Album Notes

In my opinion, Mississippi John Hurt is a seminal figure in American popular music akin to Jimmie Rodgers (also from Mississippi). John Hurt was never as famous as the Singing Brakeman, yet his songs and his guitar picking style are quintessential pre-War country blues and folk music that sounds as fresh and lively as when he made his original recordings ninety year ago.

This is the second volume of Hurt’s songs that I’ve recorded, and as on the first outing, I’m joined on this record by Jason Bailey on mandolin, John McKay on harmonica, and Tom Dameron on tuba (“Hot Time In The Old Town” and “Daddy John”). John Hurt seldom had anyone accompany him on his recordings, and so some of the selections here are performed solo, as John did.

Recently I’ve been performing a show called “Mississippi John Hurt, His Story and His Songs” where I talk about him and play some of his tunes while a video screen shows pictures of John from the Mississippi John Hurt Blues Foundation and Museum collection along with other old photos of Avalon back in the day, and new video scenes photographed in and around Avalon as it looks today. In telling John’s story, I talk about how he taught himself to play the guitar, how he learned songs from his various work experiences, and how he made up his own tunes from popular songs and melodies. It covers his recording sessions in 1928, and what an amazing experience it must have been for a farm worker from way out in the country to travel to the big cities of Memphis and New York to make records for the Okeh label. In many cases, his songs tie-in directly with some of his life experiences. I also discuss the revival of interest in his music in the early 1960s, and John’s phenomenal popularity among folk music fans in the last few years before his death in 1966.

I have also been teaching John Hurt’s guitar style, and hope to combine teaching of his playing with my biographical presentation for community groups, schools, libraries, and any organization or group that wishes to present an entertaining and educational program about Mississippi John Hurt and his place in American musical history. Anyone wishing more information about my presentation, or anyone wishing to inquire about learning John Hurt’s guitar style may contact me by phone at 205-586-8671 or 513-847-0672, or by email at lostjim@cinci.rr.com

I have been working with the Mississippi John Hurt Blues Foundation for several years now, and I usually perform at both the Valentine Gala (held in Carrollton near the end of February) and the Mississippi John Hurt Gospel and Blues festival in Avalon, Mississippi on the grounds of the John Hurt museum in the hill country very near to where he lived for most of his life. For more information about these events and the Foundation, please visit www.msjohnhurtmuseum.com