John Lee Hooker w/ Earl Hooker - If You Miss 'Im...I Got Him

I wanna say that I recall seeing at least one other record of these cousins playing together, but I'll be damned if I can remember what title and I don't think that I've ever had a copy of whatever it is that I'm thinking of. Anyone?

"This album is marked by the interaction between John Lee Hooker and his guitar-playing cousin Earl. Earl, who succumbed to illness in 1970, was a fine bluesman in his own right, possessing a formidable slide technique. Many are unaware that the two often performed together, and the band that accompanies John Lee here also backed Earl frequently. The opening cut, then, a slow 12-bar number called "The Hookers" is not about ladies of the evening, but rather about the gentlemen in question.

Heard here less than a year before his death, Earl still sounds frisky and versatile, often utilizing a funky wah-wah style without ever descending into the psychedelic excesses that plagued so many late-'60s electric blues albums. One of the most effective cuts is "Lonesome Mood," a low-key, one-chord stomper in the classic John Lee mold, where Earl's wah-wah guitar meshes with Johnny Walker's organ and Jefferey Carp's harmonica to create a subtly shifting, sensuously undulating web of sound over which John Lee works his hoodoo. On IF YOU MISS 'IM, John Lee definitely benefits from keeping it in the family."

John Lee Hooker - That's My Story

Another of the Riverside dates, this one with jazz greats Sam Jones and Louis Hayes on board!

"Although Orrin Keepnews' Riverside Records was primarily a jazz label, the company dabbled in blues in the 1960s -- and one of the bluesmen who recorded for Riverside was John Lee Hooker. Recorded in 1960, this Keepnews-produced session came at a time when Hooker was signed to Vee-Jay. The last thing Keepnews wanted to do was emulate Hooker's electric-oriented, very amplified Vee-Jay output, which fared well among rock and R&B audiences. Keepnews had an acoustic country blues vision for the bluesman, and That's My Story favors a raw, stripped-down, bare-bones approach -- no electric guitar, no distortion, no singles aimed at rock & rollers. Over the years, Hooker fans have debated the merits of his Riverside albums. Some much prefer him in an electric setting; others applaud the rural vision that Keepnews had for him. But, truth be told, both approaches are equally valid. While many of his electric recordings are stunning, he is also well served by the rawness that Keepnews goes for on That's My Story. From the sobering "Gonna Use My Rod" (which finds Hooker warning that he will shoot anyone who fools around with his wife) to the gospel-themed "One of These Days," Hooker's performances are often compelling. Most of the time, he is joined by two jazz musicians, acoustic bassist Sam Jones and drummer Louis Hayes, both Cannonball Adderley sidemen at the time. However, the blues giant is unaccompanied on a few selections, including the autobiographical title song and the overtly political "Democrat Man" (a passionate endorsement of the Democratic Party). While That's My Story falls short of essential, it is a solid, rewarding product of Hooker's association with Keepnews and Riverside Records."

John Lee Hooker - Sittin' Here Thinkin'

Another 1959 session recorded outside of his Vee Jay contract that was eventually released on Muse Records in 1979. It would appear that the session was recorded under the supervision of Fred Mendelsohn  of Savoy Records in New Jersey, but it was not issued by that label until more than 20 years after this release. I haven't been able to find any discussion of the circumstances surrounding the Muse issue or why Savoy left it on the shelf for 20 years prior. I don't see any evidence that Mendelsohn ever had any involvement with Muse, so my best guess would be that Muse licensed the recording when Joe Fields sought to expand the scope of his label.   

John Lee Hooker - The Country Blues of John Lee Hooker

Happy Birthday Mr. Hooker! There is some debate as to whether he would have been 98 or 95 (his birth year is listed as 1917, but he acknowledged he had lied about his age to join the Army and other events of his early life line up better with 1920).

