CD 468

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Earl Hooker was a musicianss musician and a remarkably versatile and proficient guitarist. Although, born in Mississippi, Earl grew up in Chicago and heard a lot of music of all kinds from jazz, blues, and soul to polka and country & western.

Working on a tip from Buddy Guy, Chris Strachwitz set out to record Earl Hooker in 1968, which resulted in the highly acclaimed "Two Bugs and a Roach," ARH CD 324, considered an essential blues classic and an all-time bestseller. This CD features an impressive line-up of musicians who collaborated with Earl on these studio and live reocrdings, including Louis Myers, Steve Miller, "Pine Top" Perkins, Freddy Roulette, Carey Bell, Eddy Taylor and others.

1. The Moon Is Rising
2. Earl's Blues
3. Conversion Blues
4. Guitar Rag
5. Hooker N' Steve
6. I'm Your Main Man
7. New Riviera
8. Strung Out Woman Blues
9. Little Carey's Jump
10. Take Me Back To East St. Louis
11. Improvisations On Dust My Broom
12. Improvisations On Frosty
13. Can't Hold Out Much Longer
14. Swingin' At Theresa's

REVIEW

“These amazing, essential blues sides combining the soul of Mississippi and the urban mood of Chicago were recorded in Berkeley, four in clubs in Chicago and two are from a Chicago studio session with Pinetop Perkins, Carey Bell and others. Hooker's guitar bites with sliding sharpness, talking using space very well as in the loping 'Earl's Blues.' The title is an earthy, long Chicago blues.... The tunes are mostly Hooker's or the sidemen's like Bell, Skaggs, Miller and Andrew Odom. Hooker was one of the finest guitarists and blues songwriters around but little was recorded of him. Be thankful to Arhoolie for this and 'Two Bugs and a Roach,' #324. Excellent.”

-Chris Lunn, Victory Review