Back in the late '50s and early '60s, Chicago blues was at its peak, and for the price of a drink or two one could hear the unbearably exciting guitar work of Buddy Guy, Freddie King, Otis Rush, Magic Sam, Elmore James, Muddy Waters, Robert Nighthawk, and Hubert Sumlin blasting out of small clubs along the south and west sides of the city. But if you were to ask any of these fretboard whizes who was the best guitar player in town, they would all direct you to wherever {$Earl Hook...   [ read more ]

CD $13.25

Widespread respect for Earl Hooker, one of the unsung giants of the blues, is long overdue, and his rather limited available discography belies a great original talent. P-Vine Japan has attempted to put this right with Blues Guitar: The Chief and Age Sessions 1959-1963, an intelligent and authoritative collection of Hooker's early-'60s heyday, containing instrumental classics such as "Blue Guitar" and "Blues in D Natural." Both sound quality and packaging supersede all previous reissue...   [ read more ]

CD $24.68

The first eight tracks of this 79-minute compilation of late-'60s material originally appeared on Arhoolie's Hooker'n'Steve LP; a couple of others showed up on Arhoolie's His First & Last Recordings, while the four remaining cuts were previously unreleased. Hooker didn't have long to live when these were laid down in 1968 and (for the most part) 1969, but he's in real good form on guitar, although he only takes an occasional vocal (other band members help out on other tracks, and some are instrume...   [ read more ]

CD $16.13