Boogie, indeed – as the tracks here are filled with the kind of skittish guitar lines that made John Lee Hooker one of the real standouts of the 50s scene – maybe one of the most rhythmic bluesmen of his generation, next to Bo Diddley! Like Diddley's classic records for Chess, most of these tracks are filled with deft work from Hooker on guitar – chuggingly rhythmic, but often breaking out into great solo moments too – the roots of electric modes that would break bigger in the 60s, handled here by one of the early masters! Titles include "Hoogie Boogie", "Boogie Chillen 2", "House Rent Boogie", "Jump Me", "Huckle Up Baby", "Shake Holler & Run", "Momma Poppa Boogie", and "Hastings Street Boogie". LP, Vinyl record album

Straight ahead electric blues from Freddie – slick, and with a slight bit of funk – but mostly in the crossover mode that would have hit big with the college and festival crowd. Production is very full, and titles include "Boogie Bump", "The Things I Used To Do", "Have You Ever Loved A Woman", and "It's Better To Have (And Don't Need)". LP, Vinyl record album

Overlooked work from the Chicago blues scene of the postwar years – great material from an important early electric player – but one who never got the large exposure of some of his contemporaries on Chess Records! And yet, back in the day Robert Nighthawk was as important to the development of the Chicago sound as Muddy Waters – wonderfully skilled on the strings, and a hell of a singer too – with a deep baritone that often has a bit of a link to jump blues in the way that Robert delivers his phrasing – although the sound here is definitely Chicago blues overall! All numbers are small combo sides recorded for the United Records label – and players include Roosevelt Sykes and Bob Call on piano, Ransom Knowling on bass, and Jump Jackson drums. Titles include "Brick In My Pillow", "Seventy Four", "Crying Won't Help You", "You Missed A Good Man", "Feel So Bad", "U/S Boogie", and "Maggie Campbell". CD