This album was recorded in 1959 as a part of a series of Blues albums recorded for Riverside Records during a phase where Orrin Keepnews was doing his best to expand the label beyond Jazz  with this series and another featuring legends of New Orleans 'trad jazz'. Hooker was under contract to Vee Jay records at the time and was 'rented' to Riverside for sessions that yielded 3 LP's.

John Lee Hooker ~ Vee-Jay Sides

John Lee Hooker On Campus

Vee Jay's 1964 album John Lee Hooker on Campus is titled to sound like a live recording but it isn't. As part of the Collectables Vee Jay reissue campaign, these 12 tracks originally tried to capitalize on Hooker's emergence on the coffeehouse/college tours he was involved in at the time. This is an electric album that contains excellent material from Hooker, even though the occasional background singers get in the way, attempting to modernize his gritty blues with a smoother soul sound. All of the Vee Jay reissues of John Lee Hooker material are worth having and are budget priced as a bonus. - Al Campbell / AMG

Vee Jay Records 1964
VJLP 1066

John Lee Hooker - vocals, guitar

A1 I'm Leavin'
A2 Love Is A Burning Thing
A3 Birmingham Blues
A4 I Want To Shout
A5 Don't Look Back
A6 I Want To Hug You
B1 Poor Me
B2 I Want To Ramble
B3 Half A Stranger
B4 My Grinding Mill
B5 Bottle Up And Go
B6 One Way Ticket

The Big Soul of John Lee Hooker

There may not be much running time to this LP -- not even 30 minutes -- but John Lee Hooker gives us value for every second there is, and in a totally unexpected setting. Jumping into the R&B and soul explosions of the early '60s -- or at least dipping his toe into them -- he's backed here by the Vandellas, no less, on all but one of the 11 songs here. And coupled with an uncredited band that includes organ accompaniment, among other attributes that one doesn't usually associate with Hooker, he pulls it off. Indeed, he manages to straddle blues and soul far better than, say, Muddy Waters did during this same period; he's still a little too intense for the more pop side of the field, but he's also stretching the appeal of the blues with every nuance on this record, and there are a few cuts here, such as "Send Me Your Pillow" that would have fit on any of Hooker's far more traditional-sounding blues releases; and others, such as "She Shot Me Down" (a rewrite of "Boom Boom"), that are so close to his well-known standard repertory that they slip right into his output without explanation. And the whole album is short enough so that even if he would have gone wrong -- which he didn't -- there was only so far he could have gone wrong. As it is, this is near-essential listening as some of Hooker's most interesting work of the '60s. - Bruce Eder / AMG

Vee Jay Records 1963

VJLP 1058

John Lee Hooker - vocals, guitar

A1 Frisco
A2 Take A Look At Yourself
A3 Send Me Your Pillow
A4 She Shot Me Down
A5 I Love Her
A6 Old Time Shimmy
B1 You Know I Love You
B2 Big Soul
B3 Good Rocking Mama
B4 Onions
B5 No One Told Me

John Lee Hooker ~ Vee-Jay Sides

John Lee Hooker - I'm John Lee Hooker

This review was for a reissue, however this post only contains the original 12 tracks...

