This week, voices.  A collection of contemporary folk singers with unique and authentic voices recorded live at Ozark Folk Center State Park.

Ballad singing is a primary form of expression in folk music.  Folk ballads merge melody and story to recount events but also transport the listener to an emotional space.  How well a ballad can bring the listener into that space very much depends on the singer.  Less important to an effective folk singer are the rudimentary aspects of singing than is the authentic sound of their voice.  The timbre and character of the singer’s voice in service to the ballad becomes the vehicle, transporting the listener into that emotional space.  Ozark original and legendary folk balladeer Almeda Riddle for an example.  As much as the stories Almeda relates, it’s the sound of her instantly recognizable and authentic voice that moves listeners deep into the hills and hollers of the Ozarks.

Featured on this episode are an all-star lineup of contemporary folk balladeers including: world renowned vocalist & educator Moira Smiley with the Jayme Stone Project; Ozark original & Smithsonian Folklife Festival performer Carolina Mendoza; Ozark original and Creek Rocks vocalist & multi-instrumentalist Cindy Woolf; OFC regular & prolific singer-songwriter Carolyn Carter; Ozark original vocalist & multi-instrumentalist Pam Setser with The Ozark Granny Chicks; inimitable folk singer & multi-instrumentalist Grace Stormont; and award winning Eureka Springs, AR singer-songwriter Melissa Carper with The Buffalo Gals.

In this week’s “From the Vault” segment, OHR producer Jeff Glover offers a 1973 archival recording of Ozark original singer, Aunt Ollie Gilbert, performing the traditional Ozark ballad “The Ballad of Cole Younger” from the Ozark Folk Center State Park archives.

In his segment “Back in the Hills,” writer, professor, and historian Dr. Brooks Blevins profiles the “Voice of the Ozarks,” the legendary Ozark original balladeer Almeda Riddle.  Featured is a 1957 recording of Almeda performing the traditional Ozark ballad “The Oxford Girl,” courtesy of the Lyon College Wolf Folklore Collection.

Ozark Highlands Radio

OHR Presents: Voices

This week, Kentucky Music Hall of Fame member and six time International Bluegrass Music Association Female Vocalist of the Year, Dale Ann Bradley, recorded live at the Ozark Folk Center State Park.

“Dale Ann Bradley is a Kentucky native who is proud of her state.  Her music reflects that love as she often sings of the state’s multiple charms including sparkling streams, rolling hills and mountains, lush hillsides filled with native plants and beautiful landscapes.  She also includes songs about coal mines (her father was a miner) and another business, that of moonshine stills.

Thanks to a great-uncle who noted Dale Ann’s interest in music, an 8-track player appeared at her home, along with tapes of some of her favorite singers.  When she was 14, she was given her first guitar.  ‘It was a little plywood, small body guitar, but it had six strings, and I made a pick from a milk jug.  I drove everybody crazy learning to play it.’

The singer learned to play her guitar and soon was singing the songs she heard on the radio and off the 8-track player.  When she was a junior in high school, the new band director at school and his wife, known as Back Porch Grass, sang in the summer at Pine Mountain Stage Park in Pineville.  Acknowledging her talent, they asked Dale Ann to join them, which gave her the opportunity to learn to entertain an audience.  Attending one of her concerts is almost like having a friend in your living room, as she chats back and forth with the audience and doesn’t hesitate to share jokes on herself as well as the rest of her band.

In 2018, Dale Ann was inducted into the Kentucky Music Hall of Fame, joining many people she looked up to including Bill Monroe, Keith Whitley, Sonny Osborne, and Sam Bush.  The singer is a six-time winner of IBMA’s Female Vocalist of the Year and took home the Gospel Recorded Performance of the Year in 2021 for ‘After While.’  She has been named Female Vocalist of the year by the Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music of America three times.”
-https://www.daleannbradley.com/about  

In this week’s “From the Vault” segment, OHR producer Jeff Glover offers a 1981 archival recording of Texas swing legend Laura Lee McBride performing the classic Western song “I Bet Ya My Heart I Love Ya” from the Ozark Folk Center State Park archives.

