Avalon Blues: A Tribute to the Music of Mississippi John Hurt

Here’s the problem: You’re not going to out-Mississippi-John-Hurt Mississippi John Hurt. So there’s no point in trying. The beauty of Hurt’s music is not in the notes or even in his remarkable technique, but rather in his gentle intensity—something that came to him by way of his own unique personality and a very real understanding of the blues he sang. Regardless of the talent assembled on Avalon Blues—and it is impressive—they cannot replicate Hurt’s own talents. In theory, Hurt’s spare, folk-blues should be fertile ground for re-interpretation, but few artists on this tribute attempt anything more than mere imitation. Beck, Steve Earle, and Ben Harper all refuse to take any chances with their contributions, approaching Hurt’s songs with a reverence that’s ultimately stultifying. Only Victoria Williams, who turns “Lay My Burden Down” into loopy, mescaline-fueled gospel, seems to understand that a tribute album needs to be more than just a bunch of famous musicians exhorting the public to discover the music of a forgotten legend.