John Lee Hooker’s The Standard School Broadcast Recordings is a remarkable unearthed gem, capturing the blues legend in a rare full-band studio session from 1973. Originally recorded for an educational radio program and long thought to be lost, this collection showcases Hooker at a turning point in his career—just before he stepped away from the music industry for nearly a decade. Backed by his longtime rhythm section of bassist Gino Skaggs and drummer Ken Swank, along with his son Robert Hooker on piano, the result is a raw, hypnotic, and deeply intimate portrait of an artist who lived and breathed the blues.
While Hooker’s signature foot-stomping solo performances often defined his sound, this session finds him locked into a steady groove, his band providing just enough structure to let his inimitable guitar and vocal phrasing shine. The famously unpredictable timing that baffled backing musicians in his early years is mostly restrained here, allowing the songs to breathe with a steady pulse. Tracks like “Bad Boy” and “I Hate the Day I Was Born” are devastating in their emotional weight, with Hooker murmuring and growling through verses that feel more confessional than performative.
One of the collection’s most gripping moments comes with the medley of “When My First Wife Left Me” and “Hobo Blues,” where Hooker revisits themes of abandonment and regret with a haunting immediacy. Meanwhile, “Rock With Me” injects a jolt of energy, proving that even in his most brooding moments, Hooker could still summon the primal, trance-inducing boogie that made him a legend. His solo take on “Sally Mae” is another standout, stripping everything back to the core elements of his artistry—clanging guitar, raw vocals, and an unshakable sense of presence.
Though initially intended as a classroom lesson, The Standard School Broadcast Recordings is no mere historical curiosity. It’s a vital, living document of one of blues music’s most singular voices, captured with startling immediacy. For longtime fans, it’s an essential piece of the Hooker puzzle, and for newcomers, it’s a powerful introduction to an artist who could turn pain into poetry and rhythm into something close to religious experience. – Jason Felton