Carson Robison

Carson Robison

Source: Pittsburg State University

Born on 4 August 1890 in Oswego, Kansas, it was 1924 when Carson Robison went to New York City to make his first recordings with Victor Records. Not much later he would join Vernon Dalhart, a Texan transplanted to NYC, as a progenitor of country western music. Just like Pace Picante Sauce, C&W was conceived in New York City.

Robison met Wendell Hall in 1924 at WEAF Radio, with whom he first recorded on May 1 of 1924: 'Song Birds in Georgia' / 'Whistling the Blues Away' (Victor 19338). The first had Hall on ukulele and Robison on guitar. The second had Hall whistling, of which Robison would make a few recordings himself. Robison's second session on the 5th saw 'Swanee River Dreams' unissued and 'Old Plantation Melody' (Victor 19392). The 10th of June witnessed 'Swanee River Dreams' go down for release in December on Victor 19479 with a later rendering of 'Lonely Lane'. The 5th of August saw Robison in the Dizzy Trio w Borrah Minevitch (harmonica) and Nathaniel Shilkret (piano) for 'Hayseed Rag' (Victor 19421).

'Old Plantation Melody'   Vocal: Wendell Hall   Guitar: Carson Robison

Recorded 5 May 1924 in NYC   Issued on Victor 19392

Composition: Wendell Hall

'Swanee River Dreams'   Vocal: Wendell Hall   Guitar: Carson Robison

Recorded 10 June 1924 in NYC   Issued on Victor 19479

 Composition: Carson Robinson / Wendell Hall

'Hayseed Rag' (aka 'La Paja' Spanish for 'The Straw')  Dizzy Trio

Recorded 5 Aug 1924 in NYC   Issued on Victor 19421

Banjo & Jew's harp: Roy Smeck   Harmonica: Borrah Minevitch

Guitar: Carson Robison   Piano: Nathaniel Shilkret

On the 13th of August 1924 Robison laid his first track with Vernon Dalhart in NYC, the latter's second rendition of 'The Wreck of the Old 97', issued per Victor 19427. True to country folk music, its theme was a railroad locomotive. Dalhart had recorded that the previous month on cylinder for Edison with Frank Ferera at guitar (Blue Amberol 4898, Edison 51361), marking the beginning of Dalhart's country career and the budding of the country western genre. Billboard, however, didn't create a Country & Western category until 1949, dropping its Jukebox Folk and Hillbilly designations. Robison also put down 'The Prisoner's Song' with Dalhart on August 13 toward Victor 19427, which could probably be called the first country western recording issued on acoustic flat disc.

'The Wreck of the Old 97'   Vocal: Vernon Dalhart   Guitar: Carson Robison

Recorded 13 Aug 1924 in NYC   Matrix B-30632   Issued on Victor 19427 A

 Composition: Henry Whitter

'Prisoner's Song'   Vocal: Vernon Dalhart   Guitar: Carson Robison   Viola: Lou Raderman

Recorded 13 Aug 1924 in NYC   Matrix B-30633   Issued on Victor 19427 B

 Composition: Guy Massey

The following month in September of 1924 Dalhart and Robison were joined by Lou Raderman (fiddle) and Jack Shilkret (piano) for 'The Clouds Are Gwine to Roll Away' (Victor 19486). Russell's 'Country Music Records' has Robison partnering with Dalhart into the summer of 1928. Their last certain tracks together appear to have been on June 11, 1928, for such as 'The Little Brown Jug' / 'The Old Gray Mare' (Perfect 12421) with Adelyne Hood at fiddle and William Carlino on banjo.

During the Dalhart-Robison period Robison was also in a duo with vocalist, Kelly Herrell. Praguefrank's shows their initial session on January 7, 1925, in NYC for such as 'New River Train' / 'Rovin' Gambler' (Victor 19596). They held a session in Ashville in August and several more in June of '26 in NYC resulting in such as, per their last listed session on the 10th, 'The Cuckoo, She's a Fine Bird' (Victor 40047), 'Hand Me Down My Walking Cane' (Victor 20103) and 'Bye and Bye You Will Forget Me' (Victor 20535).

About a month after his first recordings with Herrell, Robison backed popular vocalist, Gene Austin, on 'Way Down Home' in February of 1925. One more title went down with Austin on 12 March of 1925 called 'No Wonder' released on Victor 19625.

'Way Down Home'   Vocal: Gene Austin   Guitar: Carson Robison

Recorded 4 Feb 1925 in NYC   Issued on Victor 19637

 Composition: Walter Donaldson

Another of Robison's partners during the Dalhart-Robison period was Frank Luther. Praguefrank's has Robison recording with Luther as early as June 26 of 1926: 'The Hills of Kentucky' (unissued) and 'The Little Green Valley' / 'Drifting Down the Trail of Dreams' (Melotone M12179, Polly P9062). Their later partnership commenced on recordings on June 8 of 1928 three days before his last session with Dalhart, putting down two unissued tracks: 'Steamboat (Keep Rockin')' and 'There's a Whippoorwill a Calling'. Tony Russell's 'Country Music Records' (CMR) has Luther's next session circa June 15-16 "probably" accompanied by Murray Kellner on fiddle and Robison (harmonica / guitar) on 'The West Plains Explosion' / 'The Hanging of Charles Birger' (matrices: GEX 1439, GEX 1440 issued on Gennett 6530). Robison had recorded the same two songs with Dalhart earlier on April 26 for issue in July '28 on Domino 0241. Luther's next session on the 18th of August resulted in 'The Little Green Valley' (Edison 5572) and 'Six Feet of Earth' (Edison 5564). Luther was accompanied by unknowns on those, Robison listed in CMR as "probably" on 'The Little Green Valley'.

