John Lee Hooker Mr. Lucky

Various Artists - Chicago Hit Factory: The Vee-Jay Story 1953-1966 (2014) {10CD Set Charly Records CHARLY 915 B}
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© 1953-66, 2014 Charly Records / Vee-Jay | CHARLY 915 B
Rhythm & Blues / Doo-Wop / Blues / Soul / Gospel / Jazz

Celebrating sixty years since the launch of one of the most successful independent record labels in US Popular music. Received wisdom would have us believe that before Motown, no black-owned record company had made a significant impact on the US mainstream. However, the actuality is something else entirely. Way back in the early 50s, long before Berry Gordy had written his first song, VEE-JAY RECORDS - a black, family owned and run, Chicago-based label - was establishing itself via a steady stream of Blues, R&B, DooWop and Gospel hits.

A northern California-based blues guitarist, Roy Rogers works firmly out of a Delta blues acoustic style and is particularly good with a slide. A member of John Lee Hooker's '80s Coast to Coast Band, Rogers produced and played on Hooker's Grammy-winning comeback album, The Healer, and its follow-up, Mr. Lucky. During the early '70s, Rogers played with a variety of Bay Area bar bands. In 1976, he and harpist David Burgin recorded A Foot in the Door, which was released on Waterhouse Records. For the next few years, he played in various bands before he formed his own, the Delta Rhythm Kings, in 1980.

For anyone in their mid-teens in the mid-5Os, and into music, it had to be rock'n'roll - American rock'n roll. There was no British equivalent to the sound. In the UK, it was Chuck Berry, Elvis Presley, The Platters, Alan Freed, Radio Luxembourg, Voice Of America. If the right people get to know about this and hear the quality, this will sell and sell.

Electric blues, Texas style! Inspired by the greatest players, he sounds like a Freddie King/Johnny Winter blend. If you like extended guitar soloing on a good level, and Johnny Winter-like vocals, you will love Texas Slim! Texas is a big state and Texas blues is big blues - so a name like "Texas Slim" is not to be used lightly. John Lee Hooker got away with it on King Records back in 1949 as he was a long way from Texas and probably had little to do with it. Many years ago, Johnny Winter settled instead for "Texas Guitar Slim" - but both are relevant for our man here, as the first blues he recalls hearing was by John Lee Hooker, and as for Johnny Winter, well, let's hear from Slim himself: “Johnny Winter is certainly my favorite guitarist of all time! I liked him before I realized he WAS blues.

Blues on the Range is a nice, but not particularly noteworthy, set of traditional blues. What makes the album worth a listen is Roy Rogers' facility as a slide player - he can make his guitar sing. However, the quality of the songs and performances are slightly uneven, making it only of interest to die-hard fans.
A northern California-based blues guitarist, Roy Rogers works firmly out of a Delta blues acoustic style and is particularly good with a slide. A member of John Lee Hooker's '80s Coast to Coast Band, Rogers produced and played on Hooker's Grammy-winning comeback album, The Healer, and its follow-up, Mr. Lucky. During the early '70s, Rogers played with a variety of Bay Area bar bands…

Texan guitar slinger Lance Lopez will release a new solo album, Tell The Truth, on March 2, via Provogue/Mascot Label Group.