Hooker, John Lee - Face To Face

Year of Release: 2003
Label: Eagle Records
Catalog Number: 265
Format: CD
Total Time: 65:04:00

The man may be gone but his music certainly is not. John Lee Hooker was working on a new album before he died and this is it, you get to meet him Face To Face one last time ? or is it the last? The title has a twist of irony attached to it as Hooker's daughter Zakiya completed the recording. It is nice that she got involved to make this all happen and I know blues fans all over the world are grateful.

Hooker was still right on the money until the day he died and he remains one of the true masters of the blues. I really cannot see how that will ever change. The man sure had many folks help him on these tracks; a virtual who's who in music accompanies him, George Thorogood, Johnny Winter, Elvin Bishop, Van Morrison, Warren Haynes?the list goes on. He commanded a lot of respect. I think it became a distinct honor to be part of his projects, beginning with Canned Heat back in the '70s.

This is a solid release with top-quality musicianship, sound, and production values. There is surely to be more after this, after all, when a great star's light dims it continues to regenerate and shine brightly with rediscovered and previously unreleased material. John Lee is on the ?Big Road? now but he ain't finished yet so stand by.

Tracklisting:
Big Road (5:27) / Dimples (4:44) / Loving People (5:16) / Face to Face (5:20) / Funky Mabel (3:56) / It Serves Me Right to Suffer (5:50) / Up and Down (4:48) / Mad Man Blues (3:08) / Six Page Letter (5:32) / Stop Jivin' Me (3:26) / Mean Mean World (6:14) / Turn Over a New Leaf (5:11) / Wednesday Evening Blues (4:18) / Boogie Chillen (2:44) / Rock These Blues Away (3:50)

Musicians:
John Lee Hooker - guitar, vocals
Dickey Betts - guitar
Elvin Bishop - guitar
George Thorogood - guitar
Johnny Winter - slide guitar
Gary Benson ? background vocals
Warren Haynes - slide guitar
Bowen Brown - drums
Jack Casady - bass
Ruth Davies ? upright bass
Billy Friday Johnson - guitar
Terrance Kelly - background vocals
Scott Mathews - drums
Van Morrison - vocals
Jim Pugh - organ
Tony Saunders - organ, bass
Zakiya Hooker - vocals
Dean McKinney Moore - saxophone
Anthony Cook - guitar
Kevin Williams - drums
Robert "Red Top" Young - guitar
Joe Thomas - bass, upright bass
Tina Bryant - background vocals
Dan Zemelman - piano
Marlon Green - drums

Discography:
(selected discography (i.e,, just those we've reviewed); see website for complete listing)

Live At Newport (1960&1963/2003)
Hooker & The Hogs (1965/2003)
Face To Face (2003)
Blues Kingpins (2003)



Genre: Other

Origin US

Added: November 30th 2003
Reviewer: Keith "Muzikman" Hannaleck
Score:
Artist website: www.johnleehooker.com
Hits: 2178
Language: english