'Oh Dem Golden Slippers'   Vocal: Vernon Dalhart   Guitar: Carson Robison

Recorded 23 May 1928 in NYC   Issued on Champion 15567

 Composition: James Bland

'Steamboat (Keep Rockin')'   Carson Robison w Frank Luther

Recorded 17 July 1928 in NYC   Issued on Domino 0254

 Composition: Carson Robison

Luther and Robison partnered to 1932, also performing as Bud & Joe Billings, the Black Brothers, the Jones Brothers, et al. Praguefrank's gives them up on April 4 that year per several tracks in NYC, three unissued. The other two were released with Luther as Bud Billings: 'When the Sun Goes Down in a Little Prairie Town' / 'Ma and Pa' (Victor 22997).

'Moonlight on Colorado'   Carson Robison w Frank Luther as Bud Billings

Recorded 1 July 1930 in NYC   Issued on Victor 22478

 Music: Robert King   Lyrics: Billy Moll

'By the Old Oak Tree'   Carson Robison w Frank Luther as Bud Billings

Recorded 9 July 1930 in NYC   Issued on Victor 22478

 Composition: Percy Wenrich

Early during Robison's period with Luther he had also performed in a duo with Andrew Jenkins on June 19-20 of 1928 for titles like 'Only a Tear' / 'The Little Flower Girl' (Okeh 45481) and 'In the Baggage Coach Ahead' / 'The Mansion of Aching Hearts' (Okeh 45234).

Robison's first titles with his Pioneers had gone down for Victor the same day as the above with Luther as Bud Billings on April 4, 1932: 'The Cowboy's Prayer' and 'Meet Me Tonight in the Valley', neither issued. An unidentified date circa that April has Robison's Pioneers recording Parts 1 and 2 of 'Old Familiar Tunes' (Columbia 15773). It was later that April that Robison and his Pioneers first recorded in London where they performed until returning to the States in September. Of numerous titles gone down in England were such as 'I Was Born in Old Wyoming' / 'Going to the Barn Dance Tonight' (Zonophone 6136) and 'Way Out West in Kansas' / 'Didn't He Ramble' (Zonophone 6143). The Pioneers consisted variously of Pearl Pickens (vocals), John Mitchell (guitar/banjo) and Bill Mitchell (guitar/banjo) for those.

'Oh Susannah'   Carson Robison w his Pioneers

Recorded May 1932 in London   Issued on Broadcast Twelve 3203

 Composition: Stephen Foster   1847

Robison renamed his Pioneers in 1933 to the Buckaroos. (Buck Owens would also run a band called the Buckaroos in the sixties.) Personnel was the same for that band's first session [Praguefrank's] on October 18, 1934: 'Long Long Way From Home'/'Rambling Cowboy' (Conqueror 8396) and 'Hot Time in New Orleans Tonight'/'Going to the Barn Dance Tonight' (Banner 33278). Carson ramrodded his Buckaroos into the latter forties.

'Settin' By the River'   Carson Robison (guitar) w his Buckaroos   Film (Pathe Review)   1933

 Composition: Carson Robison

'Turkey In the Straw'   Carson Robison w his Buckaroos

Recorded 26 Jan 1942 in NYC   Issued on Bluebird 11460

Personnel: John Cali / Jene Von Hallberg / Frank Novak / Ed Brader

 Composition: Traditional 1820-30

Robison formed the Pleasant Valley Boys in the latter forties. That group documented the square dance on 'Square Dances' issued by RCA Victor in '49 and 'Square Dances' in '52 by MGM. (Titles are the same but tracks are not.) The square dance originated in Europe to find its way to New England and Appalachia where callers were employed in the 19th century to direct dancers' steps as they went. As Americans traveled west the square dance followed, eventually to merge with country western. Since that time country western dancing has come to be some of the best in the world, taking a place alongside flamenco, tap dancing by such as Fred Astaire, or dancing on ice in skates for that matter.

'The Devil's Britches'   Carson Robison w his Pleasant Valley Boys

Square Dance   Instrumental   Recorded 28 April 1947 in NYC   Issued on MGM 394

Composition: Traditional

'When the Work's All Done This Fall'   Carson Robison w his Pleasant Valley Boys

Square Dance   Calls by Lawrence Loy   Recorded 28 April 1947 in NYC   Issued on MGM 442

Composition: Traditional

Praguefrank's follows Robison's career to as late as April 16 of 1956, raising some rockabilly with 'Rockin' and Rollin' with Grandmaw' backed by 'Hand Me Down My Walkin' Cane':

'Rockin' and Rollin' with Grandmaw'   Carson Robison w his Pleasant Valley Boys

Recorded 16 April 1956 in NYC   Issued on MGM K12266

Composition: Carson Robison

Robison died in Poughkeepsie, New York, on March 24, 1957. He'd been a busy songwriter. Between he and Dalhart, he did the composing of what weren't covers. He also authored such as 'Little Green Valley' ('28), 'Left My Gal in the Mountains' ('29), 'The Railroad Boomer' ('29), 'Carry Me Back to the Mountains' ('30), 'Oklahoma Charley' ('30), 'Hitler's Last Letter to Hirohito' ('45), 'Hirohito's Letter to Hitler' ('45), 'Settin' by the Fire' ('51) and 'Too Big for His Britches' ('51).

Oh Susannah (1847): Celtic Guitar   Oxford American   Shmoop   Wikipedia

Turkey In the Straw (1820-30): Contemplator   Traditional Tune Archive   Wikipedia

Robison in Visual Media: IMDb

Further Reading:

Country Western Dance: Central Home   Wikipedia

Wreck of the Old 97: Dan Gill   Wikipedia