Search - J.B. Hutto :: Hawk Squat

****1/2. The last and greatest of Elmore James' disciples

Docendo Discimus | Vita scholae | 01/05/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Hound Dog Taylor and J.B. Hutto were the last disciples of the king of post-war slide guitar, the great Elmore James, and Joseph Benjamin Hutto's main source of inspiration is obvious on this his first studio album, "Hawk Squat". The first track, "Speak My Mind", is in fact a thinly-veiled cover of "Dust My Broom".



But don't let that deter you. This is one of the all-time great Chicago blues albums, recorded between 1966 and 1968, and perfectly showcasing Hutto's raw, slash-and-burn approach without ever getting muddled or losing its sense of restraint.



"Hawk Squat" boasts both powerful, hard-rocking tracks like the awesome "Hip-Shakin'", and the deep-dug grooves of "20% Alcohol" and "Notoriety Woman".

J.B. Hutto and the Hawks are accompanied by sixty-year-old Albert Luandrew, better known as Sunnyland Slim, on piano and organ, and Maurice McIntyre plays tenor saxophone on a few tracks. The sound is good, and the production brings Hutto's loud, wailing, but seemingly effortless vocals to the forefront where they belong.



There are no obvious #1 hit singles on this album - it is not a pop record, after all - but nor does it contain a single weak track. Every minute is worth listening to - and that is rare praise for a twelve-track LP!"

Chicago-style, straight up

Docendo Discimus | 02/20/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is the real thing. J.B. was the best slide player in Chicago, but sadly, wasn't one of the beneficiaries of the "blues revival" that came about during the late 60's. The upside is that his sound remained pure, unadulterated, raw Chicago blues at its best. Listening to this album is like being in an "after hours" joint on the southside at 3 in the morning--hot and jumping!"

Good Chicago slide-guitar blues

Mark R. Van Wagenen | Elgin, Illinois USA | 11/16/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"If you haven't been to the Checkerboard Lounge on East 43rd Street in Chicago at 2 AM, drinking Budweisers at the long, slender, rickety tables there, eyeing the sometimes exotic females that come into the place and listening to a smoky blues band (I have, and the experience is beautiful), this CD will get you close. And for good reason; although J B Hutto and His Hawks weren't regulars at the Checkerboard, they did have a gig at the nearby Turner's Blue Lounge back in the '60s. This is good, straight-up, old-fashioned Chicago slide-guitar blues, nothing fancy, with many tunes about women and alcohol (Rory Gallagher's great track "Too Much Alcohol", found on his Irish Tour CD, is taken from a J D Hutto track). On this CD, you get a bonus with Sunnyland Slim playing organ. J B Hutto is long gone, but the music lives on; recommended for knowledgeable blues fans. Real juke-joint stuff."