Mississippi John Hurt and Libba Cotten - history?

Subject: RE: MJH and Libba Cotten - history?
From: Mark Clark
Date: 12 Nov 02 - 07:22 PM

I think Elizabeth Cotten is numbered amoung the exponents of the Piedmont style along with such luminaries as Gary Davis, Etta Baker, et al. Hurt's style comes from the Mississipi Delta—Avalon, MS, is a little SE of Clarksdale. My guess is that their styles do not share a common origin however similar they may sound to the listener.

      - Mark

Subject: RE: MJH and Libba Cotten - history?
From: BuckMulligan
Date: 12 Nov 02 - 01:52 PM

Whether LC & MJH ever played together during the Great Folk Scare, I don't know. I think it's unlikely that they would have prior to that - Cotten was a domestic in the Seeger household in the '40s and before, I believe in Washington DC - Hurt was a tenant farmer in Mississippi. But you're on the right trail with "pre-existing music" that would have influenced both, perhaps. But I suspect the tree to be barking up has Eubie Blake and Scott Joplin in its upper branches. One of the defining characteristics of both Cotten & Hurt's style is the thumping, contrapuntal thumb that IMO comes straight from Ragtime. And the chronology is perfect - ragtime was at its height when both were "coming of age."

Subject: RE: MJH and Libba Cotten - history?
From: outfidel
Date: 12 Nov 02 - 01:42 PM

Justa Picker - Thanks for the info. I've been all over Google, and I've seen the listing for both videos (but haven't gotten them). What I'm looking for is info on the *relationship* (if any) between MJH and Cotten. Haven't found this yet. Would it be discussed in either of the videos?

Subject: RE: MJH and Libba Cotten - history?
From: Justa Picker
Date: 12 Nov 02 - 01:29 PM

Plenty of info on both, by going to Google and doing a search on both artists.

Additionally you might want to take a look at this and this.

Subject: MJH and Libba Cotten - history?
From: GUEST,Outfidel
Date: 12 Nov 02 - 01:09 PM

I've been listening a lot lately to Mississippi John Hurt and Elizabeth Cotten, and I've read a few biographical pieces in articles and liner notes. I'm wondering if more knowledgable folks could fill me on the relationship between these 2 great artists. How is that MJH and Libba could have developed somewhat similar picking styles without one having heard the other? Did MJH's 1928 Avalon recordings influence Libba's playing? But I understand Libba wrote "Freight Train" in 1915 or so. Was there a popular performer or style of playing, that pre-dates "Freight Train", which would have influenced a young MJH in Mississippi as well as a young Cotten in North Carolina?

Also, when MJH and Cotten were "re-discovered" in the 50s and 60s, I understand they played on the same festival bill many times (e.g., Newport, Philadelphia Folk Festival). Did they ever play *together*? Are there any recordings of them playing together, or covering each other's songs? Did they ever talk about each other in interviews?

Many thanks!