The slide guitar wizard's immaculate fretwork was never captured more imaginatively than during his early-'60s stay with
Mel London's Age/Chief labels. 21 fascinating tracks from that period include
Hooker's savage instrumentals "Blue Guitar," "Off the Hook," "The Leading Brand," "Blues in D Natural," and "How Long Can This Go On," along with tracks by
A.C. Reed,
Lillian Offitt, and
Harold Tidwell that cast
Hooker as a standout sideman.
–
Bill Dahl, Rovi