Hooker plays the Michigan

By Gautam Baksi

Daily Arts Writer

They say when John Lee Hooker plays the blues, you can hear three instruments. First, there's his guitar. Acoustic or electric, Hooker's trademark fingerpicking is unlike anyone else's in the music industry. Some solos consist of just one chord that Hooker bangs away repeatedly until even the notes themselves are exhausted from effort. Second, there's the tapping of his foot. Hooker's stubborn leg is always declaring its presence, playing the part of metronome on stage. Finally, there's Hooker's voice. Raspy, dark and naturally intrinsic to the blues, dozens of musicians still strive to re-create the passion and expression that Hooker generates when he sings. Needless to say, Hooker's solo repertoire requires no accompaniment.

At 80 years young, Hooker is still the "King of Boogie Woogie." For the latter half of the 20th Century, he has played more than a lifetime's worth of blues. His blues ain't pretty, they sure ain't clean, but they are without a doubt immortal. Hits like "I'm in the Mood," "Boogie Chillin'" and "One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer" are established classics often imitated, but never duplicated.

Playing only a handful of North American cities before he departs to Europe, the chance to see Hooker play in Ann Arbor is an incredible opportunity to see a living legend right here at home. With its small capacity, the Michigan Theater is an intimate venue in which one may be able to get an up-close glimpse of Hooker himself. Like any great blues musician, Hooker's freestylin' blues solos come to life on-stage. His studio standards, albeit illustrious, still miss the essence of a live performance.

Hooker was most prolific in the late '40s through '60s. In these 30 years, he released hundreds of unique recordings under various pseudonyms and labels. Never content under the binding contract of a single label, Hooker continuously wrote and recorded at a fervent pace. His style was unmistakable, and his solos, like the songs surrounding them, were short and repetitious.

As for his lyrics, Hooker in humble, honest and universal voice. His vocals were filled with wrenched, raspy emotion and grit. There were no sugarcoated, over-produced albums or compilations of hits. In the post-war blues circuit of Detroit, Hooker had already become a success.

But even with an established career spanning the middle part of the last century, Hooker has not relinquished his passion for the blues. He has recorded dozens of albums with legendary artists around the world. His 1998 "Best of Friends" release features truly impressive performances of classic Hooker hits with Eric Clapton, Robert Cray and Jimmie Vaughan, as well as new songs written with Carlos Santana. Hooker's long-time admirer and protégé Bonnie Raitt plays slide guitar and sings alternating verses on "I'm in the Mood," resulting in quite possibly one of the greatest blues duets ever recorded. The album has since gone on to highlight Hooker's massive regaining popularity within a younger crowd of listeners. On his Grammy winning "Supernatural" release, Santana praised Hooker's work, claiming it set the foundation for his bold endeavor.

Though it may be erroneous to say that John Lee Hooker is reinventing the blues, it is true that he is opening them up to a new audience. With his dignified style, dark glasses and unmistakable beat, John Lee's old leg certainly won't be the only one tapping when he plays the blues at the Michigan Theater on the 27th.

Courtesy of Pointblank

John Lee Hooker rocks it baby, rocks it all night long April 27.