Ozark Highlands Radio

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OHR Presents: Evie Ladin Band Jun 07, 2020

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This week, renowned California bluegrass and roots singer-songwriter, traditional dancer, and multi-instrumentalist Evie Ladin and her band recorded live at Ozark Folk Center State Park. Also, interviews with Evie. “The neo-trad kinetic-folk of the Evie Ladin Band is a mingling of the deep Appalachian sound of clawhammer banjo, guitar, bass and percussive dance, with contemporary storytelling and original, conversational interplay among the band members. Some of their adventurousness comes from early hip hop in the high school cafeteria, some from Evie’s early attraction to, and study of, the African roots in Appalachian music and dance. She created an African Studies In Dance major at Brown University, then studied dance in Eastern Nigeria on a Fulbright Fellowship. While myriad world and contemporary music influences permeate the band’s choices, they never reach too far, remaining seamless and true to the stories they tell. Precisely because Evie was raised to know that music, dance and singing are what humans do together, she is an avid educator and community facilitator, at all ages and levels, in diverse communities. An electric and entertaining live performer, balancing performing with hands on teaching has proven extremely satisfying. Music is meant to move. Music is to do. In listening, live or on record, Evie keeps bringing you back to these basics, while savoring the real stuff of life.” - https://evieladin.com/bio/ In this week’s “From the Vault” segment, musician, educator, and country music legacy Mark Jones offers a 1978 archival recording of Ozark original Bob Strayer performing on a mouth harp the traditional song “Turkey in the Straw,” from the Ozark Folk Center State Park archives. Writer, musician, and traditional dancer Aubrey Atwater discusses the tradition of “work songs” in folk music with musical examples and her own cultivated insight.

OHR Presents: Evie Ladin Band (Full Interview) Jun 07, 2020

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OHR Presents: Andy Hedges May 24, 2020

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This week, cowboy poet, singer-songwriter, guitarist, and archivist Andy Hedges recorded live at Ozark Folk Center State Park. Also, interviews with this Texas troubadour. “Andy Hedges is a songster, reciter, storyteller, guitarist, and collector of cowboy songs and poems. The son of an Italian schoolteacher and a rodeo cowboy turned preacher, Andy was born in Lubbock, Texas, in the spring of 1980. He grew up in the small community of Tokio, Texas, where his family paid rent on an old farmhouse by looking after a few head of cattle. It was there that Andy fell in love with traditional music by listening to his father’s cassettes of cowboy songs. Andy’s vast and varied repertoire includes classic cowboy poetry recitations, obscure cowboy songs, dust bowl ballads, and blues. He also hosts a podcast, Cowboy Crossroads which features in-depth interviews with fellow musicians and poets. Andy has performed many times with folk legend Ramblin’ Jack Elliott and the duo’s performance at the 60th Newport Folk Festival was named one of the ’10 Best Things We Saw’ by Rolling Stone.” - https://www.andyhedges.com/about In this week’s “From the Vault” segment, musician, educator, and country music legacy Mark Jones offers a 1978 archival recording of Ozark original Dave Para performing the traditional song “Why Paddy’s Not at Work Today,” from the Ozark Folk Center State Park archives. Writer, musician, and traditional dancer Aubrey Atwater discusses the prevalence of cautionary tales found in traditional folk music with musical examples and her own cultivated insight.

OHR Presents: Andy Hedges (Full Interview) May 24, 2020

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OHR Presents: Compton & Newberry May 10, 2020

