Ultimate audiophile Prestige reissues from Analogue Productions. Some of the most collectible, rarest and best sounding Rudy Van Gelder recordings ever made. All cut from the Analog Original Master Tapes by Kevin Gray. Pressed on 180 gram vinyl at state-of-the-art plant Quality Record Pressings and plated by Gary Salstrom, with tip-on covers on thick cardboard stock.

• Limited Edition
• Analogue Productions Prestige Stereo Series
• 180 Gram Audiophile Vinyl
• Mastered by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio
• Cut from Original Analog Master Tapes
• Plated by Gary Salstrom
• Pressed at Quality Record Pressings (QRP USA)
• Deluxe high-gloss tip-on album cover

Analogue Productions uses the original tapes and works with only the best mastering studios. Albums are plated and pressed at the world's best pressing plant on virgin vinyl with unmatched quality, as AP uses meticulous test pressing evaluation and quality control. Analogue Productions uses the highest-quality jackets and rice paper inner sleeves and issues Limited Edition albums, meaning less than 1,000 records per stamper, released in limited quantities.

Born in Centerville, Texas in 1912, Sam Hopkins, better known as Lightnin' Hopkins, was immersed as a child in the sounds of the blues and he developed a deeper appreciation at the age of 8 when he met Blind Lemon Jefferson at a church picnic. That meeting had a profound effect on the youngster who went on to learn from his older cousin, country blues singer Alger "Texas" Alexander.

Rolling Stone magazine included Hopkins at number 71 on their list of the 100 greatest guitarists of all time: "Sam "Lightnin'" Hopkins learned the blues from Blind Lemon Jefferson in the Twenties. He was a ferocious electric stylist in the Fifties, though he's perhaps best known for his nimble acoustic fingerpicking during the Sixties folk-blues revival. As unpredictable as John Lee Hooker, he seemed to be making it up as he went along, and often was." (71/100 Greatest Guitarists: David Fricke's Picks)

"For music once treated so cavalierly by the major labels, the blues yielded numerous magnificent recordings, light years away from the primitive sonic quality of, say, Robert Johnson's pre-WWII sessions. In a similar vein to Muddy Waters' oft-reissued Folk Singer is this superlative acoustic session from rural blues legend Lightnin' Hopkins, from late 1960. Playing guitar and backed by just bass and drums, he delivered ten tracks of which at least half are staples of the genre, timed just as the folk revival was giving the blues a much-needed boost. 'Automobile Blues,' 'Mean Old Frisco,' 'The Walkin' Blues,' — for those who crave unvarnished authenticity, but with in-the-room presence, this is a tonic." — Sound Quality: 90% - Ken Kessler, Album Choice Hi Fi News, July 2018

“Recorded for Prestige's Bluesville subsidiary in 1960, Lightnin' is among the rewarding acoustic dates Lightnin' Hopkins delivered in the early '60s. The session has an informal, relaxed quality, and this approach serves a 48-year-old Hopkins impressively well on both originals like ‘Thinkin' 'Bout an Old Friend’ and the familiar ‘Katie Mae’ and enjoyable interpretations of Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee's ‘Back to New Orleans’ and Arthur ‘Big Boy’ Crudup's ‘Mean Old Frisco.’ Hopkins' only accompaniment consists of bassist Leonard Gaskin and drummer Belton Evans, both of whom play in an understated fashion and do their part to make this intimate setting successful. From the remorseful ‘Come Back Baby’ to more lighthearted, fun numbers like ‘You Better Watch Yourself’ and ‘Automobile Blues,’ Lightnin' is a lot like being in a small club with Hopkins as he shares his experiences, insights and humor with you.” — All Music Guide

Musicians:

Lightnin' Hopkins - vocals, guitar
Leonard Gaskin - bass
Belton Evans - drums

Track Listing:

01. Automobile Blues
02. You Better Watch Yourself
03. Mean Old Frisco
04. Shinin' Moon
05. Come Back Baby
06. Thinkin' 'Bout An Old Friend
07. The Walkin' Blues
08. Back To New Orleans
09. Katie Mae
10. Down There Baby

Click here to listen to samples on YouTube.com ♫