How Southwestern Ohio left its mark on bluegrass

In the middle of the 20th century, Southwestern Ohio was to bluegrass what Nashville is to country music.

The artists who made their mark were among the thousands of migrants who moved from the hills and hollers of their Appalachian hometowns to the Cincinnati and Dayton areas.

Smithsonian Folkways has released a two-album celebration of that music called “Industrial Strength Bluegrass: Southwestern Ohio’s Musical Legacy.”