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This week, International Bluegrass Music Association award winners, singers, songwriters, and multi-instrumentalists Mike Compton and Joe Newberry recorded live at Ozark Folk Center State Park. Also, interviews with this prolific pair of pickers. “Mike Compton and Joe Newberry, masters of old-time mandolin and banjo/guitar, dig deep into early country music and blues. Their duet-singing, two-man string band ranges between traditional songs, instrumentals, ‘mother’ ballads and original tunes. It’s not about the number of notes with Compton and Newberry, but telling the truth and respecting the song. Mike Compton is a Grammy award winner, IBMA Mandolin Player of the Year nominee, a steady sideman for John Hartford from 1994 until Hartford’s death in 2001, and mandolinist for the Nashville Bluegrass Band. Mike is inarguably the world expert on Bill Monroe-style bluegrass mandolin, and is also steeped in old-time fiddle tunes, early string band music and Delta blues. Known far and wide for his powerful banjo playing, Joe Newberry is a prizewinning guitarist, songwriter, and singer to boot. In addition to his work with Mike, Joe plays with old-time music legends Bill Hicks, Jim Watson, and Mike Craver, performs with guitarist Jon Shain, and is a frequent guest on Garrison Keillor’s A Prairie Home Companion. He won the songwriting prize for “Gospel Recorded Performance” at the 2012 IBMA Awards for his song Singing As We Rise, and was co-writer, with Eric Gibson, of the 2013 IBMA Song of the Year for They Called It Music.” http://comptonandnewberry.com In this week’s “From the Vault” segment, musician, educator, and country music legacy Mark Jones offers a 1978 archival recording of Ozark original Pat Hammock performing the traditional song “I Never Will Marry,” from the Ozark Folk Center State Park archives. Writer, musician, and traditional dancer Aubrey Atwater discusses the universality of folk music, how it transcends geography, culture and time, with musical examples and her own cultivated insight.

OHR Presents: Becky Buller Band Apr 26, 2020

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This week, eight time International Bluegrass Music Association awards winner, singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Becky Buller and her band recorded live at Ozark Folk Center State Park. Also, interviews with Becky. Becky Buller is an 8-time International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) awards winner who made bluegrass music history in 2016 by becoming the first artist ever to win in both instrumental and vocal categories, as well as the first female to win Fiddle Player Of The Year. She is accompanied by 2018 IBMA Banjo Player of the Year Ned Luberecki, director of the ETSU Bluegrass, Old-Time And Country Music Studies Program Dan Boner on guitar, 2015 IBMA Momentum Award-winning instrumentalist Nate Lee on mandolin, and Daniel “the Hulk” Hardin on upright bass. - https://beckybuller.com In this week’s “From the Vault” segment, musician, educator, and country music legacy Mark Jones offers a 1978 archival recording of Ozark originals Mary & Robert Gillihan performing the traditional song “All Those Endearing Young Charms,” from the Ozark Folk Center State Park archives. Writer, musician, and traditional dancer Aubrey Atwater discusses the theme of marriage in traditional music with musical examples and her own cultivated insight.

OHR Presents: Bill Kirchen & Redd Volkaert Apr 12, 2020

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This week, legendary guitar virtuosos, songwriters, and Telecaster Jedi Bill Kirchen and Redd Volkaert recorded live at Ozark Folk Center State Park in Mountain View, Arkansas. Also, interviews with these two guitar giants. “Grammy-nominated guitarist, singer, and songwriter Bill Kirchen first gained national recognition as a founding member of the original “Americana” group Commander Cody and his Lost Planet Airmen. His trademark guitar licks drove their “Hot Rod Lincoln” into the Top Ten in 1972. His latest recording “Transatlanticana” hit the Top 10 on the Americana Radio chart, staying in the Top 40 for 5 months.” - https://www.billkirchen.com/bill-kirchen-biography “Redd Volkaert was a successor to Roy Nichols in Merle Haggard's backing band, and is "among the country’s top Telecaster guitar slingers.” Volkaert won a 2009 Grammy for Best Country Instrumental Performance. Best known as a Fender Telecaster player, with a personal collection that includes a 1953 Fender Telecaster, a 1951 Fender Nocaster, a 1958 Fender Esquire and a 1950s-style Hahn Telecaster.” Volkaert has backed up literally everyone in country music at some point. - https://www.reddvolkaert.com/default.html In this week’s “From the Vault” segment, musician, educator, and country music legacy Mark Jones offers a 1978 archival recording of Ozark original Mike McGee performing the traditional song “Rank Strangers,” from the Ozark Folk Center State Park archives. Writer, musician, and traditional dancer Aubrey Atwater guides us through a cultural transposition of the traditional song “One Morning in May,” with musical examples and her own cultivated insight.

