Albert Collins – Ice Pickin'

There has never been and may never be again a bluesman quite like Albert Collins. A cousin of the legendary Lightnin' Hopkins, Collins emerged with a blues sound and style all his own, featuring a combination of icy echo, shattering, ringing, sustained high notes, an ultra-percussive right-hand attack, and an unheard-of minor key guitar tuning. In the mid-60s, Collins broke into the rock 'n' roll world, releasing three albums produced by members of Canned Heat, and began playing the San Francisco psychedelic circuit. But Albert's greatest success came after he signed with Alligator in 1978 and cut Ice Pickin'. Home to the all-time fan favorites "Honey Hush," "Master Charge" and "Conversation With Collins," it won the Best Blues Album of the Year Award from the Montreux Jazz Festival, and was nominated for a Grammy.