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NauenThen

J. E. Mainer

I've been a fan of J. E. Mainer & the Mountaineers for a long time without knowing much about them. I was trying to figure out the second line in the chorus of "Run Mountain" & came upon this extremely interesting & illuminating piece, by Wayne Erbsen, who lives in Asheville and has written 30 songbooks and instruction books for banjo, fiddle, guitar, and mandolin. In a comment to the piece, Mainer's son is quoted (by his best friend) as saying that the mysterious line is "Run Mountain check a little hill" & it's a moonshine reference. By the way, Erbsen credits fiddler Mainer (1898-1971) & his 30s band for playing bluegrass 10 years before its inventor Bill Monroe!

 

Exactly like books, there's always more amazing music to catch. Ain't life grand.

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