OHR Presents: Carlene Carter Mar 29, 2020

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This week, Carter Family legacy, singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and country music superstar Carlene Carter recorded live at Ozark Folk Center State Park in Mountain View, Arkansas. Also, interviews with this scion of American music royalty. Carlene Carter is an American country singer and songwriter. She is the daughter of June Carter and her first husband, Carl Smith. Between 1978 and the present, Carter has recorded twelve albums, primarily on major labels. In the same timespan, she has released more than twenty singles, including three No. 3-peaking hits on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. Carlene has always straddled the line between country and rock, following her own path. As a rock singer in the mid-'70s, she became immersed in the new wave before emerging as a new country singer in the late '80s. Through it all, her music has always infused roots music with a nervy, edgy energy. Her mother, June Carter-Cash would frequently take her daughter on Carter Family tours, which meant that Carlene developed a musical interest at an early age. When she was 12, her mother married Johnny Cash. Following the marriage, Carlene and her stepsister, Rosanne Cash, became backup singers in the Carter/Cash touring show. In this week’s “From the Vault” segment, musician, educator, and country music legacy Mark Jones offers a 1978 archival recording of Ozark original Pappy Shorey and his shape note singers performing the hymn “How Beautiful Heaven Must Be,” from the Ozark Folk Center State Park archives. Writer, musician, and traditional dancer Aubrey Atwater discusses the surprising origins of yodeling and its appearance in generations of traditional folk and popular music throughout the world with musical examples and her own cultivated insight.

OHR Presents: Evan Twitty Mar 15, 2020

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This week, we celebrate the life of award winning Indiana finger style guitar prodigy the late Evan Twitty recorded live at Ozark Folk Center State Park. Also, interviews with the talented teen as well as his mentors and friends Thom Bresh and Randy Buckner. We are deeply saddened at the tragic passing of eighteen year old Evan Twitty. Evan lost his life in a car accident on February 7th of 2020. We here at Ozark Folk Center State Park have watched Evan grow up over his many years of attending our Merle Travis Thumbpicking Weekend. He began as a bright and promising student and matured into a championship winning guitarist, contest judge, teacher and mentor. In his brief eighteen years, Evan had placed himself among the finest guitarists in the world. In this week’s “From the Vault” segment, musician, educator, and country music legacy Mark Jones offers a 1975 archival recording of Ozark original Clark Fowler and the Sacred Harp Singers performing a shape note version of the traditional song “Angel Band,” 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. In this episode, Charley discusses the importance of time in our lives and how we measure it.

OHR Presents: Frank & Allie Lee Mar 01, 2020

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This week, acclaimed North Carolina traditional Oldtime husband and wife duo Frank & Allie Lee recorded live at Ozark Folk Center State Park. Also, interviews with this talented twosome. “Since starting to perform rural Southern music together in 2016, the feedback we have heard most often from folks across the country is that watching our show makes them happy. We feel happy when we sing in harmony and share our music. Passing on that joy to our listeners is why we perform. When we drive home from a gig, we reflect on the happy faces in the crowd. If we made you happy, then we feel that the show was worthwhile. Living in beautiful Bryson City, North Carolina near the Great Smoky Mountain National Park with our daughter and rescued kitties, we are known for singing old songs, playing the banjo, building community through teaching music, and making screen-printed t-shirts.” - https://www.frankandallie.com/promo-material In this week’s “From the Vault” segment, musician, educator, and country music legacy Mark Jones offers a 1976 archival recording of Ozark original Almeda Riddle performing the traditional English ballad “The House Carpenter,” from the Ozark Folk Center State Park archives. In his segment “Back in the Hills,” writer, professor, and historian Dr. Brooks Blevins investigates historic outlaws of the Ozarks. Many famous outlaws including Bonnie & Clyde and Pretty Boy Floyd have hidden out in the Ozarks. Brooks guides us through this cult of criminality, recounting details of the infamous Battle of Springfield Massacre in part four of this series called “Public Enemy.”

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