Mississippi John Hurt

Subject: Mississippi John Hurt
From: PDFarrell
Date: 21 Feb 17 - 08:50 AM

Hi All,

I've recently gotten back into playing my guitar and singing. I am almost exclusively interested in John Hurt. I've learned about 20 of his songs and I feel like I'm running out of new stuff to learn.

So here's my question. I'm looking for similar songs to the ones John Hurt sang, and if possible other guitar players that had similar styles and arrangements. It probably sounds weird, but I can't seem to get interested in anything other the John Hurt.

Can anyone point me in the direction of new songs (by new I don't mean modern, I mean old songs I've missed) and guitarists that would be comparable to MJH?

Thanks,
Patrick

Subject: RE: Mississippi John Hurt
From: gillymor
Date: 21 Feb 17 - 09:03 AM

MJH's ragtime-tinged style was more similar to east coast bluesmen like Blind Boy Fuller, Willie McTell, William Moore, Libba Cotten and others than it was to his Mississippi contemporaries playing in Delta styles. You might find a sampler from Biograph or Blue Goose or Revenant dedicated to East Coast or Piedmont Blues. A good place to ask this question would be at the Weenie Campbell forum which has plenty of knowledgeable country blues freaks.

Subject: RE: Mississippi John Hurt
From: GUEST
Date: 21 Feb 17 - 09:15 AM

Have you listened to MJH's Library of Congress recordings? There's a LOT of songs on there!

While John Hurt was very much his own man, I find a lot of the "Piedmont style guitar" playing has similar qualities. I think there's a wikipedia entry on it. Essentially it's the folksier kind of style oft mentioned in the same breath as 'country blues'.

Singers/guitarists that have something in common with John Hurt might include:

Elizabeth 'Libba' Cotten (classics like 'Freight Train')
Archie Edwards (his Blues N Bones album is beautiful)
Mance Lipscomb (treasure trove of song after song)
Pink Anderson (voice like syrup, lovely sense of humour)
Brownie McGee (his solo albums on the Folkways label in particular, songs like 'Face In The Crowd', which I vastly prefer to his better-known stuff with harmonica player Sonny Terry)
John Dee Holeman
Clifford Gibson (some very oddly poetic lyrics)
Buddy Moss (again, some very idiosyncratic blues songwriting)
Etta Baker
Robert Belfour (though maybe a bit harder-edged than MJH)
Jimmy 'Duck' Holmes

and even white country-blues/folk singers like Roy Bookbinder and Tom Paley

You might even wish to investigate players like Blind Lemon Jefferson, Rev Gary Davis and Blind Blake, but that's a rather more complex style, bit more ragtime and intricate

Subject: RE: Mississippi John Hurt
From: GUEST,matt milton
Date: 21 Feb 17 - 09:29 AM

above GUEST post was me

Subject: RE: Mississippi John Hurt
From: Cool Beans
Date: 21 Feb 17 - 09:51 AM

Excellent suggestions from Matt. And may I recommend my own recorded output, much of which comprises ragtime-y fingerpicking. I'd especially recommend my latest CD, "Come From Away," in particular the songs "Holly the Hedgehog," "The Sheik of Araby," "Cecilia" and "Sioux City Sue." You can hear samples/buy downloads or entire CDs at:



https://www.cdbaby.com/artist/martykohn

If you're on a tight budget, most of these are on Spotify and YouTube.

Subject: RE: Mississippi John Hurt
From: The Sandman
Date: 21 Feb 17 - 09:54 AM

"You might even wish to investigate players like Blind Lemon Jefferson, Rev Gary Davis and Blind Blake, but that's a rather more complex style, bit more ragtime and intricate"
John Hurt GENERALLY PLAYED A STEAD ALTERNATING 4/4 BASS,you can start by occasionally putiing basses off beat a bit more like broonzy.
look also at sam mcghee

Subject: RE: Mississippi John Hurt
From: The Sandman
Date: 21 Feb 17 - 10:02 AM

early morning blues[blind blake] works well in c in john hurt style, the chord sequences is what make it another intersting chord sequence is cocaine[ the dave van ronk version] which has an interesting d7 plus 9 in second part. chords are....e.. e7 .. f, d7 plus 9. c.. g7.. c

Subject: RE: Mississippi John Hurt
From: The Sandman
Date: 21 Feb 17 - 10:07 AM

if this helps, try using the pinky to use added ninths when playing c major, when playing e major to make e 6, and e 9, particularly for sugar babe, mance lipscomb.