Winding through the literally hundreds of titles in John Lee Hooker's catalog is a daunting task for even the most seasoned and learned blues connoisseur. This is especially true when considering Hooker recorded under more than a dozen aliases for as many labels during the late '40s, '50s, and early '60s. I'm John Lee Hooker was first issued in 1959 during his tenure with Vee Jay and is "the Hook" in his element as well as prime. Although many of these titles were initially cut for Los Angeles-based Modern Records in the early '50s, the recordings heard here are said to best reflect Hooker's often-emulated straight-ahead primitive Detroit and Chicago blues styles. The sessions comprising the original 12-track album -- as well as the four bonus tracks on the 1998 Charly CD reissue -- are taken from six sessions spread over the course of four years (1955-1959). Hooker works both solo -- accompanied only by his own percussive guitar and the solid backbeat of his foot rhythmically pulsating against plywood -- as well as in several different small-combo settings. Unlike the diluted, pop-oriented blues that first came to prominence in the wake of the British Invasion of the early to mid-'60s, the music on this album is infinitely more authentic in presentation. As the track list indicates, I'm John Lee Hooker includes many of his best-known and loved works. From right out of the gate comes the guttural ramble-tamble of "Dimples" in its best-known form. Indeed it can be directly traced to -- and is likewise acknowledged by -- notable purveyors of Brit rock such as Eric Burdon -- who incorporated it into the earliest incarnation of the Animals, the Spencer Davis Group, as well as the decidedly more roots-influenced Duane Allman. Another of Hooker's widely covered signature tunes featured on this volume is "Boogie Chillun." This rendering is arguably the most recognizable in the plethora of versions that have seemingly appeared on every Hooker-related compilation available. Additionally, this version was prominently featured in The Blues Brothers movie as well as countless other films and adverts. Likewise, a seminal solo "Crawlin' King Snake" is included here. The tune became not only a staple of Hooker's, it was also prominently included on the Doors' L.A. Woman album and covered by notable bluesmen Albert King, B.B. King, and Big Joe Williams, whose version predates this one by several decades. I'm John Lee Hooker is one of the great blues collections of the post-World War II era. Time has, if anything, only reinforced the significance of the album. It belongs in every blues enthusiast's collection without reservation. - Lindsay Planer / AMG 

Vee-Jay Records 1959, Chicago
VJLP 1007

John Lee Hooker - vocals, guitar
Eddie Taylor - guitar;  Frankie Bradford / Joe Hunter - piano;  Tom Whitehead - drums

A1 Dimples
A2 Hobo Blues
A3 I'm So Excited
A4 I Love You Honey
A5 Boogie Chillun
A6 Little Wheel
B1 I'm In The Mood
B2 Maudie
B3 Crawlin' King Snake
B4 Every Night
B5 Time Is Marching
B6 Baby Lee

John Lee Hooker - I'm John Lee Hooker

I will tell you simply that this album isn't live, only one track is.  Overall it's a pretty average album and will probably only be of concern to hardcore fans of JLH or the blues in general.  The tracks were compiled from several sessions and the players are basically disputed or unknown.

Vee-Jay Records 1974, Chicago & Longbeach, CA

VJS 7301

John Lee Hooker - vocals, guitar

You're Gonna Need Another Favor

New Sally Mae

Your Baby Ain't Sweet Like Mine

She's Long She's Tall

You're Mellow

Will The Circle Be Unbroken

Flowers On The Hour

It Serves Me Right To Suffer

Ain't No Big Thing Baby

You Can Run Baby

John Lee Hooker ~ Vee-Jay Sides

John Lee Hooker - Burnin'

