Customer Reviews

Hawk Squat

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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!

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!

Another stompin' disc from Delmark records. This is a REAL slice of Chicago blues, and from what I've read about Turner's, not a bad snapshot of the era.

Loose in places, the band is hittin' hard. Sunnyland Slim (piano, organ) is great as always, with Junior Pettis (bass, and only on two tracks) helping tell tales of demon alcohol, and women, women, women.

This is a great sounding disc, with none of the raw power rounded off in the bits. Not having heard the original tapes, this might not be a complaint worth lodging, but... It sure would be nice to hear some of the tracks play out a bit instead of being faded. Maybe have the unedited versions added as bonus tracks.

This is the Blues.

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.

JB Hutto LAYS WASTE to any other electric guitarist you've ever heard play. How it is he isn't a household word is beyond my comprehension -- he's unbelievable!!!

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this is one of the finest blues cds i have heard in a long time. if you want an introduction to j.b. hutto this is the one to start with absolutly amazing

This album feels like time travel to a Chicago blues bar from the late 60s. So sad the Hutto did not live to keep making this kind of high energy music. The music pre-dates the somewhat self-conscious blues "revival", and thus shows no signs of longing for the rural roots -- it's pure 60s with south Chicago spicing.

This guy is right behind Elmore James in my book. This and his early work on Testament are where to start. He has many fine cds. Also check out Johnny Shines if you're slide addicted like me.

Never heard of these cats until I found them browsing on Amazon.com. Downloaded this CD to my iPOD and listen to it all the time. I wish they were still around.