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Jim Hurst : A Box Of Chocolates
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A musical assortment of feels and tastes, singing and instrumentals, and somewhat a cross-section of the stylings of the work of Jim Hurst.
Genre: Country: Bluegrass
Release Date: 2007
A Box Of Chocolates Record Label: -self-
  • Download Album (MP3) - $12.00
  • Buy CD - $13.50
SPECIAL: 10% discount if you buy more than one copy of it today!
Preview Song Name Time Format Price Select
Chocolate Chaise Lounge 3:15 $0.99
Look Down Hannah 4:06 $0.99
Mando Bounce 4:34 $0.99
I Ain't Gonna Cry For You 2:38 $0.99
Wildcatter 3:02 $0.99
Nine Pound Hammer 4:50 $0.99
Kentucky Sunrise Waltz 3:41 $0.99
Darlin' Tell Me Why 3:57 $0.99
C5 a la Mode 3:30 $0.99
Little Baby Child 4:19 $0.99
Unlucky Seven 4:14 $0.99
Mary Of The Wild Moor 5:44 $0.99
Susie Q 3:41 $0.99
'til There Was You 2:51 $0.99
Young At Heart 3:43 $0.99
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Album Notes

Jim Hurst:

Jim Hurst was born in Middleboro, Kentucky into a musical family and was raised with a guitar in his hands and weekends growing up were spent picking with family and friends. Jim was influenced early in his career by flatpickers: such as Tony Rice and George Shuffler, but Doc Watson and Clarence White especially. He later heard Merle Travis and Chet Atkins, and especially Jerry Reed, calling his discovery of their fingerstyle playing "a turn in the road" for him. His diverse tastes led him to play in several bands, playing rock, country, bluegrass and blues. His legend was already growing when Holly Dunn came calling in 1990. He joined on as Holly's guitarist/harmony vocalist, touring the world, playing live TV, and stunning audiences with his musicianship. He joined Trisha Yearwood's band in 1992 and toured more extensively including many high-profile radio and television appearances. In the mid 1990's Jim also performed with Travis Tritt, Sara Evans and the McCarter Sisters.

In search of more bluegrass playing, Hurst joined ‘IBMA Vocalist of the Year’ Claire Lynch in 1995, meeting bassist Missy Raines in Claire's band. Jim and Missy began the duet "Jim Hurst & Missy Raines" in 1998 while touring with Claire Lynch. They broke off from Claire Lynch's band in 2000 to focus more sincerely on the duet, a groundbreaking arrangement in bluegrass music circles. Together Jim & Missy's music delved into several different genres, while staying close to their bluegrass roots. Their two "Pinecastle Records" releases "Two" and "Synergy" were received with critical acclaim, culminating with Jim and Missy receiving the Guitar Player and Bass Player of year awards at the 2001 and 2002 IBMA Awards Show. Jim has also released a solo CD for Pinecastle Records, Second Son. Jim is a sought after Nashville studio musician, recording and performing with many acoustic artists such as John Cowan, Mark Schatz, Tim O'Brien, and Sam Bush. Jim continues to record and tour doing solo dates, with the Jim Hurst Band, and also with the two-time Grammy nominee Claire Lynch.

What People Are Saying About Jim Hurst:

"Jim is one of the most under rated musicians on today's acoustic scene. He always mines a deep grove and heats things up to a rolling boil. Combining strong country and bluegrass roots, subtle invention, and a big beautiful sound. Jim's music is consistently fresh and friendly." - Tim O'Brien

"Jim uses his family background, along with his exceptional talent, to build upon a foundation of his own memories and inspiration to create a contemporary sound that is still able to reflect strong traditional values... Jim Hurst is a very hard-working musician with clear goals for himself." - Country Review

"There's not a more inventive, talented guitar player in the bluegrass business than Jim Hurst. He brings a world of experience in so many different kinds of music and formats to everything he does. I've heard the Jim Hurst Band, and they meet Jim's high standards, which is saying a lot!" - Tim Stafford

"In a field known for great instrumental work, Hurst is as good as they come...His guitar playing is marked by pure abandon." - Country Standard Time

"Jim Hurst is one of the most versatile and tasteful guitar players I know. Whether he's flailing the rhythm for an old time fiddle tune, laying down a funky groove, or finger picking a beautiful ballad, both his playing is impeccable and creative. Accompanying this instrumental virtuosity is a rich and expressive voice with a surprising range." - Mark Shatz

"Jim Hurst has an attractive vocal delivery with his songs...but it has to take a back seat to his incredible flat-picking guitar work." - Country Music News

Career Highlights:

