Blues Masters: The Very Best of Lightnin' Hopkins

Another day, another Lightnin' Hopkins collection. It's only to be expected for a musician whose career lasted six decades, and whose recorded output was so profuse (often for several labels simultaneously) that the neophyte is hard pressed to determine which of the many albums, compilations, and box sets to acquire. One could do worse than this collection from Rhino Records, which includes classics such as "Coffee Blues" and "Mojo Hand," and even includes a few songs that aren't to be found on Mojo Hand: The Lightnin' Hopkins Anthology, generally considered the ideal collection for the beginning Hopkins aficionado. While hard-core fans probably have all these songs somewhere in their extensive collections, this CD is ideal for those seeking an introduction to the seminal bluesman. After all, he did help develop Texas blues, played a hand in developing the blues from rural to urban art form, and rode the 1960s folk-blues revival to one of the longest careers in blues history. Covering the 20 years of Hopkins's career between 1941 and 1961, the collection also provides a brief history of the development of the blues over the same period. --Genevieve Williams  more