Bluestone's Track of the Day: Blue Guitar

The Chicago bluesman Earl Hooker, born in 1929, was a master of the slide.  He played a lot of open tunings and mixed finger soloing in with his slide.  B.B. King said, "To me he is the best of modern guitarists. Period."  That's a fine compliment coming from a man like B.B. 
The instrumental, Blue Guitar, has a fine piano and brass section, but Hooker's lead guitar takes the cake.  He plays mostly a classic blues solo and he plays it so well, throwing in a couple wild slides to make it his own.  Hooker was born in Mississippi, but came to Chicago and picked up his style at the age of one.  He didn't move because of a record signing, it was his parents' choice, but he was clearly destined to be great.  Hooker grew up with Bo Diddley and was greatly influenced by T-bone Walker.  Hooker began his career in 1946 by touring through the South with Robert Nighthawk and his band.  Here's a version of Blue Guitar with Junior Wells.

Earl was a real showman, watch him live here, playing with his teeth!