Harmony

It takes an amount of pluck to call your group “Harmony," but this fine trio from Stone County, Ark., lives up to its name. Mary and Robert Gillihan have been a musical mainstay around the Ozark Folk Center for about 30 years, singing and playing the repertoire of the Ozarks, the old ballads, the popular parlor pieces and gospel songs, all with great integrity, powerful delivery and a sense of fun. Their knowledge of old stories and dances broaden the context of their music. Although they have developed a distinctive duet style they have accommodated themselves in various groups over the years, and their longtime friend Dave Smith has dropped in from his Bear Pen Farm to join in one or more of those groups. A fine singer and solo performer in his own right, Dave adds a wider variety of instruments to the group, fiddle, banjo and button accordion, to Mary’s stalwart Autoharp playing and Robert’s rhythm guitar. Various other Ozark oddities and a string bass round out the band sound, but it’s the songs, their singing and their way of drawing you in to their music that you will remember most.