Samuel John Hopkins was born in 1912 to a poor sharecropping family in Centerville, Texas. He immersed himself in the blues at an early age, having met Blind Lemon Jefferson at a church picnic not long after having struck out on his own.
In 1946, Hopkins was "discovered" by Aladdin Records' talent scout Lola Anne Cullum, who convinced him to travel to Los Angeles from Houston. There, he cut sides both as a solo artist and as part of a duo with pianist Wilson Smith. It was during his stint at Aladdin that he acquired his nickname, while his partner was dubbed "Thunder."
Shortly thereafter, Hopkins returned to Houston, his home base for the balance of his life. He was a world-class song improviser and performer, but it was as a guitarist that Hopkins had the most impact. Jimmie Vaughan once said that without Hopkins, there would be no Jimi Hendrix, and in fact Hendrix's record collection boasted more Hopkins LPs than any artist other than Bob Dylan.
The legendary blues guitarist performed at Los Angeles' famed Ash Grove venue on many occasions over the club's decade-and-a-half existence. Ten of the songs on this set are compiled from two separate performances at the club, and none of the performances on the album have previously been available commercially.
Tracks 1-14 consists of acoustic tracks with song introductions from a set recorded on November 29, 1970. Tracks 15-16 are acoustic performances from September 22, 1965. The disc is rounded out with four electric tracks with his band from Palo Alto's In Your Ear club recorded on August 18, 1971. While most of the tunes are originals, the set lists include some distinctive cover versions of the R&B classics "What I'd Say" and "Hi-Heel Sneakers," along with some folk/gospel nuggets, "Don't The Moon Look Pretty" and "How Long Has It Been."
