It's rare that any one musician can be said to personify the tradition within which he works but it is definitely the case with Sam 'Lightnin' Hopkins, pride and paragon of Texas blues. In a music form renowned for its sparse angularity, as a guitarist Sam distilled the essence of his craft in a series of melodic riffs and turnarounds that exactly complimented the burnished melancholy of his baritone voice. That voice and that guitar were so intimately entwined that at times it was as if we were privileged eavesdroppers on an intimate conversation. • From the Blue Label’s exclusive new series “The Essential Blue Archive”• King Of The Texas Blues - a title he inherited from Blind Lemon Jefferson and Texas Alexander• Informative sleeve notes by Neil Slaven• Special Sleevepack covers