Hooker, John Lee - House Of The Blues (2025 Reissue)

Presented here is one of Hooker's finest albums, the 1959 Chess Records release, 'House of the Blues'. Hooker taped some of these early songs at a special moment in his career when he was allowed more space between recording sessions. Prior to that, R&B labels were milking him for a different recording every month, sometimes under different names. 'House of the Blues' collects 1951-1954 efforts, featuring legendary sidemen on a few tracks, but it is primarily Hooker's solos, charging ahead with nothing but his raw, electric guitar, soul-drenched and world-weary vocal delivery, and his foot to keep rhythm.