OHR Presents: The Whispering Willows

This week, award winning Ozark singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist duo The Whispering Willows recorded live at the Ozark Folk Center State Park. Also, interviews with this progressive husband and wife folk duo. Also, a performance by singer and multi-instrumentalist Keith Symanowitz, backed by Ozark originals Lukas Pool, Sam Cobb, Danny Dozier, Gresham McMillon, and John Severs. The Whispering Willows is an Americana duo featuring warm and rich vocals, masterful songwriting, and the finely crafted fiddle work of Alaina Blake & Dylan Hawf. Alaina, originally from Lawrence, Kansas, has made her home with husband Dylan at Eureka Springs, Arkansas in the heart of the Ozarks. From a diverse musical background including old-time, Americana, classic country, bluegrass, Irish music, and rock, Alaina’s vocal style is at once unique and sincere with a subtlety that belies the emotional and powerful nature of her songwriting. One of her performances is featured in the Netflix original series “Ozark.” Dylan Hawf, originally from Illinois, comes from a musical family. His father, guitarist Doug Hawf encouraged Dylan’s fiddle playing from an early age, sending him to bluegrass camps where he was able to study with some of the greatest players around. Alaina & Dylan’s collaboration began at the famed annual music festival in Winfield, Kansas and has blossomed into not only a powerful musical force but also romance and marriage. Keith Symanowitz is not only the marketing specialist at the Ozark Folk Center State Park, he’s also a talented singer, traditional dancer, and multi-instrumentalist. Keith’s modern and soulful vocal style breathes new life into well known traditional folk songs. In this performance, Keith is joined by some of the Ozarks’ most talented musicians including Lukas Pool on clawhammer banjo, Sam Cobb on mandolin, Danny Dozier on finger style guitar, Gresham McMillon on bass, and thumb picking guitarist John Severs. In this week’s “From the Vault” segment, musician, educator, and country music legacy Mark Jones offers an archival recording of Ozark original Cathy Barton performing the traditional tune “Hecksham Races,” from the Ozark Folk Center State Park archives. From his series entitled “Back in the Hills,” writer, professor, and historian Dr. Brooks Blevins profiles the mysterious Prince Daruki, an enigmatic music teacher of questionable aristocratic origin who lived in the early Ozarks.