Ozark Highlands Radio

This week, a collection of stringbands and stringband music both traditional and modern recorded live at Ozark Folk Center State Park. Also, commentary by musicians from these solely stringed outfits. A stringband is an old-time music ensemble made up solely of string instruments. Stringbands were extremely popular in 1920s and 30s America and were the forerunners of modern country and bluegrass bands. Early old-time stringbands were comprised mainly of a fiddle, a banjo and acoustic guitar. They may have also been joined by other instruments including spoons, washboard, jug, harmonica, mountain or hammered dulcimer, autoharp and bones. Eventually, other stringed instruments began to be added to the fiddle-banjo duo that was essential to dance music of the early United States. These other instruments included mandolin and double bass or washtub bass. Such an assemblage of instrumentation became known simply as a “stringband.” Featured on this stringband show are Ozark originals The Lazy Goat Stringba