Hooker’s newly unearthed 1973 recordings for “The Standard School Broadcast Recordings” set to release on February 28th. The album is an evocative collection of Blues brilliance, recorded for an educational broadcast, revealing John Lee Hooker at his most raw and transcendent.
This collection captures Hooker and a hand-picked trio of musicians at their most intimate and inspired. Decades later, the full session has been unearthed, offering fans an unparalleled glimpse into the artistry of one of the Blues’ greatest pioneers. During the original recording session, Hooker, bassist Gino Skaggs, and his son Robert Hooker recorded eight tracks, only three of which were ever broadcast. The remaining five tracks have remained unheard – until now.
Once considered a long-lost (and in most cases, complete unknown) studio recording from John Lee Hooker, “The Standard School Broadcast Recordings” is the first commercial release of a rare 1973 fully electric blues band recording. Performed direct-to-tape at Coast Recorders in San Francisco, the session captures Hooker at a tumultuous and deeply transformative time of his career, accompanied by his reliable standby rhythm section of bassist Gino Skaggs and drummer Ken Swank, plus Hooker’s pianist son Robert. “The Standard School Broadcast”, initiated in 1928, was a multiple-award-winning educational radio series sponsored by Standard Oil (aka Esso, later Exxon). Based in San Francisco, the collections specialized in music appreciation and American history. Copies of some of its shows were also supplied to schools on vinyl LPs. The CD will also contain two bonus tracks – “Sallie Mae” and “Instrumental”.
The set features reimagined versions of Hooker classics like “Sally Mae” and “Hard Times,” alongside spontaneous creations and medleys that exemplify his unique approach to storytelling through song.
The Fat Angel Sings 