Mississippi John Hurt - The 1928 Sessions '1988

Tracks list

Listening to Mississippi John Hurt's original recordings is a trip back to an
America that no longer exists. Fewer than 100 people lived in the hills around
Avalon, Mississippi in the 1920s and John Hurt spent much of his life living and
working there, working as a farm hand and sharecropper, playing guitar to
entertain friends and neighbors. Hurt would likely be amazed at how his music
has endured, how many ways people would be able to enjoy his talents. His
recordings are a rare example of what was called 'household music', music
performed by an amateur who was not seeking financial gain, who didn't perform
as part of church functions, who didn't feel the need to interject sexual
innuendo or other artifices often used by other blues singers so there were no
conflicts with local preachers. He didn't amplify his voice which made his
singing style more intimate and he refused to refer to himself as a "blues
singer". On balance, his guitar skills were more intricate than other blues
artists of the era, utilizing a fast, syncopated finger picking style. These
tracks were taken from lovingly restored 78PRM recordings from Okeh Records 1928
release. The initial releases were commercial failures and Oken went out of
business during the Great Depression. Unlike other blues artists, Hurt had no
signature song, no one song that people would identify with him. His style was
unique, showcasing his ability integrate an alternating bass with a melodic
line, achieving a flowing effect with his playing. It wasn't until 1963 when
renowned musicologist Tom Hoskins, located Hurt neat Avalon. That meeting led to
Hurt moving to Washington, D.C., expanding his audience and leading to his
appearance at the 1963 Newport Folk Festival. He toured extensively, playing
from coffeehouses to concert halls and even appeared on The Tonight Show
starring Johnny Carson, quite a long haul from his Avalon, Mississippi roots.

Tracklist:
1.01 - Mississippi John Hurt - Frankie and Albert (3:55)
1.02 - Mississippi John Hurt - Nobody's Dirty Business (3:54)
1.03 - Mississippi John Hurt - Stackolee (4:04)
1.04 - Mississippi John Hurt - Candy Man Blues (2:49)
1.05 - Mississippi John Hurt - Blessed Be the Name of the Lord (2:46)
1.06 - Mississippi John Hurt - Camp Meeting Tonight on the Old Camp Ground
(2:22)
1.07 - Mississippi John Hurt - Spike Driver Blues (3:05)
1.08 - Mississippi John Hurt - Louis Collins (3:05)
1.09 - Mississippi John Hurt - Got the Blues That Can't Be Satisfied (3:04)
1.10 - Mississippi John Hurt - Avalon Blues (4:23)
1.11 - Mississippi John Hurt - Blue Harvest Blues (2:53)
1.12 - Mississippi John Hurt - Ain't No Tellin' (2:56)
1.13 - Mississippi John Hurt - Big Leg Blues (2:52)

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