Mississippi John Hurt - Live At Oberlin College (CD)

John Smith Hurt, commonly known as Mississippi John Hurt was born in the early 1890's and is one of those legendary blues singers of the same generation at Son House, Big Bill Broonzy, Blind Lemon Jefferson and Charlie Patton. He started playing guitar at age 9 and worked on and off as a sharecropper, recording for Okeh and Vanguard Records but the resurgence of his career came when he was invited to play at the 1963 Newport Folk Festival. This excellent concert recording from a performance at Oberlin College in 1965, less than 2 years before his death, came at a time when Mississippi John Hurt was coming back into the blues spotlight and being discovered by a new generation of fans. Hurt's rich, gentle voice and relaxed, flowing guitar lines could soothe the stormiest Monday. Among the hymns and traditional songs heard here are "The Angel's Laid Him Away" and "Here I Am, Oh Lord, Send Me". Complementing those are Hurt folk/blues staples, notably "Salty Dog" "Coffee Blues," and "Monday Morning Blues." While not showcasing the raw emotion of his earlier work, the blues patriarch's warmth and intimacy shine through here, especially during his exchanges with his audience. This performance offered Hurt's fine balance of child-like and mature, his voice mellow and his skill in the technically difficult art of finger-picking never diminished.

Track List:

Disc: 1

1. Candy Man
2. My Creole Belle
3. Make Me a Pallet on the Floor
4. Shake That Thing
5. I'm Satisfied
6. Salty Dog Blues
7. Nobody's Business (But Mine)
8. The Angels Laid Him Away
9. Casey Jones (Talkin' Casey)
10. Baby What's Wrong with You
11. Lonesome Blues
12. Rich Woman Blues
13. Trouble I Had All My Days
14. C.H.I.C.K.E.N. Blues
15. Coffee Blues
16. Monday Mornin' Blues
17. Frankie and Albert
18. Talkin' Casey
19. Here I Am, Oh Lord, Send Me
20. Hard Times in the Old Town Tonight
21. Spike Driver Blues