In his segment “Back in the Hills,” writer, professor and historian Dr. Brooks Blevins talks about the Ozark tradition of growing and refining molasses.

OHR Presents: Dale Ann Bradley

This week, an accidental masterpiece performance featuring three finger bluegrass banjo Jedi and Ozark original Adam Fudge & friends recorded live at the Ozark Folk Center State Park.

Once in a while, when things don’t go as planned, something happens that’s unexpectedly great.  To quote famed artist Bob Ross, a “happy accident.”  One such happy accident occurred on Saturday of the Ozark Folk Center’s 2023 bluegrass festival when, due to illness, banjo player Adam Fudge had to scramble to find musicians to help him with his set.  In desperation, Adam and his brother, bassist Shane Fudge, recruited three local teenagers and staged an impromptu jam session.  What followed, turned out to be one of the most exciting and energetic bluegrass performances ever heard at the Ozark Folk Center State Park.

Born and raised in the rich musical culture of the Ozarks, Adam Fudge has followed the legacy of his native mountain music with tenacity and a deep love for the traditional.  Adam is a talented singer and guitarist playing traditional country & bluegrass but his true calling is the three finger style of banjo popularized by bluegrass legend Earl Scruggs.  Adam has won numerous awards for his banjo skills both in Arkansas and at the traditional music proving grounds of the Walnut Valley Music Festival in Winfield, Kansas.  Here, Adam performs with his brother, upright bassist Shane Fudge, siblings Mary and Gordon Parker on fiddle and mandolin respectively and Turner Atwell on guitar.

In this week’s “From the Vault” segment, OHR producer Jeff Glover offers a 1981 archival recording of Ozark original bluegrass band Gospel Grass performing the traditional song “Will the Circle Be unbroken” from the Ozark Folk Center State Park archives.

In his segment “Back in the Hills,” writer, professor and historian Dr. Brooks Blevins discusses the role of squirrels in both Ozark culture and the Ozark diet.

OHR Presents: Adam Fudge & Friends

This week, Springfield, Missouri based Ozark original husband & wife duo The Creek Rocks recorded live at the Ozark Folk Center State Park.  Also, interviews with these genuine Ozark troubadours.  A bonus offering of songs and interviews with Ozark original singer-songwriter and multiple ACMA winner Grace Stormont.

The Creek Rocks from Springfield, Missouri are Cindy Woolf and Mark Bilyeu.  Cindy Woolf was raised in Batesville, Arkansas along the southern foothills of the Ozarks Mountain region.  Mark Bilyeu hails from Springfield, located atop the Ozarks Plateau.  They began their musical collaboration in 2003 with Mark at the helm for Woolf’s debut CD “Simple and Few.”  They married each other in 2013, shortly after the release of Cindy’s third solo CD, “May.”  “Before they married, Springfield’s Cindy Woolf and Mark Bilyeu were among the area’s most potent songwriting talents; wedding their life and craft, the pair has become a true power couple, yet one whose greatness is best expressed through a humble folk-rock sound and heart-piercing lyrics.”  - Columbia Daily Tribune, Columbia, MO  Cindy & Mark are joined in this performance by percussionist Keith Symanowitz.

One of the most exciting and talented young musicians in Arkansas, Grace Stormont is just getting started.  After moving to Mountain View, Arkansas 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,) Grace also excels as a vocalist and interpreter of traditional Ozark ballads.  Her musical phrasing and insight are well beyond her age.  Grace has won multiple Arkansas Country Music Awards including best original song.

In this week’s “From the Vault” segment, OHR producer Jeff Glover offers a 1978 archival recording of Ozark originals Lonnie Roberts and his wife Thelma performing the 1946 song “Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain” from the Ozark Folk Center State Park archives.

In his segment “Back in the Hills,” writer, professor and historian Dr. Brooks Blevins profiles notable Ozark folk artists.

OHR Presents: The Creek Rocks & Grace Stormont

This week, Hindman, Kentucky writer, educator, vocalist and world champion mountain dulcimer Jedi Sarah Kate Morgan recorded live at the Ozark Folk Center State Park.  Also, a special performance by the 2024 Ozark Folk Center Mountain Dulcimer Contest winner Melinda McMillan of Martinsville, IN.

