The Guitar Work of Earl Hooker, Part 2

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Last month we looked at the legacy of Chicago guitar legend Earl Hooker, a player regarded by many of his peers as the greatest in a city overflowing with talent. But while Hooker’s mastery of standard electric blues was unquestionable, his renown as a slide guitarist was even greater.

As a teenager, Hooker studied with electric slide pioneer Robert Nighthawk, himself a disciple of Chicago acoustic guitar kingpin Tampa Red, renowned for his delicate, single-note melodies and wide, expressive vibrato.

Nighthawk’s 1949 take on Tampa Red’s “Sweet Black Angel” was an electric slide masterpiece, and Hooker’s own version (“Sweet Angel”) in 1953 proved that by 24 years of age he was already in a league with his mentor.