John Lee Hooker 1917-2001

 By now of course everyone knows that the great John Lee Hooker has left us. He was 83 years old but the news still came as a shock. Hooker's music had a enduring, timeless feel and I guess we felt that like the blues, Hooker would always be there.

 I wish I could say that I saw Hooker numerous times but I only got to see the man once. The lone time I did see him is etched in my memory even though it was over 15 years ago. It was when I was just getting into the blues that I heard Hooker would be playing a bill with Robert Cray, Johnny Copeland and The Nighthawks. This was when I was living in New York City and the event was the "blues" part of the Kool Jazz Festival and was held at the famous Carnegie Hall. All the acts were good but Hooker was mesmerizing. He didn't do anything fancy but it was hard not to be drawn in to this old man sitting down, hunched over his guitar as I peered down and tried to figure out where all the music was coming from.

 In the little over 15 years that I've been hooked on the blues I've been aware of many great bluesman who have passed on. Hooker's passing is something different and I can almost feel the vacuum that his passing has left in blues history. It sounds like a cliché but he was a true original and no one will fill his shoes. The passing of B.B. King will probably be the only thing comparable.

 I still have the first Hooker LP I ever bought- House of the Blues on Chess. I've listened to lots of Hooker since his passing starting with that record. Like just about all of his work the stuff still kills me- "Leave My Wife Alone" and "Woman and Money" remain riveting no many how many times you listen to them.

 I'm not sure I have a favorite period but I guess it would be the early stuff. The real raw sides he cut in the late 40's early 50's with just John Lee by himself. These are the ones that cut right to the bone. The Legendary Modern Recordings 1948-1954 is a personal favorite; "Sally Mae", "Drifting From Door to Door" and "Let Your Daddy Ride" are just a few of the choice cuts. Also try Detroit: 1948-1949 on Savoy for more of the same.

 I like Hooker's Vee-Jay period quite a bit (1955-1964). John Lee Hooker: The Vee-Jay Years on Charly collects all his Vee-Jay stuff on 6-CD's and is well worth hunting down (Collectables has reissued all these as single discs). These sides find Hooker in a band setting and the tracks with Eddie Taylor are great. I can do without the female vocals on some cuts but there's plenty of potent material. Some favorites include "Time Is Marching On", "No Shoes", "Drug Store Woman" and "Send Me Your Pillow" just to name a few.

 There's a grab bag of later sides that made a big impression: "I'm Bad Like Jesse James" is a perfect Hooker vehicle, "Motor City Is Burning" a great topical number with Eddie Taylor, his stunning version of "The Waterfront" and his spellbinding "Tupelo" from the Newport Folk Festival to name a few.

 Obviously this is just the tip of the iceberg. Hooker left us with an enormous legacy and we can be grateful for that. His place in blues history was assured a long time ago and with such a wealth of recorded material the Boogie man will never really leave us.

Notable Web Links

The World's Greatest Blues Singer

All Music Guide: John Lee Hooker

A Bunch of Hooker Articles

John Lee Hooker Memorial Service

Hooker CD Discography