Folk Center State Park. Also, interviews with the trio “Harmony,” folklorist and author Charley Sandage offers an historical sojourn into Ozark culture, and Mark Jones presents an archival recording of the Ozark folk singer Kay Thomas.

Harmony has been a mainstay on the Ozark Folk Center Stage for many years. Their vocals, as one might suspect, center around stellar three part harmony. The group features the talents of Ozark Highlands Radio host Dave Smith on vocals, guitar, and fiddle among other instruments. Husband & wife duo Robert and Mary Gillihan round out the trio, and are multi instrumentalists as well. Mary plays both bass and autoharp, while Robert covers the guitar and mandolin.

Mark Jones' “From the Vault” segment features a rare recording of the genuinely talented Ozark folk singer Kay Thomas, performing a beautiful arrangement of the traditional song “All Ye Fair and Tender Ladies,” from the Ozark Folk Center State Park archives.

16 Betse & Clarke

This week, Dynamic traditional Ozark music duo Betse Ellis & Clarke Wyatt perform live at the Ozark Folk Center State Park. Also, interviews with Betse & Clarke, folklorist and author Charley Sandage offers an historical peregrination into Ozark culture, and Mark Jones presents an archival recording of original Ozark songster Bob Blair.

Betse Ellis & Clarke Wyatt are a fiddle and banjo duo, who specialize in traditional old time music of the Ozarks. For years Betse was the fiery fiddler in the touring group, The Wilders. A student and friend of Arkansas fiddle legend, Violet Hensley, Betse has made it her mission to carry on the traditional songs and fiddle style of her native Arkansas. Betse has enjoyed a successful solo career but has recently teamed up with Clarke Wyatt, a talented finger style banjo picker. Now a powerful team, together Betse and Clarke continue to explore the sounds and styles that make Ozark music unique.

Mark Jones' “From the Vault” segment features a rare recording of original Ozark songster Bob Blair, performing the song “Who Will Sing For Me,” from the Ozark Folk Center State Park archives.

15 Bing Futch

This week, International Blues Challenge award winning Dulcimer maven Bing Futch performs live at the Ozark Folk Center State Park. Also, interviews with Bing, folklorist and author Charley Sandage offers an historical peregrination into Ozark culture, and Mark Jones presents an archival recording of authentic Ozark fiddler Sam Younger.

Bing Futch is a new breed of talent in the world of the mountain dulcimer. While he performs traditional dulcimer tunes, his influences from all areas of music have been adapted to his dulcimer playing, including the use of effects pedals and other whiz-bang electronic stuff. He is a regular contributor and instructor at the Annual Dulcimer Jamboree at the Ozark Folk Center State Park. Bing was recently won best guitarist at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, Tennessee and yes, he was playing his dulcimer.

Mark Jones' “From the Vault” segment features a rare recording of authentic Ozark fiddler Sam Younger, performing the traditional song “Turkey in the Straw,” from the Ozark Folk Center State Park archives.

14 Ben Hall

This week, award winning guitar prodigy Ben Hall performs live at the Ozark Folk Center State Park. Also, interviews with Ben, folklorist and author Charley Sandage offers an historical peregrination into Ozark culture, and Mark Jones presents an archival recording of original Ozark character Albert Sands.

Ben Hall is a Mississippi native who now makes his home, where so many musicians do, in Nashville, TN. Ben is a former thumbpicking contest winner, and like Danny Dozier and Thom Bresh, is heavily influenced by Merle Travis. Not one to seek out the life of a traveling or full time musician, Ben might be low key but he’s full throttle on the 6 string box.

Mark Jones' “From the Vault” segment features a rare recording of original Ozark character Albert Sands telling a short story about going to a traditional Ozark dance, from the Ozark Folk Center State Park archives.

13 Dave Brancecum

Dave was born and raised in the cotton fields of the Arkansas Delta. A working man most of his life, Dave had always dreamed of moving to the Ozarks to enjoy a simple life where he could play music and enjoy all the region has to offer. Good thing all that happened because Dave is now a regular performer at the Ozark Folk Center State Park. Equally adept on guitar and claw-hammer banjo, Dave possesses a natural feel in his playing and singing unique to the Ozark region.

Also, interviews with Dave, folklorist and author Charley Sandage offers an historical peregrination into Ozark culture, and Mark Jones presents an archival recording of noted Ozark mountain dulcimer mentor Judi Klemenson.