The blues is such an interesting genre. Traditional, often derived, often brilliant in it’s simplicity, and often credited as being the basis upon which all rock n’ roll has been built. One thing is for certain about the blues – it’s simple. And when something is simple there will always be millions of imitators and very few genuine articles. Well John Lee Hooker is not only one of the few genuinely brilliant bluesmen, he’s arguably the greatest and most influential of the whole lot, and his album ‘Burnin’ stands as testament to this argument.
You open an album with a track like ‘Boom Boom’ and it’s over isn’t it? You’re sold on the quality of the man by the time he crushes you with ‘that’ voice in the first line of the first verse. You’re then trapped under the gravelly vocal and the wonderfully stilted and simple instrumentation for about a minute before John Lee opens up the shuffle pattern with a Ray Charlesesque vocal swoop/call to arms for the band. By the time ‘Boom Boom’ comes to a close you’re left wondering if music gets anymore tasteful than what you’ve just heard, and whether anyone else before him has knocked you flat with their voice like John Lee just has.
It has to be so hard to maintain the standard of a track like ‘Boom Boom’ throughout an entire album. It’s easy to step into the typical label formula of stacking the singles at the top of the order and then dropping everyone slowly and steadily into mediorce moments down a track list. However, this ain’t one of those albums. From the opener onwards John Lee sounds nothing less than inspired and completely involved with what rests at the heart of these tunes, and as such, the listener feels a similar connection to the material from start to finish. It must be said that this not an easily accomplished feat when looking at traditional blues music which is limited in terms of structure and progression, however with ‘Burnin’ John Lee Hooker undoubtedly achieves this level of continuity.
There’s such an amazing atmosphere to tracks like ‘A New Leaf’ and ‘I Got A Letter’ as set up by the simplicity and relaxed feel of the instrumentation and then drilled home by Hooker’s greatest asset – his voice. There’s genuine feeling behind the man’s words in the same way there is with Howlin’ Wolf. In this writer’s opinion that is the one crucial element that sets the truly great bluesmen apart from those who think that in order to help them understand the blues they need to go on down to Clarksdale Mississippi and take a photograph of the exact place that Robert Johnson met with and sold his soul to the devil. There are certain things that most will never understand, and there are certain parts of the ether that most will never be able to tap into. However, John Lee Hooker ain’t most people and that untouchable sound behind his voice on this record helps assure us of this. ~ Roland Ellis / Pig River Records

Vee-Jay Records 1962, Chicago
VJLP 1043

Bass – James Jamerson;  Drums – Benny Benjamin;  Guitar – Larry Veeder
Guitar, Vocals – John Lee Hooker;  Piano – Joe Hunter
Saxophone [Baritone] – Andrew "Mike" Terry;  Saxophone [Tenor] – Hank Cosby

A1 Boom Boom
A2 Process
A3 Lost A Good Girl
A4 A New Leaf
A5 Blues Before Sunrise
A6 Let's Make It
B1 I Got A Letter
B2 Thelma
B3 Drug Store Woman
B4 Keep Your Hands To Yourself
B5 What Do You Say

John Lee Hooker - Concert At Newport

Best review I could find was for a reissue which includes this album and bonus tracks called "Live At Newport" on the Vanguard label...

Live at Newport is an addition to the already huge pile of archival John Lee Hooker releases (one that will surely continue to grow as licenses to Hooker's myriad recordings for different labels exchange hands). What differentiates this release from many of the others is that it focuses on a pair of acoustic performances from the bluesman, a rarity in the Hooker catalog. In the early '60s, at the height of the "folk scare," Hooker stepped in front of crowds -- at clubs, coffeehouses, and festivals -- with his acoustic guitar. Live at Newport is split between two performances at the Newport Folk Festival -- a solo shot from 1960 and a set (or set highlights?) with upright bassist Bill Lee from 1963. The former is stunning for its clarity, reveling in a warmth that can only be attained from placing a microphone in the vicinity of a man with an acoustic guitar, turning the levels way up, and absorbing everything: the scratch of the pick on the strings, the echo of the performer's foot as it taps on the platform, the bristle of buttons as they graze the back of the guitar, the intake of breath. The first cuts on the disc are exquisitely rendered, with a great sense of dynamics inherent in Hooker's patented free blues style. The sound quality of the latter tracks leaves much to be desired, with Hooker's guitar often getting lost in the ambience of the room or the muffled thump of Lee's bass. Still, there is some wonderfully intimate playing as Hooker simultaneously leads and plays off of Lee's parts. ~ Jesse Jarnow / AMG

Vee Jay Records 1964,  Newport Festival
VJLP 1078
Guitar, Vocals – John Lee Hooker

A1 I Can't Quit You Now Blues
A2 Stop Baby Don't Hold Me That Way
A3 Tupelo
A4 Bus Station Blues
A5 Freight Train Be My Friend
A6 Boom Boom Boom
B1 Talk That Talk Baby
B2 Sometimes Baby, You Make Me Feel So Bad
B3 You've Got To Walk Yourself
B4 Let's Make It
B5 The Mighty Fire

