The Mainer Brothers J.E. and Wade were among the most recorded old-time musicians of the 1930s, with around 160 songs and tunes recorded for the wonderful Bluebird label. With that considered, they have not been particularly well represented on CD up to now. This excellent, well remastered 4-CD set takes care of that in a big way: it includes 75 of the 160 songs and tunes, with a second set apparently scheduled to include the remaining cuts. (Curiously, in order to accomplish filling out two 4-CD sets, the 4th disc in this package is devoted to the songs of Daddy John Love, the Dixie Reelers and the Morris Brothers --artists all closely connected with J.E. and Wade). The Mainers were a transition group, learning many of their songs from older musicians like Grayson & Whitter, Frank Hutchison, etc (some they obviously learned from 78rpm records!). In addition to the rollicking fiddle tunes that J.E. featured (TRAIN 111, SEVEN & A HALF, HOP ALONG PETER) Wade joined with Zeke Morris for many brother style duets that proved popular in the 1930s --their MAPLE ON THE HILL was a huge hit. The Mainers' music was in turn picked up by the Stanley Bros. and practically every early Bluegrass band that played and recorded in the 1940s and 50s. This set --a wonderful bargain at just $ 27.50 --is attractively packaged, though the type size in the notes is painfully small and there are a number of mistakes in the discography provided (Zeke Morris is not credited for his vocals on the first 11 tracks, and the lovely fiddle playing on ONE TO LOVE ME is mis-attributed to J.E. But there's plenty of spirited, highly enjoyable old time music here, with a lot of good songs --ballads, fiddle tunes, and gospel songs.
