Lightnin´ Hopkins - Lightnin´ In New York (1960)

Rolling Stone (12/2/70) - "...Lightnin' is one of the most powerful bluesmen going, and this is probably his finest album..."

This album features the classic bluesman Lightnin' Hopkins on eight unaccompanied solos, not only singing and playing guitar but taking some rare solos on piano (including on "Lightnin's Piano Boogie"). Hopkins recorded a lot of albums in the 1960s and all are quite listenable even if most are not essential; he did tend to ramble at times! This Candid release is one of his better sets of the period, highlighted by "Take It Easy," "Mighty Crazy," and "Mister Charlie."  

The tantalizing thing is, there's so much more from this session. "Lightnin' in New York" features tremendously fun and entertaining tracks like "Mighty Crazy" and the definitive version of "Mister Charlie", as well as "Trouble Blues," a searingly painful blues that is among the best songs Lightnin' ever recorded. The problem? There are six songs from this Nov. 15, 1960 session that are not here. These cuts (all good) appeared on Mosaic's "The Complete Candid Otis Spann/Lightnin' Hopkins Sessions" a three-disc masterpiece that features two prime discs of blues pianist Spann and one of Hopkins (14 tracks!). That Hopkins disc in its entirety might be his absolute finest. That limited-edition box set is no longer available, but if you find it used or up for auction, jump at it. Anyway, it would have been nice if, on this "Lightnin' in New York" reissue, they had been able to add those bonus cuts. Why not? Anyway, pretend you're not missing anything and enjoy some fabulous Lightnin' Hopkins music.

Lightnin´ Hopkins - Lightnin´ In New York (1960)
(320 kbps, cover art included)