Earl Hooker - The Genius of Earl Hooker (1967/2018)

This rare circa-1967 album has what you'd expect from a vintage Earl Hooker LP: blues instrumentals with unfailingly stinging guitar, a relaxed groove, and soul-tinged arrangements bolstered by solid organ. If it's mighty reliable in what it delivers, it also has to be said that there aren't many surprises, the tracks coming close to very high-class blues background music in some senses. As that limited genre goes, however, this is at the top of that class, Hooker throwing in enough energetic flourishes, swoops, and musical equivalents of exclamation points to not just keep things interesting, but also keep a smile on your face. A few familiar blues and soul tunes are covered here, including "Dust My Broom," "Hold On, I'm Coming," and "Something You Got," the last of these unappetizingly retitled "Something You Ate." But for the most part the program is original, including one number, "Bertha," that seems to look toward Santo & Johnny's sleepy slide guitar workouts for inspiration.

Tracklist:
01. Earl Hooker - Two Bugs in a Rug
02. Earl Hooker - Hold On... I'm Coming
03. Earl Hooker - Off the Hook
04. Earl Hooker - Dust My Broom
05. Earl Hooker - Hot and Heavy
06. Earl Hooker - The Screwdriver
07. Earl Hooker - Bertha
08. Earl Hooker - The Foxtrot
09. Earl Hooker - End of the Blues
10. Earl Hooker - Walking the Floor
11. Earl Hooker - Hooker Special
12. Earl Hooker - Something You Ate