Mississippi John Hurt - Avalon Blues

After a 35-year absence, Mississippi John Hurt made a return to recording with Folksongs & Blues, and his gentle, easygoing style of country blues hadn't changed a bit in the intervening years. Hurt croons, and even occasionally whispers, the lyrics, accompanied by the lazy strum of an acoustic guitar and a few touches of harmonica. He makes the insults in "Salty Dog" actually sound more disappointed than angry, and "Joe Turner Blues" sounds extraordinarily soothing for a song containing the line "He's the man I hate." Hurt is adept at composing lovely melodies (such as "Candy Man Blues") and his gentle, subtle performances do them justice. Still, as laid-back as it can be, it never becomes boring or insubstantial, primarily because the scarred pain in Hurt's voice, as well as the sometimes-dark lyrics, give these songs more weight than is easily apparent. Folksongs & Blues is a great introduction to Mississippi John Hurt's talents, and is a must-have for anyone interested in country blues.

100 Best Blues Discs in History (14/100)
Styles - Country Blues, Delta Blues, Acoustic Blues, Blues Revival, Regional Blues
Time - 34:07
Format - mp3@320 Kbps
Size - 74 mb

Tracks
01. Avalon Blues
02. Richland Woman Blues
03. Spike Driver Blues
04. Salty Dog
05. Cow Hooking Blues
06. Spanish Fandango
07. Casey Jones
08. Louis Collins
09. Candy Man
10. My Creole Belle
11. Liza Jane (God's Unchanging Hand)
12. Joe Turner Blues

Credits
Mississippi John Hurt (guitar, vocals)

Label
Rounder, 1963

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