This week, North Dakota based 2023 SPBGMA International Bluegrass Band Champions the Waddington Brothers recorded live at the Ozark Folk Center State Park. Also, interviews with eldest brother Seth Waddington.

“The Waddington Brothers, a band of four brothers from rural North Dakota, perform what they live: music that is real to them, that takes listeners on a journey through the heart of the American West. “Seth, Ethan, Jacob, and Job Waddington skillfully blend cowboy and bluegrass music, creating a style that’s timelessly classic and yet refreshingly new and unique. With their rich, stirring vocal harmonies and instrumental versatility that ranges from hard-driving bluegrass to more mellow acoustic tones, this quartet has developed a sound that is truly as strong as it is special. And their gift for captivating an audience comes naturally to these men. Whether they’re singing about cowboys or cabins, hunting or horseback riding, ranches or Indian reservations, The Waddington Brothers share heartfelt songs that evoke feelings of warmth, appreciation, and a genuine connection to the way life was lived by our country’s pioneers.

“This group shares their music as a well-polished craft: one that’s been cultivated by four siblings who have been playing and singing together their entire lives. While their performing experience together traces back to 2004, the band officially came together as The Waddington Brothers in 2019. Their musical inspiration today is drawn from many pools of influences. Their sound might be described as a mixture of traditional bluegrass, gospel music, and Western strains reminiscent of The Sons of the Pioneers. Even more accurately, though, it can be described as something brand new—something powerfully different—a breath of fresh air to their audiences, that could only be created by four brothers with such an authentic synergy and blend. And it’s been proven: in 2023 at the annual SPBGMA (Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music of America) Convention in Nashville, Tennessee, The Waddington Brothers took first place in the International Bluegrass Band Competition.” - https://www.waddingtonbrothers.com/about

In this week’s “From the Vault” segment, OHR producer Jeff Glover offers an archival recording of bluegrass legends the Country Gentlemen performing the Kris Kristofferson song “Darby’s Castle,” from the Ozark Folk Center State Park archives.

In this week’s guest host segment, renowned traditional folk musician, writer, and step dancer Aubrey Atwater demonstrates American clog dancing styles and their influences.