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, award winning True Folk & Americana singer-songwriter Brian Martin, recorded live at the Ozark Folk Center State Park. Also, interviews with Brian. Mark Jones offers an archival recording of Ozark original Pam Branscum performing the traditional tune “Goodbye Liza Jane.” Writer, musician, and traditional dancer Aubrey Atwater discusses the concept of percussive singing in traditional as well as modern musics.

“While keeping one foot planted firmly in the roots of American music, singer/songwriter Brian Martin is forging a distinct path into its future as well. Interweaving old-time country blues and mountain folk music with southern soul, funk and gospel, Martin seamlessly creates a style that he simply refers to as "front porch soul." His burly voice and down home witty tales result in music that is both alluring and enduring for generations young and old. 

 

Hailing from southern Arkansas, Martin begin the journey of a full time performing musician in 2004. He spent years crafting new songs and developing his sound through constant touring around Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas, while building a devoted fan base along the way. He released his solo debut album "No Rider" in 2011. Offering many of his fan favorite songs, "No Rider" highlights Martin's gritty soulful voice and intricate acoustic guitar finger picking, resulting in a theme collection of intimate, and at times, haunting folk songs. 

In addition to his solo performances, Martin also performs with Sad Daddy, a popular folk swing band he co-founded in 2010 with Melissa Carper on upright bass and Joe Sundell on the banjo. The trio recorded their self titled debut album in 2010 and toured extensively over the next few years, before taking a hiatus to work on other projects. The band has since added violinist Rebecca Patek to the lineup and released their follow up album "Fresh Catch" in 2016. With the new lineup intact, Sad Daddy has been out and about, sharing the new songs with old favorites, while keeping fans singing and dancing along the way.” 

https://www.brianmartinmusic.com/home

In this week’s “From the Vault” segment, musician, educator, and country music legacy Mark Jones offers a 1979 archival recording of Ozark original Pam Branscum performing the traditional tune “Goodbye Liza Jane,” 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 discusses the concept of percussive singing in traditional as well as modern musics. She offers examples of how this odd musical phenomenon has, and continues to pervade music from all over the world.

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, award winning contemporary bluegrass singer-songwriter Dave Adkins and his band, recorded live at the Ozark Folk Center State Park. Also, interviews with Dave Adkins. Mark Jones offers an archival recording of Ozark originals the Trawick Family performing the traditional tune “Under the Double Eagle.” Writer, professor, and historian Dr. Brooks Blevins relates a history of birds in the early Ozark region.

There is no mistaking the raw and powerful vocals by singer, songwriter and guitarist Dave Adkins.  His significant chart success, coupled with his stellar live performances, have made him one of most talked about male vocalist in acoustic music.

Adkins was born in Pikeville, Kentucky and makes his home in Elkhorn City. He began playing and singing when he was just eight years old and joined a band with fellow classmates performing at schools and other venues. At 17, he began playing bluegrass music at Dollywood where he stayed two years. A year later, Adkins was named a Kentucky Colonel – the highest title of honor bestowed by the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Commissions for Kentucky colonels are given by the governor and the secretary of state to individuals in recognition of noteworthy accomplishments and outstanding service to a community, state or the nation.

https://daveadkinsmusic.com/about/

In this week’s “From the Vault” segment, musician, educator, and country music legacy Mark Jones offers a 1979 archival recording of Ozark originals the Trawick Family performing the traditional tune “Under the Double Eagle,” from the Ozark Folk Center State Park archives.

From his series entitled “Back in the Hills,” writer, professor, and historian Dr. Brooks Blevins relates a history of birds in the early Ozark regions of Arkansas & Missouri.

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, 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.

https://meredithaxelrod.com/about/

In this week’s “From the Vault” segment, musician, educator, and country music legacy Mark Jones offers a 1979 archival recording of David Prine, brother of famed singer-songwriter John Prine, performing the tune “Southern Railroad Blues,” from the Ozark Folk Center State Park archives.

From his series entitled “Back in the Hills,” writer, professor, and historian Dr. Brooks Blevins relates the history of panthers & wolves in the early Ozark regions of Arkansas & Missouri.

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, 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!

http://www.hogslopstringband.com

In this week’s “From the Vault” segment, musician, educator, and country music legacy Mark Jones offers an archival recording of a very young Allison Krauss performing the traditional tune “Gardenia Waltz,” from the Ozark Folk Center State Park archives.

From his series entitled “Back in the Hills,” writer, professor, and historian Dr. Brooks Blevins relates the history of black bears in the early Ozark regions of Arkansas & Missouri.

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, inimitable Illinois husband & wife acoustic duo The Gordons recorded live at the Ozark Folk Center State. 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.

http://www.thegordonsmusic.com

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

From his series entitled “Back in the Hills,” writer, professor, and historian Dr. Brooks Blevins relates the history of elk in the early Ozark regions of Arkansas & Missouri.

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, 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.

https://thepurplehulls.com

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 traditional tune “Shoutin’ On the Hills,” from the Ozark Folk Center State Park archives.

From his series entitled “Back in the Hills,” writer, professor, and historian Dr. Brooks Blevins recounts the American geographer, geologist, and ethnologist Henry Schoolcraft’s harrowing experiences in the early Ozark regions of Arkansas & Missouri.

This week, Brooklyn, New York based old-time string band The Down Hill Strugglers recorded live at 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.

- http://downhillstrugglers.blogspot.com

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 traditional tune “Shoutin’ On the Hills,” from the Ozark Folk Center State Park archives.

From his series entitled “Back in the Hills,” writer, professor, and historian Dr. Brooks Blevins recounts the American geographer, geologist, and ethnologist Henry Schoolcraft’s harrowing experiences in the early Ozark regions of Arkansas & Missouri.

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, 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.

http://aprilverch.com

In this week’s “From the Vault” segment, musician, educator, and country music legacy Mark Jones offers an archival recording of Ozark originals Tim & Dennis Crouch performing the tune “Dill Pickle Rag,” from the Ozark Folk Center State Park archives.

From his series entitled “Back in the Hills,” writer, professor, and historian Dr. Brooks Blevins recounts the American geographer, geologist, and ethnologist Henry Schoolcraft’s harrowing experiences in the early Ozark regions of Arkansas & Missouri.

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, 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.

https://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.

http://www.theamericansmusic.com

In this week’s “From the Vault” segment, musician, educator, and country music legacy Mark Jones offers an archival recording of Ozark original Frank Ellis performing the tune “Shamus O’Brien,” 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 brings us a portrait of The Meadowcreek Project, a sustainable agriculture & education facility located in the Ozarks.

This week, five time Grammy Award winning traditional country, bluegrass, & Americana music legend Marty Stuart and his band, The Fabulous Superlatives, recorded live at 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.

https://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.