Subject: RE: Mississippi John Hurt
From: The Sandman
Date: 21 Feb 17 - 10:19 AM

her is a little novelty if you learn MJHversion of my creole belle you can sing "midnight special" over the top of it

Subject: RE: Mississippi John Hurt
From: GUEST,Brad Sondahl
Date: 21 Feb 17 - 11:20 AM

I second the good soldier's suggestions, but it's Sam McGee, not Sam McGhee, which brings up Brownie McGhee as another good picker...

Subject: RE: Mississippi John Hurt
From: The Sandman
Date: 21 Feb 17 - 02:38 PM

might i suggest you try furry lewis
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DVIXcMCg15c

Subject: RE: Mississippi John Hurt
From: GUEST,Nathan
Date: 21 Feb 17 - 03:48 PM

I've been really enjoying Chris Smithers! He takes a lot of inspiration from Mississippi John Hurt!

Subject: RE: Mississippi John Hurt
From: gillymor
Date: 21 Feb 17 - 04:02 PM

Frank Stokes- I Got Mine

Subject: RE: Mississippi John Hurt
From: GUEST,Joseph Scott
Date: 22 Feb 17 - 01:53 AM

Ragtime picking was popular across the South. John Hurt, Hacksaw Harney, Robert Wilkins, Joe Callicott, and so on played however they felt like playing, and did so not because people would invent the distorted ideas of "Delta blues" and "Piedmont blues" much later. Mance Lipscomb (born 1895), who knew and admired the older guitarist Hamp Walker of Texas when he was young, and later in life also knew John Hurt (from Mississippi) and Elizabeth Cotten (from North Carolina) personally, said Walker, Hurt, and Cotten all played similarly. Ragtime picking.

Subject: RE: Mississippi John Hurt
From: The Sandman
Date: 22 Feb 17 - 01:12 PM

"Can anyone point me in the direction of new songs"
try john of dreams in this style in c, it is easy and sounds good.
"Aint nobodys dirty business" in d works well

Subject: RE: Mississippi John Hurt
From: The Sandman
Date: 22 Feb 17 - 01:15 PM

john hardy in c is easy using piedmont style, you have to pick through g6, but its easy, and alsothe c uses an F 1st fret ist string, against a c chord.

Subject: RE: Mississippi John Hurt
From: gillymor
Date: 22 Feb 17 - 02:24 PM

Here's a Tom Paxton tune performed by Doc Watson:

Did You Hear John Hurt?

Subject: RE: Mississippi John Hurt
From: The Sandman
Date: 23 Feb 17 - 02:36 PM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gmvGjg_Lzy0

Subject: RE: Mississippi John Hurt
From: gillymor
Date: 24 Feb 17 - 09:01 AM

The late Bill Morrisey's Blues In the Morning has a MJH swing to it.

Morrisey recorded an album of Hurt's songs with some interesting arrangements.

Subject: RE: Mississippi John Hurt
From: wysiwyg
Date: 25 Feb 17 - 08:13 AM

Chris Yakopcic is a young dude who does a number of old (and new) songs in the style. Seen him play-- he's got it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uT8lja9uqSk

http://chrisyakopcicmusic.com/

~Susan

Subject: RE: Mississippi John Hurt
From: PDFarrell
Date: 02 Mar 17 - 08:07 AM

Thanks for all the suggestions! Lots of good ones, old and new. Surprising though how unique MJH seems to be. Nothing flashy about his playing or singing but they just seem to serve the songs perfectly.

Subject: RE: Mississippi John Hurt
From: voyager
Date: 02 Mar 17 - 10:48 AM

I started playing John Hurt songs when I was 16. I'm 65 this year.
Still playing -

Stackerlee
Candy Man
Got the Blues (Can't Be Satisfied)
Spoonful (Coffee Blues)
Sliding Delta
SeeSee Rider
Richland Women
Creole Belle
Casey Jones
Monday Morning Blues

On the list.....
Let the Mermaids Flirt With Me

Inspiration
Requiem for John Hurt (John Fahey)

Talking to Casey (Doc and Merle Watson)

To paraphrase Dave Van Ronk - 'when we first heard John Hurt, we knew
we were listening to God'

voyager

Subject: RE: Mississippi John Hurt
From: gillymor
Date: 02 Mar 17 - 11:11 AM

Voyager, substitute 19 for 16, subtract Coffee Blues and See Rider, add Frankie and Spike Driver Blues and your last post describes me.

