Biography

J.E. MAINER & THE MOUNTAINEERS – VOLUME 20
The music of the legendary J.E. Mainer’s Mountaineers will live forever. It will be with us not because some record company wants to make a buck from reproducing it and putting it up for sale, but because the music is just plain good! Rhythmic and often exciting, this old-time country music gives us a window to the past, providing us an idea of just why this kind of music was unconditionally loved “back in the old days” by the rural folks of the Carolinas. Though crude by some of today’s standards, this is pure, old-time country as it was played in the 1930’s: wholesome, authentic and worthy of a listen. But, don’t just listen to it, absorb it and try to imagine the fun these folks were having.
Wade Mainer, J.E.’s brother and a founding member of the Mountaineers in 1934, recently commented that J.E.’s music never changed through the years. This recording, a compilation of J.E.’s recordings through his many years with Rural Rhythm Records during the 60’s and 70’s, is some of his best stuff. Some of the excitement of J.E.’s live performances comes through on this recording.
J.E. recorded for many labels through the years, but some of his most inspired recordings were recorded on Uncle Jim O’Neal’s Rural Rhythm label. Uncle Jim only recorded the music he loved. He let his artists’ record their own music without external influence from some fancy recording producer at a larger label who might try to manipulate the artist’s music so it would sell to the “mass” audience. O’Neal wasn’t overly concerned about the profit a recording could make, only that their music be preserved in all its authentic glory.
In addition to J.E.’s wonderful old-time sound, we can, on many of these songs, hear the modern bluegrass banjo and the smooth, contemporary singing of Morris Herbert. This adds a different flavor to J.E.’s music, making it more “up-town” and palatable for those seeking the more progressive sound of bluegrass music, when we recall the history of bluegrass, actually wouldn’t come along until the decade after J.E. and Wade formed the Mountaineers. According to J.E. Mainer Jr. (J.E.’s oldest son) in a 1998 conversation, his father hired the members of the Mountaineers because they had a knack and a love for his music. Indeed they did, even the “bluegrassy” Morris Herbert came around to what J.E. taught him. It was good and, as we can tell because you have this recording in your hand, it was long-lasting.
Barry R. Willis (1998)