“Born of Appalachian soil in Sharps Chapel, Tennessee, Sarah Kate Morgan sings, plays, and writes like she’s been in these hills since the dawn of time. She’s had plenty of varied influences, beginning with hearing a classical music CD belonging to her family and going on to discover old time music through a dulcimer built by her grandfather. She began playing dulcimer at age 7. 

This proved to be a pivotal moment. At 18 years old, Sarah Kate placed 1st at the 2012 National Mountain Dulcimer Championships in Winfield, Kansas. She’s gone on to build a unique personal style which honors mountain dulcimer giants such as Jean Ritchie while working across genres to build something new. Her dexterous approach to the instrument is one that only masterful artists can bring to the table; much like Bruce Molsky and the fiddle, having been a dedicated student of the dulcimer’s complexities Morgan is able to distill them into a beautifully polished package. 

Well-known and widely respected as one of the leading experts of the mountain dulcimer, Sarah Kate is also a first-rate singer and songwriter. Her earthy and poetic lyrics embrace the highs and lows of southern Appalachian life while her voice does the same – moving between alto and soprano parts with ease. Her crystal-clear but rootsy vocal style combines the best of country, old time, bluegrass, and gospel influences who, like Morgan, foreground their cultural roots. All of this goes hand in hand to create a musical experience akin to a sonic baptism.” - https://www.sarahkatemorgan.com/bio-1

In this week’s “From the Vault” segment, OHR producer Jeff Glover offers a 1981 archival recording of Country Music Hall of Fame and Grand Ole Opry member Ramona Jones fiddling out a square dance on the traditional tune “Liberty,” from the Ozark Folk Center State Park archives.

In his segment “Back in the Hills,” writer, professor and historian Dr. Brooks Blevins profiles self-promoting Ozark folk artist and entrepreneur L.L. Broadfoot.

OHR Presents: Sarah Kate Morgan

This week, national champion hammered dulcimer Jedi and viral internet phenomenon Ted Yoder recorded live at the Ozark Folk Center State Park.  Also, interviews with this unique musical hammer wielding genius.

“Ted Yoder is a world-renowned musician, known for his groundbreaking and innovative approach to the hammered dulcimer.  In 2016, Ted gained widespread attention when his hammered dulcimer cover of Tears for Fears' ‘Everybody Wants to Rule the World’ became a viral sensation on Facebook, amassing over 100 million views.  He won the title of National Hammered Dulcimer Champion, performed on NPR radio, opened for Jake Shimabukuro, performed at Busch Gardens, and the historic WGN radio in Chicago.  Ted’s original compositions blend rock 'n roll sensibilities and unmistakable innovation, creating deeply moving and joyous music that captivates audiences. His live performances are unforgettable, leaving audiences asking for encores and prompting presenters to "BRING HIM BACK!”  Ted Yoder has redefined what's possible with the hammered dulcimer!” - https://tedyoder.com/about  

In this week’s “From the Vault” segment, OHR producer Jeff Glover offers an archival recording of Ozark original hammered dulcimer master Joe Jewell playing the traditional tune “Music Box Waltz,” from the Ozark Folk Center State Park archives.

In his segment “Back in the Hills,” writer, professor and historian Dr. Brooks Blevins profiles notable Ozark woodcarver Junior Cobb.

OHR Presents: Ted Yoder

This week, Ozark original singer, multi-instrumentalist and hit song writing powerhouse Shawn Camp recorded live at the Ozark Folk Center State Park.  Also, interviews with this #1 country song writing genius.

