Reissues by John Lee Hooker, Bob Marley and The Wailers and Woody Herman, plus Bucky Pizzarelli’s latest release

John Lee Hooker, Boogie Chillen, Indigo Records

Bluesman John Lee Hooker, 83, died peacefully in his sleep on Thursday, June 21 at his home near San Francisco. He leaves not only a rich recorded legacy for posterity, but an irreplaceable void in the blues world. Hooker scored many hits in a career that spanned over 60 years, and enjoyed great popularity right up to the end of his life. Boogie Chillen is an excellent import reissue disc available from Indigo Records in England. “Boogie Chillen” was Hooker’s first hit, recorded in 1948, and it set the tone for his subsequent releases, many of which adhered to an uptempo shuffle boogie rhythm that influenced countless younger rock and blues musicians. All these recordings date from ‘48/’49, and portray Hooker at the height of his musical powers:  feral, raw Mississippi Delta bluesman with an urban sensibility, the style Hooker retained throughout his career. Hooker’s music is absolutely essential for all blues fans. Indigo Records are available at all better record stores that handle import CD’s.

Bob Marley and The Wailers, Burnin’, Catch A Fire, Natty Dread, Rastaman Vibration, Live!, Island/Universal Music

To say that the late Bob Marley was the most important reggae singer/songwriter in history would be an understatement. These five reissues, the first in a series by Universal Music, clarify the above statement in no uncertain terms. Marley was the Rasta Main Man, and with help from his well known sidemen Peter Tosh, “Family Man” Barrett, Carlton Barrett, Bunny Wailer, Robbie Shakespeare and others, the music loses none of its funky splendor. All the hits are here, including “Lively Up Yourself,” “Get Up, Stand Up,” “No Woman, No Cry,” “Roots, Rock, Reggae,” “Trenchtown Rock,” “Burnin’ & Lootin’” and “I Shot The Sheriff.” Admittedly, reggae is an acquired taste for some people, this writer included, but Marley’s classic Kingston, Jamaica recordings hold up marvelously.

Woody Herman, Blowin’ Up A Storm!, Columbia/Legacy Records

The post-war Woody Herman Herd is fondly remembered by jazz critics and fans alike as one of the greatest big bands of all time, and a harbinger of where jazz was headed after the demise of the swing era. These ‘45/’46 recordings show the Herman band at its level best, with numbers like “Apple Honey,” “Caldonia,” “Northwest Passage,” “Wildroot,” Igor Stravinsky’s “Ebony Concerto” and the title track. A double disc set, Blowin’ Up A Storm features future modern jazz stars Stan Getz, Zoot Sims, Neal Hefti, Shorty Rodgers and Pete Candoli, not to mention the always swinging clarinet and alto sax of Woody Herman, one of the most revered bandleaders in history.

Bucky Pizzarelli, One Morning in May: Solo 7-String Guitar, Vol. 2, Arbors Records

New Jersey jazz guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli is an acknowledged master of the seven string guitar, and not in the way most young people today know it: as an electric shredder for supplying bottom end to heavy metal music. Pizzarelli is certainly one of the most respected jazz guitar soloists in the world, and this release shows why. His mastery of chord melody work and soloing is nothing short of mind boggling, as he works his way through 21 tracks. This is mellow stuff, perfect for late night listening. Arbors Records, 2189 Cleveland St., Suite 225, Clearwater, FL 33765.