There’s a little area in the Ozarks where there must be “something in the water,” as the old saying goes. Shannon County, Missouri has produced more old-time and bluegrass musicians than anywhere else in the state—artists like John Hartford, Don Brown, Mitch Jayne, Douglas Dillard, Rodney Dillard, James Orchard, Richard Orchard, Ken Seaman, Loretta Lynn, and many others—including the heart of this project, Ray Gore. This region shaped generations of musicians through its people, stories, sayings, and songs, and it’s where I learned directly from first-generation Missouri bluegrass legends whose music fueled my earliest inspirations. I first saw Ray with Jim Orchard & The Ozark Bluegrass Boys in the early 2000s, and his powerful, crystal-clear tenor instantly stood alongside the greats like Bobby Osborne, Paul Williams, and Ira Louvin. Hearing Ray again on Don Brown & The Ozark Mountain Trio’s Live at the Ethical Society cemented him as one of the purest voices I had ever encountered. Over the years, Ray and I performed together in several groups, revived classic Missouri bluegrass songs, and shared stages across the region. In 2025, as Ray approached his 90th birthday, we reunited at Sound Biscuit to record fourteen songs—capturing the spirit, history, and authenticity of the music we’ve shared for two decades. This collection is a real, heartfelt snapshot of Missouri bluegrass—made by people who love Ray, believe in his legacy, and wanted this music to exist.