Some careers can be described with a couple of words but Shawn Camp's isn't one of them. A bold and distinctive singer, a songwriter who's provided material for artists ranging from Ralph Stanley, Del McCoury and Ricky Skaggs to Garth Brooks, Alan Jackson, Porter Wagoner, Loretta Lynn and Brooks & Dunn with hits such as “Two Pina Coladas” (Garth Brooks,) “Nobody But Me” (Blake Shelton,) “Would You Go With Me” (Josh Turner,) “River Of Love” (George Strait) and Billy Currington’s hit single “Love Done Gone.”  Along with being a hit writer, he is a gifted multi-instrumentalist who's played as a touring/recording musician with everyone from Jerry Reed, Trisha Yearwood, Shelby Lynn, and Alan Jackson to the Osborne Brothers, Guy Clark and John Prine. - https://shawncamp.com/bio  

Shawn is joined in this performance by fiddle champion and multi-instrumentalist Tim Crouch.  A bluegrass and country fiddle player from Strawberry, Arkansas, Tim got his start fiddling with Jim & Jesse as a Virginia Boy when he was 19 years old. He has since worked with a long list of country and bluegrass artists including Alan Jackson, Dolly Parton and Alison Krauss. He is a former staff fiddle player for Nashville’s "Grand Ole Opry" and has also performed on numerous television programs including "Late Night with David Letterman," “The Conan O’Brien Show," "CBS This Morning," "Austin City Limits," "Hee Haw" and others.

In this week’s “From the Vault” segment, OHR producer Jeff Glover offers an archival recording of Ozark original fiddle master Tim Crouch playing the tune “Tom and Jerry” at the 1981 SPBGMA Fiddle Contest held at the Ozark Folk Center State Park.

In his segment “Back in the Hills,” writer, professor and historian Dr. Brooks Blevins discusses the Ozarks’ influence at the “Festival of Festivals,” the first National Folk Festival held in St. Louis, Missouri in 1934. (Part 1)

OHR Presents: Shawn Camp & Tim Crouch

This week, Ozark original old time harmonica and guitar duo Seth Shumate & Roy Pilgrim recorded live at the Ozark Folk Center State Park.  Also, interviews with this dynamic musical duo.  A feature performance by renowned singer George Hulsey this week as well.

Ozark original Seth Shumate plays harmonica in ways that one does not hear too often anymore. His phrasing, technique and style go back to the pre war days of traditional American music when the harmonica was a lyrical and melodic instrument.   Another Ozark original, Roy Pilgrim is arguably Arkansas' premier Old-Time fiddler. Like his counterpart, Roy takes his musical cues from traditional American old time but with an emphasis on fiddle tunes from the Ozarks of Arkansas and Missouri.

Roy and Seth also perform together as part of the Ozark Highballers, who have earned a well-deserved reputation as one of today's premier Old-Time groups and dance bands.

Originally from Louisiana, George Hulsey moved to Mountain View, Arkansas a few years back and has become a well known singer in the local Stone County music scene.  George is accompanied on this performance by multi-instrumentalist Duane Porterfield, fiddler Mary Parker, bassist Chris Smith and vocalist Carolina Mendoza.

In this week’s “From the Vault” segment, OHR producer Jeff Glover offers an archival recording of Ozark original harmonica legend Percy Copeland playing the traditional tune “Wabash Cannonball,” from the Ozark Folk Center State Park archives.

In his segment “Back in the Hills,” writer, professor and historian Dr. Brooks Blevins discusses the Ozarks’ influence at the “Festival of Festivals,” the first National Folk Festival held in St. Louis, Missouri in 1934. (Part 2)

OHR Presents: Seth Shumate & Roy Pilgrim

This week, a tribute to legendary singer-songwriter John Prine by his son Tommy Prine & longtime friend and co-writer Keith Sykes recorded live at the Ozark Folk Center State Park.

John Prine was an American singer-songwriter of country-folk music. Widely cited as one of the most influential songwriters of his generation, Prine was known for his signature blend of humorous lyrics about love, life, and current events, often with elements of social commentary and satire, as well as sweet songs and melancholy ballads. He was active as a composer, recording artist, live performer, and occasional actor from the early 1970s until his death in 2020.  John was connected to Mountain View, Arkansas through his love of fishing and Jack’s Resort on the beautiful White River.  John visited Mountain View regularly since his childhood and made many friends in the area.  In fact, according to John, his first public performance as a teenager was for fellow patrons at Jack’s White River Resort.
https://www.johnprine.com/about  

