HOPKINS,LIGHTNIN - Drinkin' In The Blues, Vol.1 - Amazon.com Music

It's hard to tell where or when exactly these recordings originated, but they seem to be mostly from 1959 and 1960, when a resurgence of interest in folk music carried Lightnin' Hopkins along with it, exposing his music to new (white) audiences and expanding his fan base, giving him star status. A mix of live and studio recordings,Drinkin' in the Bluescontains both acoustic and electric music, as well as backup from such luminaries asBig Joe Williams,Sonny Terry, andBrownie McGhee. Hopkins had a gift for brilliant execution on the guitar, strong songwriting skills, and expressive vocals. He also had, as the opening track on this CD illustrates, impeccable comic timing; the monologues on "Big Black Cadillac Blues" must be ranked among this collection's finest moments. Given the quality of the music on this CD, that's high praise indeed.--Genevieve Williams