Poor sound quality better to get the Yazoo release 1928 sess
Bernard J. Sheehan | Troy, NY USA | 07/24/2010
(1 out of 5 stars)
"Mississippi John Hurt was an amazing folk musician and these are some of his finest recordings. It's too bad that Columbia decided to use sonic solutions "no noise" processing on this release. Thankfully a much better release of the same material is available from Yazoo titled: The 1928 Sessions. The difference is between the two releases is so extreme it staggers the imagination how Columbia could have released this cd sounding so poorly."
A Folk-Blues (Gentle) Giant
Steve Vrana | Aurora, NE | 12/11/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"What an amazing story. In 1928, OKeh recording director Tommy Rockwell discovers a then 35-year-old John Hurt in Avalon, Mississippi. Hurt goes to New York in February and cuts a handful of tracks. "Frankie" and "Nobody's Dirty Business" sell well enough to bring Hurt back in December for two more recording dates. These thirteen tracks are the result of those 1928 sessions. Hurt would spend the next thirty-five years in relative obscurity before his next recordings at the age of 70. But even if he never stepped into a recording studio again, these recordings would still make Hurt one of the most revered folk-blues artists.
I first encountered Hurt's music by way of Doc Watson, but there's no substitute for the real thing. There's no flash, no guitar pyrotechnics. Just a simple man whose restrained vocals and unique fingerpicking create nothing short of magic. ESSENTIAL [Running Time - 38:17]"