Tommy Prine is an American singer-songwriter and is the youngest son of John Prine.  After his father's death in 2020, Tommy decided to pursue a musical career.  At the age of 10, Tommy learned how to fingerpick from his father.  As a teenager, Prine traveled with his father's tour primarily to assist with merchandise, then occasionally joining him on stage for the encore.  While Prine endeavored to create distinct and independent music from his father, his influence is remembered by everything from covering John Prine songs to writing songs about his father.  While Tommy is often compared to John, he developed his own path while acknowledging the legacy of his award-winning father.
https://www.tommyprine.com/  

Once upon a time in the summer of 1967, Keith Sykes hitchhiked to the Newport Folk Festival and saw Arlo Guthrie perform “Alice’s Restaurant.” In the fall of that year he got a copy of the album, learned the whole song and sang it at a Holiday Inn in Charleston, South Carolina. They hired him on the spot for a regular gig playing music in the hotel.  In the more than 40 years that followed, he would become a troubadour and storyteller, a massively successful songwriter with more than 100 songs recorded by artists as diverse as Rosanne Cash and George Thorogood. He would tour every corner of America and play in just about every conceivable kind of venue, appear on Saturday Night Live and Austin City Limits, and host songwriter nights on Memphis’ legendary Beale Street with many of music’s most talented songwriters. He would join Jimmy Buffett’s Coral Reefer Band, tour the country and record the Volcano album – the title track for which he co-wrote with Jimmy.  - http://www.keithsykes.com/

In this week’s “From the Vault” segment, OHR producer Jeff Glover offers a 1976 archival recording of John Prine himself performing his famous song “Paradise,” from the Ozark Folk Center State Park archives.

In his segment “Back in the Hills,” writer, professor and historian Dr. Brooks Blevins discusses the Ozarks’ influence at the “Festival of Festivals,” the first National Folk Festival held in St. Louis, Missouri in 1934. (Part 3)

OHR Presents:  A Tribute to John Prine

This week, old-time Appalachian multi-instrumentalists and educators Dan Levenson & Bob Carlin recorded live at the Ozark Folk Center State Park.  Dan and Bob acted as judges at our annual old-time fiddle & banjo contest where they also gave us this masterful evening performance.

“Dan Levenson is an Appalachian native who has grown up with the music of that region.  Today he is considered a respected master teacher and performer of both the clawhammer banjo and Appalachian style fiddle.  Dan performs and teaches regularly throughout the world, including in England, Ireland, Israel and Brazil.  He has taught at many music schools and camps, including in the John C. Campbell Folk School, Mars Hill, Maryland Banjo Academy, The Ozark Folk Center at Mountain View, AR, Banjo Camp North, The Rolland Fiddle Camp and Dan’s own Clawcamp and Old-Time Music instructional weekends held at various locations throughout the country.” - https://clawdan.com/about/  

“Banjoist Bob Carlin has been offering performances, lectures and workshops for over thirty years.  Carlin had largely left the solo arena in the mid-1990s after an invitation to join the band of songwriter John Hartford.  For six years, Bob Carlin toured throughout the United States and Canada with Hartford, even accompanying John on a ten day Japanese sojourn.  Since the death of John Hartford in 2001, Bob Carlin has returned to solo performing, teaching and appearances with other musicians.”
- http://www.bobcarlinmusic.com/teacher+performer/index.htm  

In this week’s “From the Vault” segment, OHR producer Jeff Glover offers an archival recording of Ozark original old-time fiddle champion Shay Pool playing the traditional tune “Grigsby’s,” from the Ozark Folk Center State Park archives.

In his segment “Back in the Hills,” writer, professor and historian Dr. Brooks Blevins discusses the Ozarks’ influence at the “Festival of Festivals,” the first National Folk Festival held in St. Louis, Missouri in 1934. (Part 4)

OHR Presents: Dan Levenson & Bob Carlin

Ozark Highlands Radio is a weekly radio program that features live music and interviews, recorded at Ozark Folk Center State Park’s beautiful 1,000-seat auditorium in Mountain View, Arkansas.  In addition to the music, our “Feature Host” segments take listeners on a musical journey with historians, authors, and personalities who explore the people, stories, and history of the Ozark region.

New tracks tagged #Oldtime,