Subject: RE: Mississippi John Hurt
From: Cool Beans
Date: 02 Mar 17 - 11:33 AM

Thank you, Voyager! I'd never heard "Let the Mermaids Flirt With Me" and now I can almost play it. Give me another day or two. Same tune as Jimmie Rodgers' "Waiting For a Train," isn't it? Another Mississippi boy of similar vintage.

Subject: RE: Mississippi John Hurt
From: voyager
Date: 02 Mar 17 - 11:34 AM

gilymo -

Thanks for the reminder...Adding

Frankie
Spike Driver Blues and.....
Payday

to my list.
voyager

Subject: RE: Mississippi John Hurt
From: gillymor
Date: 02 Mar 17 - 11:38 AM

...and Payday for me as well.

Subject: RE: Mississippi John Hurt
From: gillymor
Date: 02 Mar 17 - 12:10 PM

Shake that Thing also.
This thread's got me playing all those old tunes, some of which I haven't played in decades.

Subject: RE: Mississippi John Hurt
From: Mark Ross
Date: 02 Mar 17 - 05:58 PM

Saw him in concert in '63, along with Rev.Gary Davis, Sonny &
Brownie, and Sister Rosetta Tharpe, all for 2 bucks.

Mark Ross

Subject: RE: Mississippi John Hurt
From: voyager
Date: 02 Mar 17 - 09:43 PM

great story Mark Ross. What was the venue?

thread segue - Tom Hoskins and and the MJH interviews

Discovery: The Rebirth of Mississippi John Hurt: Interview: John & Jessie Hurt b

own it.
voyager

Subject: RE: Mississippi John Hurt
From: voyager
Date: 02 Mar 17 - 09:49 PM

My MJH set list updated -

Stackerlee
Candy Man
Got the Blues (Can't Be Satisfied)
Spoonful (Coffee Blues)
Sliding Delta
SeeSee Rider
Richland Women
Creole Belle
Casey Jones
Monday Morning Blues
Spikedriver Blues
Frankie
Payday

adding --> Louis Collins

On the list.....
Let the Mermaids Flirt With Me

Subject: RE: Mississippi John Hurt
From: GUEST,matt milton
Date: 03 Mar 17 - 08:18 AM

I play a jazzed-up version of Let the Mermaids Flirt With Me (in a different key)
Yeah, it's the same tune as Waiting for a Train

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G6DGBdBjG_4

I don't play many MJH songs, but I feel like I do, cos there's so many songs that I play in ways derived entirely from his style. I only play Mermaids and Blue Harvest Blues.

I've always meant to learn Avalon, Beulah Land and Blind Old Man Sat down in the road and Cried, Monday Morning Blues and a few others.

Subject: RE: Mississippi John Hurt
From: Mark Ross
Date: 03 Mar 17 - 11:12 AM

Voyager, It was at Hunter College in New York City, I was 14, living with my parents in Queens, and going to school at the Bronx High School of Science. My folks told that I couldn't go because they didn't want me wandering on the subway at that age late at night. I went away and was grounded for 2 weeks. It was worth it.

3 years later my first professional gig was at Gerdes Folk City opening for Brownie and Sonny, and I later got meet the Reverend Davis backstage at The Gaslight. I walked into what passed for a dressing room in that dank, dark basement club and introduced myself, saying how much I loved his music. All he said to me was, "Here, change my strings, and handed me his J200. MJH died a year before I got down to the Village, so I never met him, but the habitues (and sons of habitues) used to tell a lot of stories about him.

Mark Ross

Subject: RE: Mississippi John Hurt
From: GUEST,Bob in Ottawa
Date: 03 Mar 17 - 02:40 PM

CKCU in Ottawa had a 3-hour show a few weeks ago and about half of it was Mississippi John Hurt songs sung by different singers.

See the playlist and listen on demand at this link.