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Anthology of American Folk Music
Anthology of American Folk Music
Volume 2: Social Music, Track 33
BRILLIANCE MEDLEY
Eck Robertson and Family 
Recorded Dallas, TX: October 11, 1929.
Alexander "Eck" Robertson, fiddle; Nettie Robertson, guitar; Daphne Robertson, guitar; Dueron Robertson, banjo
Originally released Victor 40298A
Alexander "Eck" Robertson (1887-1975) was born in Delaney, Arkansas. Robertson's 1922 recording of the fiddle tune "Sally Goodin'" is considered to be the first commercial recording of traditional American country music. In 1923, he played the piece over the radio, thereby becoming the first artist to advertise his recording over the new medium (Malone, Country Music U.S.A., pg. 35). When Robertson and his frequent musical partner the Civil War veteran, Henry Gilliand, appeared in New York during their 1922 session they were dressed, as they frequently performed, in a cowboy outfit and Civil War uniform respectively. This undoubtedly was a rather odd sight in New York City at the time (John Cohen, Sing Out, #14, No.2 (1964, pg. 55).
Robertson toured with traveling medicine shows from 1903 to 1906 and also worked at one time performing music for silent movies. He spent most of his life in Amarillo, Texas, where he participated in numerous fiddle contests from the 1930s-1960s and made his living primarily as a piano tuner. He was rediscovered in the early 1960s and was interviewed by the members of the folk group, The New Lost City Ramblers, who were aware of Robertson because of this Anthology. Eck appeared at a number of folk festivals during his remaining years, including the 1964 UCLA Folk Festival and the 1965 Newport Folk Festival. He died in 1975; his grave bears the inscription, "World's Champion Fiddler."
FOR ADDITIONAL RECORDINGS see:
Eck Robertson, Master Fiddler, His Complete Recordings, 1922-1929 (SON 201a); and the collections Southern String Bands, Vols. 1 &2, 1920s-1930s (ARH 220d); Old Time Fiddle Classics (CTY 507a); Texas Farewell (CTY 517a); Old Time Southern Dance Music: The String Bands (OT 101a); Authentic Cowboys and Their Western Songs (RCA 522a); Sixty Years of Country Music (RCA 4351a); Folk Music at Newport (VG 77007c); and Before the Blues, Vol. 2 (YZ 2016c).
FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION on Robertson see: his interview with John Cohen, Sing Out #14, #2 (Apr. 1964); Old Time Herald (Fall 1992), and Malone and McCullough eds., Stars of Country Music (Urbana, Illinois: University of Illnois Press 1975, pp. 11-13).
OTHER RECORDED VERSIONS include: Country/String Band: as Brilliancy: The Dixie Chicks (Dixie Chicks 9103c).
Bluegrass: as Brilliancy: Luke and Jenny Anne Bulla (RND 0291c); Sam Bush (SGH 3849c); Mark O'Connor (CMF 015c, RND 0046d); Blaine Sprouse (RND 0209c).
British: as Brilliancy Medley: Fairport Convention (A&M 3603a, Stony Plain 1052a).
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