Sam "Lightnin'" Hopkins was a Texas bluesman whose career began in the 1920s. He died in Texas in 1982. That's sixty years of performing! Sixty years of music, and all the changes that came down the line. While he began his career playing an acoustic guitar, and switched to electric later on, his sound remained remarkably steady throughout these sixty years. Nimble boogie riffs played by his wonderfully slim fingers on whatever guitar was close at hand, and his mid-range vocals, 12-bar structures (for the most part), and entertaining lyrics and there you have it -- a career in the blues.

You could hardly encapsulate sixty years on one disc, so Columbia/Legacy hasn't even made an attempt in this collection from their Roots & Blues series. The tunes are from a couple of sessions in the middle of his career. 1950-51, sessions in New York City and Houston. Solo, accompanied only by his own acoustic, and a couple tracks with bass and drums (Donald Cooks & Connie Kroll); what you get here is essential Lightnin'!

First introduced to the blues by the legendary Blind Lemon Jefferson at a social function in 1920, Hopkins became the legend's guide for a time. He then met Texas Alexander (a cousin, and an influence). Hopkins spent the bluesman's prerequisite time in prison in the mid-30s but rejoined Alexander on his release. In 1946 they were discovered by a talent scout for Aladdin Records. The scout wasn't interested in Texas Alexander though, and paired Hopkins with pianist Wilson "Thunder" Smith. This pairing led to Hopkins' nickname.

The music on Hello Central is basic, simple, and straightforward. Hopkins' guitar accompaniment, and his own vocals. It's fairly old-fashioned stuff, very authentic and country-oriented. The kind of stuff you could hear in backwoods juke joints and barbecues. There's nothing fancy about it, but Hopkins has an easy facility with the guitar, and provides his own rhythm section, even when playing quiet and slow blues. The music moves. It rolls, and at times it even rocks.

Although many of the titles may seem familiar to the casual blues listener, they are usually not the blues you might expect, but a different interpretation or arrangement by the same title. "Coffee Blues" is not, for instance, Mississippi John Hurt's tribute to Maxwell House, but rather an almost rocking song about the tasty beverage. "Freight Train" is not Elizabeth Cotten's fingerpicked ode to the railroad but a slow blues about hoboing. "Happy New Year" finds Lightnin' joined by drums and bass which simply provide a foundation for the same sort of thing Hopkins has been doing without them. You can see, though, the slow development of electric blues from recordings like this.

There are twenty tracks included on Hello Central. Calling a set of recordings from two years (out of a sixty year career) The Best of is a bit of overstatement, but there are arguments to be made for the importance of these recordings. They show a performer at the peak of his powers, in control of his instrument and his voice, and provide a variety of tunes to showcase his style effectively. You're going to need more than one collection of Lightnin' Hopkins in your library of the blues, but this is a good place to start.