Gentle, graceful, subtle, sweet--these aren't descriptions generally applied to the blues, but they offer a sense of Mississippi John Hurt's uniqueness and enduring legacy. Rediscovered during the 1960s folk boom after last recording in the late 1920s, Hurt cut the three albums compiled here when he was in his early 70s. His conversational phrasing sounds as natural as breathing, while his ragtime-tinged fingerpicking on acoustic guitar reveals more complexity the closer you listen. Beyond blues classics like "Candy Man" (the sly sensualist wasn't referring to lollipops), Hurt's range encompasses everything from folkish narratives ("Talking Casey," "Spike Driver Blues") to Southern spirituals ("Nearer My God to Thee," "Farther Along"). Though Hurt died in 1966, shortly after the last of these sessions, the music still sounds so fresh, you can almost hear the twinkle in his eye. --Don McLeese

Mississippi John Hurt recorded 13 country-blues songs for the Okeh Electric Records company in 1928. Then he vanished. Actually, he never went anywhere. Indeed, he never strayed from his hometown of Avalon, Mississippi. He simply put the guitar down. It was the Great Depression, times were tough, money was scarce, and he needed to work. Nearly 30 years later, a blues enthusiast tracked him down, took him back to Washington, D.C., and suddenly Mississippi John's musical career resumed as quickly as it had finished. He recorded again, but these first songs from the late 1920s--with John's melancholy voice and hypnotic guitar playing at its most inspired--are his greatest musical accomplishments. --Percy Keegan

Songs Include : 1. Pay Day / 2. I'm Satisfied / 3. Candy Man / 4. Make Me A Pallet On Your Floor / 5. Talking Casey / 6. Corrinna Corrinna / 7. Coffee Blues / 8. Louis Collins / 9. Hot Time In The Old Town Tonight / 10. If You Don't Want Me Baby / 11. Spike Driver's Blues / 12. Beulah Land

Country blues just doesn't get much better, or any sweeter, than Hurt's performance here. When this concert recording was issued as a two-record set 35 years ago, it bore the misleading title The Best of Mississippi John Hurt. Misleading because it featured the rediscovered 70-something artist reviving material he'd originally recorded more than 35 years earlier. But age did nothing to diminish the sly sensuality of Hurt's songs or the gentle virtuosity of his guitar. The selection includes traditional spirituals, such as "I Shall Not Be Moved" and "Nearer My God to Thee"; signature standards, such as "Candy Man" and "My Creole Belle"; and surprises, such as the instrumental "Spanish Fandango" and the evergreen "You Are My Sunshine." Hurt's return from obscurity ranks with the more rewarding upshots of the 1960s folk revival, and his legacy (since his death in 1966) has continued to influence contemporary folk and blues musicians. In addition to the original recordings from a 1965 concert at Oberlin College, this reissue contains three previously unreleased tracks recorded at the same year's Newport Folk Festival workshop. --Don McLeese

Mississippi John Hurt recorded 13 country-blues songs for the Okeh Electric Records company in 1928. Then he vanished. Actually, he never left his hometown of Avalon, Mississippi. He simply put the guitar down. It was the Great Depression, times were tough, money was scarce, and he needed to work. Nearly 30 years later, a blues enthusiast tracked him down and took him back to Washington, D.C. Suddenly, Mississippi John's musical career resumed as quickly as it had been halted. These first songs cut in the late 1920s, however, represent Hurt in his youthful prime; the 1928 recordings represent the greatest presentation of his melancholy voice and hypnotic guitar playing. --Percy Keegan

Very few people manage to grab the brass ring more than once, but Mississippi John Hurt did just that, experiencing two career peaks four decades apart. Avalon Blues/1963 is from the Delta bluesman's second apex, when Hurt reemerged from obscurity and briefly rode a wave of new interest in folk and blues. The CD's 12 great tracks include such classics as "Richland Woman Blues," "Salty Dog," and "Casey Jones." Also here are the lively "Candy Man Blues" and the sweet "Avalon Blues." Hurt, a vibrant performer with a warm singing voice, is always enjoyable, and his latter-day recordings have a charm all their own. --Genevieve Williams