As promised in its earlier 4-CD set of old Bluebird recordings by Mainer's Mountaineers, Britain's JSP label has followed up that important release with this second collection of another 100 songs & tunes. Collectors should be really pleased to have the total Bluebird repertoire of the Mainers on these two consistent and very reasonably priced re-issues. But you don't have to be a dyed in the wool Mainer fan to add one or both of these sets to your library, because there are so many great songs & tunes here at an amazingly low price. On the first of the 4 CDs J.E. is featured, with songs like KISS ME CINDY, DON'T GO OUT TONIGHT, DON'T GET TROUBLE IN YOUR MIND and a number of good sacred songs. Discs # 2 and # 3 are all credited to Wade Mainer and his various groups such as "The Sons of The Mountaineers" and his "Little Smilin' Rangers". There are a huge number of memorable cuts on these discs, including pieces like LONELY TOMB, LOOK ON & CRY, ANOTHER ALABAMA CAMP MEETING, PALE MOONLIGHT, MITCHELL BLUES, SHE IS SPREADING HER WINGS FOR A JOURNEY (the first version of GREAT SPECKLED BIRD?), and Wade's huge two sided hit SPARKLING BLUE EYES and WE WILL MISS HIM. The 4th CD includes some late but excellent odds & ends like J.E.'s fiddle favorites CONCORD RAG and COUNTRY BLUES, and Wade's OLD RUBEN, RAMBLIN' BOY, and PRECIOUS JEWEL; the disc is then filled out with 4 songs by Steve Ledford, 6 cuts of the Happy-Go-Lucky boys, and 6 Morris Brothers cuts, including the lovely LITTLE NELLIE and DREAM OF THE MINER'S CHILD. Pat Harrison contributes extensive notes on the recordings. (For those interested in the first Mainer set, it is also a 4-CD collection and is also in stock (JSP-77118, $ 27.50). 4-CD set: $ 27.50
