Topic: Mississippi John Hurt discography online

[uncle bud]

I've been on a John Hurt kick the past few days, plowing through my collection, which seems pretty comprehensive. The one I know I'm missing is Avalon Blues 1963 (the Piedmont Sessions). I also don't have the Blues Vault double CD Memorial Anthology. Anybody familiar with this one? Is it different recording sessions or is it taken from the existing sessions we get on Columbia, Vanguard and Rounder etc? I also have the Oberlin College concert, so I don't know if there is much else out there I'm missing. Amazon.ca list a Library of Congress Sessions. I didn't know there were LofC John Hurt recordings. No new material there, but when was it recorded?

Any other suggestions for completing a John Hurt collection welcome.

[edited to add Vanguard to the list of usual suspects]

[lindy]

Uncle Bud:

I can't help you with the MJH questions you asked, but I have a question for you: sometime in the past I heard a recording of John Hurt doing a very toned down version of "Frankie," about half the speed of the first version he recorded.  Which collection of his songs does that appear on?

Also, since none of you have a sufficient number of CDs in your houses, I suggest you take a look at the Hightone Records site this weekend--they have a pretty good sale of a lot of their blues catalog--$4.99 to $10.99--including a couple of Big Joe Williams titles, some anthologies with Robert Curtis Smith cuts, and the Blind Connie Williams Testament CD.  

Lindy

[uncle bud]

Lindy,

There is a version of Frankie (slower but not that slow) on the 1965 Oberlin College recording, which I have on the Magnum CD, Mississippi John Hurt In Concert, which I think was also available in a Vanguard incarnation. Though be careful. There are various versions of this concert around with different track orders and content. Some don't have Frankie I think. It's sometimes referred to as Columbia River Live as well I believe. I don't know if one version has better sound than another, but the Magnum issue certain has some bass distortion, like it was a crappy transfer or something. That said, eminently listenable.


There is also a version of Frankie listed on the Memorial Anthology, which I don't have.

[uncle bud]

Uh, and I stupidly overlooked the version on "Legend", from Rounder. This is the one you want, I'd guess, Lindy.

[Johnm]

Hi Andrew,
Do you have the various recordings of John Hurt made at the Newport Folk Festivals?  I don't know enough about Vanguard's re-issue policy to know if they are on the big recent John Hurt on Vanguard set, but I do know they have also done a big recent re-issue set of recordings live from Newport over the years.  I've seen it, but have not looked at it closely.  In addition to John Hurt, it should include Rev. Wilkins, Skip James, Libba Cotten, Willie Doss and some others.
All Best,
John

[lindy]

Uh, and I stupidly overlooked the version on "Legend", from Rounder. This is the one you want, I'd guess, Lindy.

I went to a big chain store yesterday and sampled the Legend and Library of Congress recordings . . . the man was so at ease in both situations that it's hard to tell the difference between him being in a studio and just playing late at night with some friends . . . both have more relaxed versions of Frankie, I'll probably go with the LOC recordings, a much longer set list.  I was kind of surprised to find 2 MJH collections that were packaged, produced, and distributed by Eastern European companies that I've never heard of before, perhaps the result of lax copyright rules or enforcement . . .

Also found this website of the Japanese company that is buying some of the old Blue Goose catalog and re-releasing it:  
http://www.airmailrecordings.com/index2.html.  I sent them an email and they told me that they have no plans to find an American distributor, so you gotta pay a minimum of $25/CD with postage and handling thrown in.  Ouch.  Hope they make enough to re-release some of the more obscure stuff.

Lindy
 

[uncle bud]

Hi Andrew,
Do you have the various recordings of John Hurt made at the Newport Folk Festivals?  I don't know enough about Vanguard's re-issue policy to know if they are on the big recent John Hurt on Vanguard set, but I do know they have also done a big recent re-issue set of recordings live from Newport over the years.  I've seen it, but have not looked at it closely.  In addition to John Hurt, it should include Rev. Wilkins, Skip James, Libba Cotten, Willie Doss and some others.
All Best,
John

Thanks John. That's a good idea. There seems to be a 3 CD Newport set with some of the material you mention, in addition to some single CDs.

Andrew

[Rivers]

Uncle Bud,

I have the Genes CD double John Hurt anthology. Like all MJH's recordings it's very worthwhile. I can confirm it's not a dupe of the Oberlin College stuff on the Vanguard, which was one of the first country blues records I ever owned btw.

The set on Anthology was recorded by Gene Rosenthal at the Ontario Place coffeehouse in Washington DC. Sound quality is good to excellent.

The sleeve notes are good. On disk 2 there's a 20 minute interview with John in the dressing room with Pete Seeger for SingOut! magazine. It's interesting, at least the first couple of times. The culture clash in evidence is quite funny; John was so down to earth, and Pete is every inch the white liberal musicologist, asking some very silly questions among the good ones. Definitely worth having.

Rivers.

[uncle bud]

Rivers,

I've just picked this one up upon finding a small goldmine of used CDs at one of my usual used joints. The selection in the used blues section was such that my first thought was a true country blues fiend has died. My 2nd thought was a country blues fiend has been robbed (but this place is quite respectable, one of the premier used and indie CD places in Montreal, and I believe they're required to register "pawn" transactions--including registering ID--over a certain minimal number of CDs in Montreal). There was some fairly obscure shit and I confess to buying more than 10. More than 15. It would have been more than 30 if I hadn't owned so much of it already. More about these purchases later, including some good stuff from the Prestige/Bluesville catalog now on Fantasy, and some obscure postwar country blues stuff.

Anyway, the John Hurt Memorial Anthology was among the finds. I haven't listened to it yet but am a proud owner. Glad to hear it doesn't duplicate other stuff.  Pete S.:
Uncle Bud

[Stefan Wirz]

http://www.wirz.de/music/hurt.htm

[Bluesygirl]

Very cool!  A little description/review included with each recording might be nice. Bg

[Johnm]

An amazing job as usual, Stefan.  If anything could be added, the most helpful thing might be some kind of ur-session listing, so that it could be determined which CDs duplicate each other.  In some instances it is easy to tell, in others it's kind of tough.  I don't imagine you need anyone else to come up with more work for you to do, though!
All best,
Johnm

[Slack]

Yes, tremendous work Stefan!

[outfidel]

Two songs on Stefan's discography were new to me:

• "Bye And Bye I Will See Jesus"
• "I Hate To See That Evening Sun Go Down"

I've tracked "Bye and Bye" down on a Vanguard compilation called Early Soul Gospel.

However, I've never heard "I Hate To See That Evening Sun Go Down" -- does anyone know where I can get hold of Country Blues Live (Document DLP 525)?

[JRO]

I wonder if there is Mississippi John Hurt session discography somewhere? Stefans discography is great and wery useful, but it's kind hard for me to find when are each John's version recorded. So I'm looking for simple recording discography in coronological order. Of course one can pick the details form Ratcliffes biography but if one is already existing in public the work has already been done.