Edd Mayfield was Bill Monroe’s lead singer/guitarist in 1951, again in 1954, and once more in 1958. He recorded “Christmas Time’s A-Coming,” “The First Whippoorwill,” and a series of gospel numbers that became Bill Monroe’s second Decca LP, “I Saw The Light,” released in 1958. So bluegrass fans have heard him, whether they knew it or not.

Edd Mayfield, more than anyone else in Monroe’s band, had earned the right to wear a cowboy hat on stage. Edd was from West Texas, and was a cowboy. And I don’t mean a drug store, make-believe Saturday morning radio variety of cowboy. I mean a ridin’, ropin’, brandin’, steer wrestlin’, honest-to-gosh real working cowboy. He was a favorite of Bill Monroe, and with good reason. Edd was a great lead singer, whose voice matched perfectly with Monroe’s, and a solid guitarist. Sadly, he passed away in 1958, a victim of leukemia.

I knew that Edd had played in a band with his brothers, before and after his three stints with Monroe, but had no idea they had made commercial recordings as well as home recordings. This set came as a happy revelation to this writer.

Not surprisingly, the Mayfields were big fans of the Monroe Brothers, and later Bill Monroe’s Blue Grass Boys. Despite their location on the West Texas plains, the Grand Ole Opry came in loud and clear out of Nashville, and the boys--from a musical family--quickly learned to play instruments and sing the lonesome songs. The Mayfield Brothers considered themselves disciples of Monroe’s music even though they rarely performed with a banjo. The core group consisted of Smokey on fiddle, Herb on mandolin, and Edd playing guitar.

Anyone who thinks that in the 1940s and ’50s, all the bluegrass bands were from the Southern Appalachian region needs to listen to this collection. The Mayfield Brothers were lonesome singers--way-up-the-creek lonesome. On top of all their other talents, they were fine songwriters. No less than 7 of the 21 titles are Mayfield originals, and another was written by musicians who performed with them.

On the downside, sound on this set leaves something to be desired. All of these titles were transferred to cassette tapes years ago, and the masters long since lost. Careful restoration and re-mastering helped, but still falls short of the ideal. But once you get your ears accustomed to the sound, you are in for a treat. This is dynamic traditional bluegrass music. It gets my highest recommendation.

Walt Saunders

Learn more about The Mayfield Brothers... www.pxrec.com