Burt County Breakdown
BURT COUNTY BREAKDOWN. Old-Time, Breakdown. USA; Missouri, Nebraska. A Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AABB. The title comes from fiddler 'Uncle' Bob Walter(s), and is named for the Nebraska county he lived in. The tune may have been a forerunner of Bill Monroe's "Gold Rush," as pointed out by Missouri fiddler Fred Stoneking. The tune was in the repertoire of Fred Stoneking, who had the tune from his father, Lee Roy Stoneking, who had the tune from 'a fiddler in Burt County' (presumably the influential Walters). Drew Beisswenger (2008), however, records that Fred Stoneking had the tune from Ozarks fiddler Lacy Hartje. In fact, several influential Midwest fiddlers also had it in their repertoire, including Cyril Stinnett, Pete McMahan, Charlie Walden and Dwight Lamb.
Source for notated versions: Fred Stoneking (b. 1933, Missouri) [Beisswenger & McCann, Silberberg].
Printed sources: Beisswenger & McCann (Ozarks Fiddle Music), 2008; p. 135. Silberberg (93 Fiddle Tunes I Didn't Learn at Tractor Tavern), 2004; p. 7.
Recorded sources: Rounder CD 0381, Fred Stoneking - "Saddle Old Spike" (1996). Voyager VRCD 344, Howard Marshall & John Williams - "Fiddling Missouri" (1999. Learned from fiddler Bob Walters of Burt County, eastern Nebraska).
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Engraver Valerio M. Pelliccioni