John Lee Hooker - Never get out of these blues alive (1972)

Following the legendary bluesman's popular collaboration with Canned Heat, this album continues his work with mostly younger musicians and predates similar projects The Healer and Mr. Lucky by about 20 years. Van Morrison spans the gap by appearing on this 1972 release and Mr. Lucky. Elvin Bishop, Charlie Musselwhite, and even Steve Miller contribute here. Jazz violinist Michael White helps "Boogie With the Hook" take off and adds a mournful touch to the harrowing "T.B. Sheets," which is much more restrained here than on the earlier debut release by Morrison.

Label: MCA

released 1972

My cd> flac

223mb

tracks:

1.Bumblebee, Bumblebee 04:13

2.Hit The Road 02:57
3.Country Boy 06:59
4.Boogie With The Hook 06:32
5.T.B. Sheets 04:58
6.Letter To My Baby 03:57
7.Never Get Out Of These Blues Alive 10:16

Personnel: (click to enlarge)

links in comments!

The Chess Story 1947 - 1975: Part 3 1965 - 1975 (Discs 11 - 13)

Well... this concludes The Chess Story.  I find the latter years to be the weakest in terms of quality.  Clearly compromises were made in pursuit of making money.  Combined with changes in ownership, we are left with really dated and unimportant music.  Still, there are some worthy tunes and overall it's a decent listen.  I guess the point is that, even the worst Chess offerings were better than alot of the music being released during that time.

I have gone through the previous posts and reloaded all of the links.  I hope this will benefit anybody who missed any.  There's a 14th disc featuring interviews with Phil and Marshall Chess, if there's interest I can post it as well... enjoy!!!

The Chess Story 1947 - 1975: Part 2 1957 - 1964 (Discs 8 - 10)

More from the heyday of Chess and the last installment of Part 2...  enjoy!!!

The Chess Story 1947 - 1975: Part 2 1957 - 1964 (Discs 6 & 7)

Hey Gang!!  Sorry about the large delay with this series.  I suppose I have lost some of you but I assure you, I will keep things movin on this one.

We have reached part 2 of the box, and discs 6 & 7 are really representative of the Chess heyday.  Now the label is firmly established and has found its way.  This means they are pumpin out the hits from their now famous roster.

As far as who's who, the list is much like the last couple of discs we heard.  These artists had much to say and the recordings flowed like wine.  I will give you guys some time to absorb these before unleashing the next batch... enjoy!!!

The Chess Story 1947 - 1975: Part 1 1947 - 1956 (Discs 3-5)

With all of the amazing music coming through Chitlins, it's hard to find the right time for a substantial post like this.  Translation:  The time is never right, so here it is!! 

I hope you all enjoyed the first two discs, the next three are even more intruiging as Leonard Chess expands his roster and aspirations.  Individual players from Muddy Waters' band begin succesful recording careers of their own.  New and creative artists like Bo Diddley and Chuck Berry arrive, and by disc 5, Chess is a varied and multi faceted label.

Something that you should know, Leonard Chess also began recording jazz around this time as well.  Gene Ammons, Sonny Stitt and even the great Benny Goodman were some of the first artists to record jazz on the Chess imprint.  I think it would have been a great idea to include the Chess label jazz sides, just as a measure of Leonard Chess' great taste.  Another area which is omitted, would be comedy LPs.  Pigmeat Markham and Moms Mabley were frequent releases during these early years at Chess.  Most of the sides were recorded live, but the comedy album held much esteem back in the day.

For my personal tastes, these 3 discs are the strongest in terms of all around impact.  Musically, creatively and what would eventually be, historically too.  The next few discs are also incredibly strong, so buckle up...  Enjoy!!!

The Story Of Vee Jay: America's Premier Black Music Label

I am really enjoying these label comps, and the Vee Jay story is a heavy one.  Great music throughout...  enjoy!!

