Mississippi-born blues guitarist Earl Hooker (born January 15, 1930, in Quitman County near Clarksdale) delivered a standout performance on the 1969 American Folk Blues Festival tour of Europe and the UK. Already ailing from the tuberculosis that would claim his life the following year, Hooker still showcased the fluid slide technique and pioneering wah-wah pedal work that earned him peerless respect among fellow musicians.Accompanied by Carey Bell on harmonica, Mack Thompson on bass, and Robert St. Julien on drums, he tore through instrumentals and vocals including “Earl’s Boogie,” “Off the Hook,” and “Going Up and Down.” His clean, bell-like tone and inventive phrasing—sometimes biting the strings for extra bite—electrified audiences at venues such as London’s Royal Albert Hall. Film and audio from the tour capture Hooker at a late peak: economical yet dazzling, bridging Delta roots with modern Chicago blues fire. The performances remain essential documents of one of the genre’s most underrated masters.
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