Ted Hawkins - The Final Tour (1998)

Because he was a black man with an acoustic guitar, Ted Hawkins often falls into the blues category, but this description ignores prominent elements of his music. A better description comes from writer Peter Guralnick, who called it simply a "rural adaptation of contemporary soul music." In his "rural soul," Hawkins incorporates the direct approach of Delta blues, the resignation of country music, the honest and idiosyncratic lyrics of folk, the hope of gospel, and the rich and tender vocals of soul. On this 1994 live album, Hawkins's urgent guitar strumming and infectious singing captivates and connects with the audience--after all, playing solo in front of a crowd is where Hawkins had the most practice, after years of Venice Beach busking. "All I Have to Offer You Is Me" was a hit for Charley Pride, country music's most celebrated African American performer. Hawkins renders a gripping a cappella version of John Fogerty's "Long as I Can See the Light," and his reading of Webb Pierce's honky-tonk staple "There Stands the Glass" is a perfect example of the emotional investment in whatever he sings. Even a simple testament to love like the original "Groovy Little Things" becomes a moving, spiritual moment.