"America's Premier Black Music Label" says the small print on the front sleeve, and while that's highly disputable, Vee-Jay was undoubtedly one of America's premier black music labels from the mid-'50s to the mid-'60s. This two-CD, 50-song set is a strong and varied selection of their wares, focusing mostly but not exclusively on their hit singles and better-known performers. Vee-Jay went into every area of black music, and though their jazz roster isn't represented here to keep the scope more manageable, every other genre is: R&B, doo wop, blues, gospel, rock & roll, and early soul. As with any select condensation of a huge vault, there's bound to be some argument among knowledgeable fans as to what tracks were selected; it seems odd that Billy Boy Arnold's "Rockin'itis" is here rather than his seminal blues "I Wish You Would," for example. But you can't argue with the bounty of hits that are present, from Jerry Butler, Betty Everett, Jimmy Reed, the El Dorados, Dee Clark, John Lee Hooker, the Spaniels, the Dells, Gladys Knight & the Pips, and Gene Chandler. Hits like "Duke of Earl," "The Shoop Shoop Song," "For Your Precious Love," "Every Beat of My Heart," "Raindrops," and "Boom Boom" (all here, of course) might be expected from any Vee-Jay compilation, but to its credit this also has a lot of smaller hits or non-hits that have escaped oldies rotation. There's Fred Hughes' fine midtempo soul-popper "Oo Wee Baby, I Love You," for instance, a number three R&B hit in 1965 that barely made the pop charts; Memphis Slim's mordant blues "Mother Earth"; Hank Ballard's first version of "The Twist," predating both his own hit version and Chubby Checker's cover, recorded in 1958 but not issued until 1985; Little Richard's mid-'60s single "I Don't Know What You Got But It's Got Me," with Jimi Hendrix on guitar; Betty Everett's "You're No Good," just a moderate hit in 1963 but a much bigger one for Linda Ronstadt in the '70s; Jay McShann and Priscilla Bowman's jump blues "Hands Off"; Rosco Gordon's oft-covered R&B classic "Just a Little Bit"; and Gene Allison's early soul ballad "You Can Make It if You Try," covered by the Rolling Stones on their first album. Perhaps it might have made more sense to make the stylistic tone more even and not include gospel cuts as well. But the gospel acts represented here are undeniably important, including the Original Blind Boys of Alabama, the Swan Silvertones, and (on the mid-'50s sides) the Staple Singers.  - by Richie Unterberger /AMG

John Lee Hooker Plays And Sings The Blues

This is probably my favorite blues album.  Hooker really paints the scene of a Delta bluesman just playing the day away on a front porch.  If you ask me, its albums like this that set the bar for exactly WHAT the blues is.  For decades following it would be hard for any contemporary's to break the mold...  that's the kind of influence an album like this has.

Unlike the suggestion of the title, this is NOT a best of or collection.  Rather, a great set of tunes cut by a master of the genre.

This was ripped from my '86 reissue and sounds glorious.  The Chess Master series was akin to say the Liberty reissues of the Blue Note classics.  Great fidelity and music - on a dime.  Enjoy!!!

Chess – CHD-9199
1986

1  The Journey  3:37  
2  I Don't Want Your Money  2:58  
3  Hey, Baby  3:22  
4  Mad Man Blues  2:39  
5  Bluebird  2:55  
6  Worried Life Blues  3:00  
7  Apologize  2:57  
8  Lonely Boy Boogie  3:16  
9  Please Don't Go   2:26  
10  Dreamin' Blues  3:02  
11  Hey Boogie  2:59  
12  Just Me And My Telephone   3:14  

Vocals, Guitar – John Lee Hooker
Written-By – John Lee Hooker (tracks: 1 to 8, 10 to 12)
All cuts recorded in Detroit, late 1952, except "Mad Man Blues", "Hey Boogie" (Detroit, late 1951), "Dreamin' Blues" (Detroit, 1951) and "Just Me And My Telephone" (Detroit, 1951 or 1952)