Although he was born in Eastern Kentucky in the late 19th century, Robertson honed his craft in Texas in the earlier part of the 20th century combining his Eastern Kentucky roots with Texas swagger. While Eck is a legendary name in
old-timey music, his recording career was fairly sparse. His recording career began in the early 1920s and came to a halt in 1929. In the 1940s, Eck entered the recording studio and recorded 100 fiddle tunes in a single session. As is common in early American folk music recordings, these tapes were all mysteriously destroyed. As an older gentleman, Robertson enjoyed a late career revival thanks in large park to the New Lost City Ramblers and especially John Cohen who brought his music to a much wider audience during the folk revival of the late 1950s and 1960s.

Art takes a look at George Gibson, one of the last living old-timey musicians who grew up surrounded by the banjo tradition. Gibson was born in Eastern Kentucky in 1938 and grew up learning the old-timey traditions including banjo tunings and songs that are specific to areas of east Kentucky. Since his time in Kentucky, George has honed his skills not only as a performer but also as a student and expert of banjo tradition and roots.

This week, Backroads and Banjos comes to us straight from the living room of Art Rosenbaum. After a show at The Melting Point in Athens, banjo player Ken Perlman and fiddler Alan Jabbour stopped by Art’s house and recorded a few of the songs from their most recent tour and give a little insight to the origin of these tunes

As one year fades into another, Art takes a look at Watch Night and Ring Shouts, one of the oldest New Year’s Eve traditions. Each year, African-American communities hold a prayer meeting in the church to focus on another year’s passing. After the meeting, the congregation gathers in the annex for a call-and-response singing tradition known as a ring shout. The featured performances in this segment are from a 1983 recording of the McIntosh County Shouters as recorded by Art Rosenbaum

Art previews tracks from Ed Teague’s latest issue called “Pretty Little Gal with the Bright Blue Eye.” This CD, recorded and produced by Art, is the first issue on his Backroads and Banjos label. The record features not only Ed Teague but a few other great North Georgia old-timey musicians including Lawton Dyer on guitar, Roy Tench playing the fiddle and some lovely autoharp from Clint Ledford.

To celebrate the centennial of his birth in 2011, Art takes a look at the life and music of Bill Monroe, the Father of Modern Bluegrass. In the first of two parts on Monroe, Art takes a look at Monroe’s early career and what would eventually lead to the formation of The Bluegrass Boys, the legendary group of musicians Monroe would surround himself with throughout his career. In the second segment, Art welcomes Bob Black, a former Bluegrass Boy, via telephone to chat about his time with Monroe and what it was that made him such a legendary figure in bluegrass music