The driving instrumental that opens this collection, "Stomp Boogie" (so called because Hooker keeps time loudly with his foot throughout), should give listeners a sense of what to expect from BLACK MAN BLUES.

Primitive, gutbucket electric guitar is the main ingredient here, and it is Hooker's hard-edged boogie playing that fuels the 14 early sides that span from '48-'51.

Hooker's voice, though somewhat less growling than on later recordings, is no less soulful or urgent, and on cuts like the title track and the propulsive "Goin' Mad Blues," it presages a rock & roll vocal aesthetic.

There is plenty of old school blues too, such as the moping lope of "Landing Blues" and the wrenching confessions of "Morning Blues." Taken together, these are excellent examples of Hooker's early work and its gripping synthesis of folk blues and electric power.