It is no surprise to find out that the unique voice of Michael Hurley was first recorded for release by Folkways Records on the same reel to reel as recorded Leadbelly’s last sessions.
Hurley’s career has spanned almost fifty years of craft and his newest LP Blue Hills is a testimony to his continued relevance.
Tracing the lineage and citing the fore-bearers of the New Weird America, one can’t help but mention the music of bizarre folk singer/guitarist/artist Michael Hurley.
Michael Hurley | The Werewolf
httpv://https://youtube.com/watch?v=73Iy746lnlQ
If you haven’t been following his career since the 1970’s (when he was collaborating with the likes of the Holy Modal Rounders and Jesse Colin Young) then you probably discovered him in the past couple of years via Devendra Banhart’s & Andy Cabic’s label Gnomonsong, who have released Hurley’s recent recordings.
Hurley was discovered by blues and jazz historian Frederick Ramsey III, and subsequently championed by boyhood friend Jesse Colin Young, who released Hurley’s next two album on The Youngbloods’ Warner Brother’s imprint, Raccoon. How’s that for cred?
In the 1970s, Hurley made three albums for Rounder Records; Have Moicy! (1975), Long Journey (1976), and Snockgrass (1980) which after being out of print for decades are now being reissued on Light In The Attic Records.
In recent years, tours with Son Volt and high praise from younger performers like Lucinda Williams, Vic Chesnutt, Calexico, and Cat Power, have increased Hurley’s legend.
A rare piano based set from OTO favourite Josephine Foster whose vocal style, according to David Keenan “…combines a facility for expressive extremes comparable to Patty Waters with the precise comportment of folk singers like Karen Dalton and Shirley Collins”.
Hailing from Colorado, Josephine Foster began to sing publicly at age 15, singing operatic hymns in the services of a Rocky Mountain log cabin church. After studies in classical music she moved to Chicago, where she abandoned the idea of dedicating herself to opera and returned to her love of writing songs. Since then, Josephine has traveled around the world sharing her music.
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Michael Hurley & Josephine Foster LIVE
presented by OTO
Saturday, 14 April 2012 | 21:00 CET
Ausland | Lychener Str. 60 | 10437 Berlin/Prenzlauer Berg
snockonews.net | myspace.com/josephinefoster | ausland-berlin.de
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