Earl Hooker was the “blues guitarists’ guitarist,” the most respected six-string wizard in Chicago blues musicians’ circles during the 1950s and ’60s. A cousin of John Lee Hooker and a protégé of slide guitar master Robert Nighthawk, Hooker was an endlessly inventive axeman who would likely have been a star had his modest vocal abilities matched his instrumental prowess and had he not suffered from chronic tuberculosis (which would lead to his death at the tender age of 41). This collectors cd presents most of Hookers finest efforts. It compiles 30 remastered tracks, including those sensational and hard-to-find sides he recorded for a varietyof labels between 1952 and 1963(such as Argo, King, Chief, Age and U.S.A. Records). EARL HOOKER, electric guitar(and lead vocals on track 4), plus: Junior Wells (vocals & harmonica), Jackie Brenston, Lillian Offitt (vocals) A.C. Reed (vocals & tenor sax), Julian Beasley (alto sax), Earnest Johnson (bass), Lafayette Leake, Pinetop Perkins (piano), Johnny “Big Moose” Walker (organ & piano), Bobby Little (drums), among others. Recorded in Chicago, between 1952 and 1963. 1. Blue Guitar 2. Blues In D Natural 3. Rockin Wild 4. Win the Dance 5. Rockin With the Kid 6. Universal Rock [With Junior Wells] 7. Galloping Horses a Lazy Mule [With Junior Wells] 8. Calling All Blues [With Junior Wells] 9. Off the Hook 10. Frog Hop 11. Swear To Tell the Truth 12. Apache War Dance 13. This Little Voice 14. Nothing But Good [With Reggie Boyd] 15. The Bright Sound 16. That Man 17. Oh, Mama 18. Youd Better Be Sure 19. That Aint Right 20. I Wanna Be Free 21. These Cotton Pickin Blues 22. Crying Blues 23. I Stay Mad 24. Lotta Lovin 25. Race Track 26. The Leading Brand 27. Want You To Rock Me [With Jackie Brenston] 28. Little By Little [With Junior Wells & Willie Dixon] 29. Dont You Ever Forget It 30. How Long Can This Go On
