Lightnin’ Hopkins In New York
Candid, 2022
8/10
Listen to Lightnin’ Hopkins In New York
Recorded on November 15, 1960 at the Nola Penthouse Sound Studios in New York, the inimitable blues man Lightnin’ Hopkins is in peak form on this display of 8 unaccompanied solo tracks where he plays guitar, piano and vocals.
“Take It Easy” starts the listen with warm acoustic guitar and Hopkins’ soft, distinct vocals that deliver eloquent blues alongside agile keys, and ‘Mighty Crazy” follows with a quicker spirit of vivid storytelling and a subtle melody.
In the middle, “I’ve Had My Fun If I Don’t Get Well This Morning” showcases Hopkins’ wise and gritty singing amid the light guitar, while “The Trouble Blues” is vocally more firm and musically quite alluring in Hopkins’ timeless vision.
Rounding out the listen is the poetic and bare “Wonder Why”, and “Mister Charlie” exits the affair with a long spoken introduction before the fluid and raw finish.
Laid down during a time when Hopkins was being “rediscovered” by white audiences, any uncomfortableness he may have felt playing for those audiences isn’t apparent as he plays with sincerity, ruggedness and his very distinct style that’s just as relevant today as it was in 1961 when this was originally released.
The album sounds better than ever here, where it’s remastered from the original masters, and includes new liner notes by Nat Hentoff.
Travels well with: Otis Spann- Otis Spann Is The Blues; Charles Mingus- Charles Mingus Presents Charles Mingus