Lightnin’ Hopkins was one of the most over-recorded artists in the blues genre. The recordings here were made at a pivotal moment in his career. In 1960, at 48 years old, he was no longer a star in the black community, but was becoming a folk legend. His deeply personal music not only reflected the experiences of his community but touched a universal nerve.

Chris Strachwitz, who often recorded Hopkins, has called his records “brief audio snapshots of one of the great folk poets to emerge from the African-American experience in Texas.” When he died in 1982 he had recorded well over 600 “audio snapshots”. From his prolific output this Candid session ranks amongst his finest and most intimate work. Mark A Humphrey