LONG JOHN HUNTER
Ooh Wee Pretty Baby! (Norton)
Reviewed by John Sekerka

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For thirteen years Long John Hunter cranked out his wild and woolly mix of Texan blues rock at The Lobby. Hunter would wail away on his guitar all night long, letting a Mariachi band fill the few breaks he took. He chose this cozy Juarez night club as a means of musical expression for his El Paso rock, pausing only sporadically to record singles for the legendary Yucca label. When The Lobby ceased operations in '71 Hunter disappeared, only to resurface recently as one of Alligator's choice bluesmen. And though his records of late are just fine, nothing can match the fire of those early years, collected nicely as a twenty-one track flashback by the good folks at Norton Records. Talk about rough and raw rock'n'roll, Hunter sped up his B.B. King licks with aid/hindrance of The Lobby's Mexican bartenders as his rhythm section, creating a spontaneous stompin' sound folks from both sides of the border clamoured for. There's no denying the sheer power of such party classics as "El Paso Rock", "School Rock" and the brilliant "Hey Mrs. Jones", proving Hunter to be an exceptional composer as well as a dynamic player. Oh to be at The Lobby back in '58.

(C) 1998 - John Sekerka