* IBMA's Guitar Player of the Year 2001 & 2002. Nominated every year since 2001. Nominated again for this year's award.
* Toured and Recorded with duet partner -bassist Missy Raines, releasing 2 CDs on Pinecastle Records: Two (2000) & Synergy (2003)
* Released 2 Critically Acclaimed solo CDs: Open Window (self-released 1998) & Second Son (Pinecastle Records 2002)
* Touring Guitarist with Country stars Sara Evans (1997-1998) Trisha Yearwood (1992-1993) & Holly Dunn (1990-1992)
* Recorded and/or performed with: Bill Monroe, John Cowan, Tim O'Brien, Doc Watson, David Grisman, Tony Trischka, Mark Schatz, Don Henley, Sam Bush, Allison Brown, Vassar Clements, Claire Lynch & many more
* Played on the Grand Ole Opry with duet partner Missy Raines (Jim Hurst & Missy Raines), Claire Lynch, Trisha Yearwood & Holly Dunn
* Performed on numerous TV and radio programs including the Late Show w/ David Letterman, Tonight Show, Today Show, Good Morning America, CBS This Morning, Austin City Limits, Texas Connection, Hee-Haw, Grand Ole Opry Live, & BBC Worldwide Radio
* Toured worldwide including performances at the Kennedy Center, Radio City Music Hall, Fox Theater, Shaw Theater, Gaiety Theater, Houston Astrodome, Seattle Kingdome, New Orleans Superdome & Daytona International Speedway
* Performed in all US states (except Hawaii), and internationally including dates in Japan, Ireland, Northern Ireland, England, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Holland, Italy, & Slovenia
* A winner of several national, state and regional contests for both instrumental and vocal abilities including flatpicking and fingerstyle guitar, Scruggs and old-time style banjo, mandolin, as well as traditional, old-time, gospel and contemporary singing

Visit Jim's website for more info, and to purchase other recordings... http://www.jimhurst.com

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REVIEWS

A Box of GOOOOOOD Chocolates
author: Mark Fowler
How can I use words to evoke the magic contained on this CD? For starters, you should know that Jim Hurst has twice won the prestigious IBMA Guitarist of the Year award. He has been with Song-goddess Claire Lynch's band for over a dozen years and along the way has lent his six-string gun-slinging abilities to folks like Sara Evans, Travis Tritt and Trisha Yearwood. He's also a dern good guy, a rock-solid pillar-of-the-community kind of man who you wouldn't mind your children using as a role model. He's had a duo with Claire's IBMA award-winning bassist Missy Raines for several years, and I highly recommend you check out the Jim and Missy duo recordings also. But when Big Jim unleashes that hoss of a six-string technique on his solo projects I think you get the most intimate view of an awesome musician. You should know that Jim Hurst plays guitar better than you. He also plays better than anyone you know, or anyone you've heard of. Oh, sure, you may say, "oh, NO ONE plays a telecaster like Albert Lee or Jerry Reed or Steve Morse" - but those guys can't flatpick like Jim does. You may say "oh, Jim can't flatpick like Tony Rice or Bryan Sutton". #1 - I'm not sure you'd be right and #2 - Sutton and Rice and everyone else you ever heard flatpick well can't fingerpick like Jim. You may say "well... Jim surely can't fingerpick as well as Tommy Emmanuel or Guy Van Duser". You MAY be right (and you may not be) but those fine players wouldn't think of using a flatpick. So - what am I saying? Jim Hurst is a chameleon, except that he's the 500 pound gorilla of guitar chameleons. He could walk on stage right now with ANY band playing ANY music using a guitar, and people would walk out of the concert shaking their heads saying "who WAS that bald man with the happy look on his face playing the FIRE out of that guitar?" Which brings us to "A Box of Chocolates", Jim's extremely fine latest album. (If you want a triple treat, go back and check out Second Son and Open Window, but make sure you're sitting down when you put on "Wheel Hoss" or "Three Days Deep, Forever Wide".) Box of Chocolates, probably more than any of his previous works, showcases not only Jim's incredible musicianship, but his unprecedented diversity. His flatpicking stands solidly side by side with electric guitar work and fingerstyle. His vocals are expressive, at the same time moving and soothing, like a younger Doc Watson. He is surrounded by some of the most blazing musicians in the business, from Claire Lynch and the Whites to Sam Bush and a dozen others. The sweet-meat in all of these chocolates is Jim and his chameleon-like guitar. Perhaps the highlight of the package involves only Jim and guitar. In concert Mr. Hurst stuns not only his audiences, but the other musicians in the band, with the old warhorse "Nine Pound Hammer". Since Merle Travis every guitarist from Doc Watson and Tony Rice to Tommy Emmanuel has put a signature on this deceptively simple and alluring 3-chord tune. Jim Hurst turns "Nine Pound Hammer" into "Nine Pound Solo Suite for steel-string guitar with vocals". In concert Jim opens the piece with an introduction that is never the same twice. How many different variations of Nine Pound Hammer do you think could be played with each one different and jaw-droppingly difficult? Three? A half-dozen? Jim can play over a dozen in a row, with each variation a mini-masterpiece. The mind is overwhelmed with delight. On "Box" Jim includes the multi-variation introduction as a separate track, "Wildcatter", before leading to the main course, which alternates that same delicious guitar work with Jim's friendly and expressive vocals. Don't tell him, but my cell-phone rings with Jim playing Nine Pound Hammer. Now that I've gone on too long it's worth mentioning briefly a few other highlights. Jim is a fantastic mandolin and banjo player as well, and his original Mando Bounce gets a jazzy workout by the thoroughbreds. Chocolate Chaise Lounge opens the disc in style with a bluesy chunk. Look Down Hannah, I Ain't Gonna Cry for You and Mary of the Wild Moor are worthy entries in the genre of Americana Ballad. 'Til There Was You and C5 A la Mode showcase more of Jim's six-string dexterity. Darling Tell Me Why honors Jim's Kentucky Bluegrass roots. The disc ends with Claire Lynch's lovely rendition of Young at Heart, first recorded 55 years earlier by Sinatra and beautifully supported by the stylings of guess who on guitar. This is the kind of CD you could put on and just play over and over. I could try to specify who I think is the ideal audience for "Box of Chocolates", but I think it would be correct to say if you are reading this, you should be making arrangements to listen to this CD. If you don't own it - you should.
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