Avalon Blues 1963

Hurt was an openhearted, elfin charmer with a highly original style developed in his native Avalon, Mississippi, away from the Delta plantations where most other bluesmen held sway. He was also one of the earliest and most influential figures in the '60s blues revival. Hurt returned to the studio after a 35-year absence to make this album, revisiting material from his original 1928 Okeh recordings. On classics like his "Candy Man," "Louis Collins," and "Avalon Blues," his masterful picking and relaxed singing are intact save for a little weathering of his vocal cords. What's striking is the warmth gentility of his performances, which made him a favorite of folk audiences. Even today many folksingers echo his tumbling six-string technique, although none have equaled his unique rustic conviviality. Hurt's late-career second wind was brief. He died just three years after recording this album.