Mississippi John Hurt
Tue, 12/22/2009 - 22:30
I've always loved the music of Mississippi John Hurt. It's deceptively simple. There's a complexity tied to a purity of tone that is just amazing. The basic pattern with the thumb isn't that far off from folks like Elizebeth Cotton ("cotton picking") or Merle Travis ("Travis Picking") but, to me it's just always had just a bit more drive.
I think this was the first John Hurt tune I ever heard. The basic melody is straightforward, but that slide up from D (3rd fret, fifth string) to e (5th fret) leading to G (3rd fret sixth string) is both the harmonic and rhythmic center.
The Mayor of Tuneburg