AllMovie

Three families of Ozark Mountains musicians unite to bring their traditional brand of foot stompin' tunes to the masses as filmmaker Rick Minnich offers an entertaining look at the unique history of this raucous music. It was way back in 1996 that Mark Bilyeu, his brother Joey, and their cousins Jay Williamson, Mike Williamson, and Rik Thomas first came together to form the band called Big Smith. Their goal was to use their musicianship to capture the spirit of the Ozarks, and with an acoustic guitar, a mandolin, a bass fiddle, and a washboard they possessed all the right tools needed to do just that. Before long, the band was playing to appreciative audiences all around the state, and even expanding their instrumental repertoire to include electric guitars, percussion, and piano. With this film, Minnich allows the viewer to bask in the band's rich cultural legacy while enjoying the lively music that the locals have been playing for generations.