John Lee Hooker - That's My Story

Release date 1991

Although Orrin Keepnews' Riverside Records was primarily a jazz label, the company dabbled in blues in the 1960s -- and one of the bluesmen who recorded for Riverside was John Lee Hooker. Recorded in 1960, this Keepnews-produced session came at a time when Hooker was signed to Vee-Jay. The last thing Keepnews wanted to do was emulate Hooker's electric-oriented, very amplified Vee-Jay output, which fared well among rock and R&B audiences.

Keepnews had an acoustic country blues vision for the bluesman, and That's My Story favors a raw, stripped-down, bare-bones approach -- no electric guitar, no distortion, no singles aimed at rock & rollers. Over the years, