Chris Smither assists us kick off this year’s Lotus World Music and Arts Celebration http://lotusfest.org/ with our Lotus Thursday show. After more than twenty years on the scene, Chris Smither has a place in the pantheon of American folk and blues. His dazzling acoustic blues guitar and rich, gravelly voice are unmistakable. The New Orleans native has actually described his design as “one-third Lightnin’ Hopkins, one-third Mississippi John Hurt, and one-third me.” He’s likewise a gifted songwriter, with a propensity for matter-of-fact yet poetic turns of expression.