Wolf Hunter (2015)

Wolf Hunter is a concept album, of sorts. Primarily it is a collection of traditional Ozarks folk songs, newly interpreted and arranged by Woolf and Bilyeu. The songs were chosen from the collections of two notable folklorists; that of John Quincy Wolf of Batesville, Arkansas, where Cindy grew up; and Max Hunter of Springfield, Missouri, Mark’s hometown. Wolf and Hunter’s collections share the distinction of being readily accessible to the public through websites built by dedicated individuals at Lyon College in Batesville and Missouri State University in Springfield, respectively. Here the original recordings of the contributing singers can be heard as they performed for the collectors’ reel-to-reel tape recorders, covering a time span from 1952 to 1976. Some of Woolf and Bilyeu’s sources were well-known musicians of their time, including country recording artist Jimmy Driftwood and Springfield songwriter Johnny Mullins. Others were people who sang only for their own enjoyment and for those in their community, whose voices would be forgotten if not for the work of Wolf and Hunter.

Tracks:

1   Can't You Hear Them Wolves A-Howling?

2   Muskrat Song

3   Missouri Girls

4   Groundhog

5   Possum Song

6   The Boll Weevil

7   Old Bangum

8   Farmer's Daughter

9   Little Rock Rock

10  My Arkansas Sweetheart

11  Where'd You Get That Hat?

12  Zelma Lee

13  Waters Roll

14  French Broad

15  The State of Missouri

16  Tie-Hacker's Joy