11 Danny Dozier

In this week's show, original Ozark guitar wizard Danny Dozier performs live at the Ozark Folk Center State Park. Also, interviews with Danny, folklorist and author Charley Sandage offers an historical peregrination into Ozark culture, and Mark Jones presents an archival recording of Aunt Ollie Gilbert.

Danny Dozier is an Arkansas native and proud of it. He is one of the area’s premier guitar players, well versed in the Merle Travis, “thumbpicking” style. Danny has worked with a wide variety of performers over the years including; Grandpa and Ramona Jones, Omar and the Howlers and regional favorite, Leatherwoods.

Author, folklorist, and songwriter Charley Sandage presents an historical portrait of the people, events, and indomitable spirit of Ozark culture that resulted in the creation of the Ozark Folk Center State Park and an enduring legacy of music and craft. This episode features a background on the founding the very first Arkansas Folk Festival.

Mark Jones' “From the Vault” segment features a rare recording of prodigious Ozark folk balladeer Ollie Gilbert singing the traditional Ozark folk song “The Ballad of Cole Younger,” from the Ozark Folk Center State Park archives.

12 Aubrey Atwater & Elwood Donnelly

This week, traditional American folk music and dance power couple Aubrey Atwater & Elwood Donnelly perform live at the Ozark Folk Center State Park. Also, interviews with Aubrey & Elwood, folklorist and author Charley Sandage offers an historical peregrination into Ozark culture, and Mark Jones presents an archival recording of Ozark folk originals Dave Newburn and Charley Sandage.

Aubrey Atwater and Elwood Donnelly are regular contributors at a number of Ozark Folk Center State Park workshops as well as numerous traditional and old time music gatherings across the United States. The husband and wife team were heavily influenced by Kentucky folk musician, Jean Ritchie. Both are multi instrumentalists but Aubrey takes it one “step” further with her incredible rhythmic dancing ability.

10 Thom Bresh

Thom Bresh has led an incredible, multi-faceted life in the entertainment business. To start, his birth father was guitar great, Merle Travis. Thom was raised in California during the golden age of television and worked as a stuntman/actor during his youth. He went on to become one of the premier practitioners of his fathers “thumbpicking” style of guitar. Harnessing a quick wit and an equally quick set of ten fingers, there is nothing like a Thom Bresh performance.Author, folklorist, and songwriter Charley Sandage presents an historical portrait of the people, events, and indomitable spirit of Ozark culture that resulted in the creation of the Ozark Folk Center State Park and an enduring legacy of music and craft. Mark Jones' “From the Vault” segment features a rare recording of Greg Moody singing the traditional folk song “Going Down This Road Feeling Bad,” from the Ozark Folk Center State Park archives.

09 Still on the Hill

Still on the Hill is comprised of Kelly and Donna Mulholland who make their home in Northwest Arkansas. The duo has been performing together since the early 90’s and have created their own sound blending traditional Ozark music with modern flair and style. Take a musical sojourn into the lives of the real Ozarkers that Kelly & Donna portray in their own colorful style.

08 The Ozark Highballers & Backwoods Arkansas

Ozark Highballers are one of the most authentic “old school” bands today. And by “old school” we mean turn of the 20th century times. Captained by fiddler Roy Pilgrim, the 4 piece band (fiddle, banjo, harmonica, and guitar) has a sound straight out of a Ken Burns documentary sound track. Close your eyes and you’ll be transported to a time when music seemed simpler, yet the skill and precision to play it, much more complex.

Backwoods Arkansas is comprised of Mountain View, AR musicians Don “Pappy” Melon, Billy Wayne Martin and Gresham McMillon, all of whom are regular performers at the Ozark Folk Center State Park. Their performance features traditional tunes of the region and of course, traditional jokes and humor.

07 Dulcimer Weekend

Dulcimer Jamboree Weekend is an immensely popular annual workshop at the Ozark Folk Center State Park. It features three days of performance and instruction from some of the finest dulcimer players (mountain and hammered) in the United States. This program features highlights of the weekend performances including; Jeff Hames, Duane Porterfield, Jess Dickinson, Larry Conger, Russell Cook, and local duo Jack and Mary Geiger.

06 Wendy Colonna

Louisiana singer-songwriter Wendy Colonna recorded live at the Ozark Folk Center in Mountain View, Arkansas. Also, interviews with Wendy, a performance from Robert Louis Cole, Brooks Blevins profiles folk song collector Oscar Gilbert, and Mark Jones' "Vault" segment features Fate Morrison. Wendy hails from Louisiana and now makes her home in Austin, Texas. Wendy has a style that combines many influences, most notably; blues and soul but most decidedly, real.

