The other day I shot out a tweet asking you guys for your favorite Mississippi John Hurt song and why…the trick was distilling your answer down to <140 characters…
There were a couple great responses, including @bosment who thought that “Avalon Blues” is John Hurt “distilled to his essence.” Not going to disagree on that one.
But it was @TweetyStrutter who hit on the head with her pick: “Louis Collins”. She said in reply to my question: “Louis Collins: I never heard a man laugh and cry simultaneously without actually doing either…” Yup. There are a couple recordings of him doing this song out there, and his carefree picking and evocative voice get me EVERY time. Honestly, if you just close your eyes and listen, it’s hard not to tear up…
Here’s our recording of Mississippi John Hurt playing at the Ash Grove on July 5, 1964. In it you’ll find a sublime performance of “Louis Collins”. Just close your eyes and listen.
