Mississippi -Living Country Blues Part 7
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"The Blues is the first music that was here. It was born with Eve and Adam in the Garden. It is the one that tells the story."-- John Lee Hooker
Mississippi John Hurt
Born July 3, 1893, Teoc (Carroll County) MS
Died November 2, 1966, Grenada, MS
John's father was Isom Hurt and his mother was Mary Jan McCain. John was one of 3 children. He and his wife, Jessie, had 14 children. (Source: Blues Who's Who- A Biographical Dictionary of the Blues Singers by Sheldon Harris, published by Da Capo Paperbacks)
Mississippi John Hurt's quiet dignity, humor, superb guitar style, and his tender and expressive voice made him the most popular artist of traditional country blues re discovered by the public in the sixties.
John was not a real blues man but was a collector of popular songs who arranged them to entertain his neighbors on Saturday evenings.
Mississippi John never pursued success. In 1928 a mobile unit of the Vocalion company came to Avalon, Mississippi to look for new talents. An audition in Avalon resulted in John being called several months later to go to New York for a recording session under the direction of Lonnie Johnson. The depression led to the reduction in pressing of records and John stayed in Avalon and lived quietly on his farm with his 14 children.
Guided by the words of one of the titles recorded in 1928 by Hurt, "Avalon My Home Town", the folklorist Tom Hoskins decided in 1963 to go to Avalon. He met Hurt, who was shocked to see that someone remembered his 1928 recordings that had brought him only twenty dollars a song.
John Hurt's new career lasted only three years, but at Newport Festival, on college campuses, and in the folk clubs of Washington D.C., he displayed his talents as storyteller, entertainer, and singer. He overwhelmed the public with his outstanding mastery of the guitar.(Source: Encyclopedia of the Blues by Gerard Herzhaft, 1992 University of Arkansas Press)
Avalon Blues
This was produced in France. The sound quality is perfect and it is the best quality studio recording I have heard of John. It is actually the Library of Congress sessions taped in 1963. This was only the second time John had performed professionally, the first being in the 1928 sessions, listed below on Yazoo Records. John was 70 years old at the time and died only 3 years after these recordings were made. Present during the recordings was Dick Spottswood who along with Tom Hoskins rediscovered John in 1963. This is very difficult to find at this time.
Comments (6)
Very frustrating. The track plays for a few seconds. Stops. Plays for a few seconds. Stops. If I had an hour, I could hear the whole thing.
MOG seems to once again be on the fritz
Beyond the song playing issues, I am getting zero e-mail notifications on any and all posts and comments.
I haven't received any MOG Brain email notices today 11/23/08 either, but I really enjoyed hearing "Frankie." inrumford, your post's last paragraph refers to stuff that you didn't introduce. Was something left out? Otherwise, it's a great post.
I haven't received any MOG Brain email notices today 11/23/08 either, but I really enjoyed hearing "Frankie." inrumford, your post's last paragraph refers to stuff that you didn't introduce. Was something left out? Otherwise, it's a great post.
Dam I thought it was just my go slow Kiwi connection, its always going pretty slow for me
Same problems here....the song plays for a few seconds and then stops--starts again, etc...It was the same last night with a few people's posts.....I also have notbeen getting emails regarding comments, and I don't think I'm getting ones for most of my trusted posts......*sigh*