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True Southern Gents
I once heard a person call someone else “forever the coolest person in the room.” They had apparently never heard of or met Mike Hurtt at the time. After all, with his slicked back hair, penchant for stylish clothing, amazing musical knowledge and the general Fonzie-esqe air about him, there could never be someone who is half as cool as him in any room. It’s simple as a lone thumb in the air and an “Ehhh!”
The fact that Mike Hurtt is actually known throughout Detroit is possible because of the essential musical connection that runs deep through the middle of our country. If you were to draw a diagonal line from the Motor City to Hurtt’s birthplace of New Orleans, LA, you would see the bloodlines of thousands of bands, records and tours. In one instance of the relationship involving Hurtt himself is his band, The Royal Pendletons, which involves members from both New Orleans and Memphis, TN. While The Pendeletons remain a major part of Mike’s life, he is currently working on his newest project, Mike Hurtt and the Haunted Hearts.
Coming together in 2003, The Haunted Hearts formed to refocus attention onto New Orleans’ strong heritage of straight-up bayou hillbilly music. With Mike at the head of the beast on vocals and acoustic guitar, he added key musicians, ranging from the likes of upright bassist John Trahey, guitarist J.D. Mark, guitarist Jason Goodman and multi-instrumentalist Mitch Palmer, to ensure a rich sound. “We didn’t know if people were going to get it at first because there aren’t any drums,” Hurtt says of his fans' expectations. “We just thought it might be too extreme."
Everything about the Hearts is pure New Orleans. The music harkens back to the first generation of swamp blues from Lazy Lester, Slim Harpo and Lightnin' Slim with a feeling of the country music that is also popular in the voodoo region. From self-composed gems like “Lonely Mardi Gras” and “Mean Mean Moon” to covers of songs by swamp legend Jay Chevalier, it’s obvious what the intentions of the Hearts are. “The music I love breaks the rules,” Hurtt states. “It doesn’t matter what genre it starts out as — it could be bluegrass and turn into R&B and work. That’s what we try to do.”
On their latest record, Come Back to Louisiana, one can hear the cross-genre play that only some of the bravest musicians might attempt. Yet, Mike and the Hearts have gone ahead with their interesting blend of music and have looked to the past for inspiration, as they often tend to do. “That’s one of the coolest things about Detroit music,” Hurtt offers up. “Black singers like Nathaniel Mayer, Nolan Strong and Gino Washington were all really into rock ‘n’ roll. Likewise, all the white rock ‘n’ roll guys in the city were into what the black singers were doing. They weren’t afraid to mix it up.”
While life has had its fill of surprises for Mike Hurtt, he seems to like it better that way. As a traveling troubadour that sings the praises of his indestructible hometown, Hurtt won’t let a hurricane get in his way of spreading the gospel of great music. “There are just so many gems out there that people don't know about,” Mike states. “If it wasn't for people like us, some truly great stuff would get passed by." | RDW
Mike Hurtt and the Haunted Hearts • 8/30 Hamtramck Festival, South Stage, 2 p.m.
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