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 through the Ozark hills with historians, authors, and personalities who explore the people, stories, and history of the Ozark region.

This week, it’s “Banjo Time!” Join host Dave Smith and banjo royalty Mark Jones as they explore music of the banjo. From its ancient African roots, we’ll follow the banjo’s transition from a slave instrument into the mainstream of American popular and folk musics. Mark and Dave will guide us through performances by various banjo masters covering a myriad of styles into which the banjo has evolved, all recorded live at the Ozark Folk Center State Park.

Artists featured on this week’s show include Country Music Hall of Fame member & “Hee Haw" star Grandpa Jones, master of traditional African American banjo Jerron ‘Blind Boy’ Paxton, Carolina Chocolate Drops member Hubby Jenkins, Ozark original Uncle Floyd Holland, connoisseurs of classic sheet music and banjo duo Clark Bueling & Carl Anderton, songwriter and banjo frailing ninja Jimmy Connors, fresh-faced banjo slinging madman Samuel Blake, preeminent bluegrass virtuoso Adam Fudge, our very own Mark Jones, Berklee School of Music banjo pioneer Lukas Pool, up and coming clawhammer champion Lillyanne McCool, classic country music and banjo superstar Buck Trent, and the inimitable Paul Brock Band featuring banjo shredders Dave Curley & Shane Farrell.

In this week’s “From the Vault” segment, musician, educator, and country music legacy Mark Jones offers an archival recording of ubiquitous Ozark banjo legend Bookmiller Shannon performing the tune “Shortnin’ Bread,” from the Ozark Folk Center State Park archives. Bookmiller traveled America with famed Ozark songwriter and folklorist Jimmy Driftwood in the 1960’s and 70’s, bringing the Ozark style of clawhammer banjo into greater awareness.

In this week’s guest host segment, renowned traditional folk musician, writer, and step dancer Aubrey Atwater explores “The African American Banjo,” illuminating the African roots of this enduring musical instrument. Aubrey takes us back to the source of the banjo with musical examples and enlightening commentary.