05 Bryan Bowers & Harmony

Bryan Bowers takes the auto harp to places not known to exist. Sounds strange, but it’s true. He possesses a powerful and soulful voice, and is a regular contributor to the Annual Auto Harp Weekend at the Ozark Folk Center State Park. His version of “Little Liza Jane” is a sound to behold, indeed. Bryan is joined by the group Harmony for a number of tunes.

Harmony has been a mainstay on the Ozark Folk Center Stage for many years. Featured on A Prairie Home Companion's "Talent from Towns Under 2000" contest, their vocals, as one might suspect, center around stellar three part harmony. The group features the talents of Ozark Highlands Radio host Dave Smith on vocals, guitar, fiddle, and "banjolele," among other instruments. Husband and wife duo Robert and Mary Gillihan round out the trio with guitar, mandolin and bass, as well as brilliant vocals.

04 Cindy Woolf and Mark Bilyeu

This week, modern folk minstrels Cindy Woolf and Mark Bilyeu recorded live at the Ozark Folk Center in Mountain View, Arkansas. Also, interviews with Cindy and Mark, Brooks Blevins: Beginnings of the Original Arkansas Folk Festival, and Mark Jones' "Vault" segment featuring Glen Branscum.

Cindy Woolf & Mark Bilyeu are now collectively known as The Creek Rocks. Cindy and Mark bring traditional Ozark music into the modern acoustic world. This husband and wife duo formed a few years back after both enjoyed successful careers as musicians based out of Springfield, MO. Cindy a solo performer and Mark, former member of Big Smith, found a kinship on multiple levels. Their performance at the Ozark Folk Center State Park features a number of traditional and regional songs from the recorded archives of folklorists Max Hunter and John Quincy Wolf.

Brooks Blevins provides a native’s view of the people, music, and colorful events that shape the Ozark region. The author and historian presents a brief history of the very first "Arkansas Folk Festival," that has been held annually in scenic Mountain View, Arkansas, since 1963.

Mark Jones' “From the Vault” segment features a vintage recording of folk balladier Glen Branscum singing the rare spiritual “Some Hath Fathers,” from the Ozark Folk Center State Park archives.

03 Willie Watson and Grace Stormont

Willie Watson is a folk singer. It’s even the title of his latest solo release. Willie was once part of the popular band Old Crow Medicine Show, but has recently embarked on a solo career that finds him singing, playing guitar, banjo and harmonica. Interpreting tunes from a wide variety of influences including Ledbelly and Charley Jordan among others, Willie proves he’s right where he belongs.

Grace Stormont moved to Mountain View, Arkansas from a nearby town to be part of the local music scene. She has embraced the music community beyond anyone’s expectations (except maybe her own.) With a powerful voice, a veteran's sense of timing and feel, Grace performs with a skill beyond her age of just 15. She’s also a big Willie Watson fan, so this worked out great.

02 Hello Stranger, featuring Dale Jett

"Hello Stranger" featuring Carter Family legacy Dale Jett recorded live at the Ozark Folk Center State Park in scenic Mountain View, Arkansas. Also, interviews with Dale Jett, Brooks Blevins: Ghost of the Ozarks Tale (Part 2,) and Mark Jones' "Vault" segment featuring The Simmons Family.

Dale Jett is a proud bearer of the Carter Family musical legacy. Son of Jeanette Carter and grandson of A.P. and Sara Carter, Dale performs songs from the Carter Family song book with his group “Hello Stranger.” With his wife Teresa on bass, and Oscar Harris on auto harp, Dale keeps the music of his family tradition alive and relevant.

Brooks Blevins provides a native’s view of the people, music, and colorful events that shape the Ozark region. The author and historian presents the second of his three part series "Ghost of the Ozarks" about the infamous Connie Franklin murder trial.

Mark Jones' “From the Vault” segment features a recording of The Simmons Family singing the traditional song “Bright Morning Stars are Rising,” from the Ozark Folk Center State Park archives. The segment also features a recent cut of the song done by Pam Setser (Simmons,) illustrating the legacy of music in Ozark culture.

01 Jay Ungar & Molly Mason w/ Lazy Goat String Band

Jay and Molly are veterans of the acoustic music scene on the east coast and have been performing together for well over 20 years and it really shows. Jay and Molly’s performance at the Ozark Folk Center State Park highlights all aspects of their musical style and ability.

Driving fiddle, banjo and guitar, there is nothing lazy about the Lazy Goat String Band. The band consists of Arkansas State Fiddle Champion Emily Phillips and the father son combo of Scott (guitar) and Samuel Blake (banjo).