Tonight I’m
featuring a blues legend. To be perfectly honest, my notes on him come from his
website (http://www.johnleehooker.com/home.htm)
Born near Clarksdale, Mississippi on
August 22, 1917 to a sharecropping family, John Lee Hooker's earliest musical
influence came from his stepfather, Will Moore. By the early 1940's Hooker had
moved north to Detroit by way of Memphis and Cincinnati. Hooker found work as a
janitor in the auto factories, and at night, like many other transplants from
the rural Delta, he entertained friends and neighbors by playing at "house
parties". He was "discovered" by record storeowner Elmer Barbee
who took him to Bernard Besman, who was a producer, record distributor and
owner of Sensation Records. Among Hooker's first recordings in 1948,
"Boogie Chillen" became a number one jukebox hit and his first
million seller. This was soon followed by an even bigger hit with "I'm In
The Mood." In the 1960’s, young British artist like the Animals, John
Mayall, and the Yardbirds introduced Hooker's sound to a new and eager
audience.
His influence on
younger generations is well documented. John Lee was invited to perform with The
Rolling Stones and guest Eric Clapton for their national television broadcast
during The Stones' 1989 Steel Wheels tour. Then, in 1990, many musical greats
paid tribute to John Lee Hooker with a performance at Madison Square Garden.
Joining him on some or all of these special occasions were artists such as
Bonnie Raitt, Ry Cooder, Joe Cocker, Huey Newton, Carlos Santana, Robert Clay,
Mick Fleetwood, Al Cooper, Johnny Winter, John Hammond, and the late Albert
Collins and Willie Dixon (See the last video).
John Lee's style
has always been unique, even among other performers of the real deep blues, few
of whom remain with us today. At the age of 80, John Lee Hooker received his
third and fourth Grammy Awards, for Best Traditional Blues Recording (Don't
Look Back) and for Best Pop Collaboration for the song "Don't Look
Back" which Hooker recorded with his long time friend Van Morrison. He
died on June 21, 2001
I’ve included some rare footage of several concerts as well
as the last video which includes many of the great blues artists playing with
him. In particular, at the 25 minute mark of the last video, he’s joined by
Bonnie Raitt. Don’t miss it! Hope you enjoy Hooker’s music.
Boom, Boom, Boom, Boom: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOyj4ciJk34
One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r2nKvBo719Y&feature=related
Rare Live Performance: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FaFvhiWOOk&feature=related
John Lee & Friends concerts: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJSOcf5UNkY&feature=related
The weather has been distinctly summer-like and I’ve been
spending time out on my new deck sipping a wonderful summer white that goes
well with the music of John Lee, namely a 2011 Bricco della Ciliegie Roero
(~$15.00) made from the Arneis grape. This Italian white wine is pale yellow,
with aromas of lemons, limes, and apples, On the palate it’s light with
excellent minerality and a tiny bit of fizz. Really a superb summer-drinking
wine. Get an early start on summer with this wonderful Arneis and the
blues/boogie of John Lee Hooker. Enjoy!
Cheers!
1 comment:
That's like sipping really expensive whiskey. Smooth, warm, and ho-so-good. I've been here listening, even if I haven't commented on the past few posts. Really liked this one!
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