Don Richardson's 1916 country fiddle sides, plus more old-time country

 

Above is the Don Richardson listing from the 1924 Columbia Records catalog, minus the labels and numbers (which didn't show up in my scan).  Today, all six of Don's 1916 country fiddle sides for that label, minus an alternate take of Mississippi Sawyer (which I think I have, but I cannot find) and the second take (5/16/1916) of Mrs. McLeod's Reel, recorded prior to the Columbia A2575 performance of 11/3/1916.  And I've discovered that I have six or seven copies of Arkansas Traveler, which suggests that the record sold quite well back in the day.  (And that people kept it.)  Exactly how I ended up with seven copies, I can't say for sure.  At Wikipedia, Don gets a tiny entry which posits that Don "may have made the first country music recording in 1914, eight years before the first generally recognised country recording was made in 1922."  Actually, no--Don's 1914 A Perfect Day is a mainstream dance side for the time, with no hint of country.

In addition to Don, we have three more Arkansas/Arkansaw Traveler (or Traveller) variants, the most recent from 1941, and the earliest from between 1901 and 1908: The original AT skit, pared down and with narration by Harry Spencer, with George Schweinfest on fiddle.  Things conclude with Maine-born fiddler Mellie Dunham (1853-1931) and his "orchestra" performing Lady of the Lake, with calls by N.A. Noble. I was sort of hoping that Mellie himself had provided the vocal portion, but 'twas not to be.

However, Shorty McCoy provides the calls for the 1941 Bluebird Arkansas Traveler (designated with the modern label, "square dance")--calls with are light-hearted in nature (to the extent I can make them out!).  Meanwhile, the Henry C. Gilliland-A.C. (Eck) Robertson Arkansaw Traveler of 1922 (on Victor) is a solid candidate for the first country record ever recorded, and it's quite unmistakably a folk performance, as opposed to Richardson's formally-trained, highly accomplished musicianship, but then we have the problem of "first" vs. "folk."  Namely, if we regard any and all appearances of country music on sound recordings, regardless of "authenticity," as genuine country, then country recordings date back at least as far as 1901.  Or, if we're going by Richardson's contributions, 1916.  Anyway, to the vintage barn dances... 

DOWNLOAD: Don Richardson and Friends, 1916-1941.zip

Arkansas Traveler--Don Richardson, Violin Solo, piano: Samuel Jospe (Col. A2140; 5/8/1916)

Old Zip Coon (Intro: Old Folks at Home)--Same (Col. A2140; 5/6/1916)

Mississippi Sawyer--Same (Col. A2018; 5/5/1916)

Durang's Hornpipe (Intro: Little Brown Jug)--Same (Col. A2018; 5/8/1916)

Mrs. McLeod's Reel--Same (Col. A2575; 11/3/1916)

The Devil's Dream--Reel--Same (Col. A2575; 5/6/1916)

The Arkansaw Traveller--Descriptive--Harry Spencer w. Gorge Schweinfest, Violin (Col. A406; between 1901 and 1908)

Arkansas Traveler--Square Dance--Shorty McCoy and His Southern Playboys (Bluebird B-8948; 9/12/1941)

Arkansaw Traveler (Country Dance)--Henry C. Gilliland-A.C. (Eck) Robertson (Vic. 18956; 6/30/1922)

Lady of the Lake (Contra Dance)--Mellie Dunham and His Orch. (Vic. 19940; 1/9/1926)

Lee