When I received this request to name my favourite\/most important LP, chaos immediately ensued in my head. Help! Aretha Franklin, Bonnie Raitt, Howlin’ Wolf (very audibly present), Ray Charles, Robert Wilkins, Snooks Eaglin, Otis Rush all reported as my favourite…Van Morrison dealt out a few hefty shoves left and right, because he was my favourite, wasn’t he? What about Hank Williams, and Steve Winwood? No, I’m not going to come out of this, there is stupidly too much good music made. Favourite band then? Stones, Duke Ellington, The Band, Little Feat (Oh yes, Lowell George… was also among them. How he sings Long distance love, so beautiful). And now I’ve certainly not mentioned 10 other “favourites”….
\nIn short, I’m going to limit myself to an LP that actually turned me on to singing the blues as a 15-year-old. Then, admittedly, another choice-stress moment immediately presents itself. I was gripped by the blues in the way it was known at the time (and I am talking about the mid\/late 60s): through the Dutch and English blues bands. And then through their sources of inspiration. I was particularly fond of (and also a bit in love with Eelco Gelling) the LP Greetings from Grolloo by Cuby & the Blizzards, in the line-up at the time, also with Herman Brood. The song Somebody will know someday was the absolute favourite, with that beautiful piano part and masterful solo by Eelco.<\/p>\n
But then John Lee Hooker came into my life. I had been playing guitar myself for quite some time but at that age I actually preferred to sing, and the song that actually made me become a blues singer was on an LP by John Lee Hooker. That was Something Else for a while: that voice, those hypnotic guitar licks. I discovered that I could play quite a blues scheme, and one of my favourite songs was “I’m in the mood” on that particular record. This was what I wanted to be able to do, make music with that intensity! Of course, at first only in my room…. 5 years later, at age 20, I was asked by Barrelhouse and that same song became the successful final song of our gigs for a very long time. Of course in a really exciting Barrelhouse arrangement…. So, hence the choice of: John Lee Hooker Anthology du Blues No.4 ! Also check out young John Lee Hooker on Youtube with Serves me right to suffer from 1969 and you’ll see what I mean….<\/p>\n
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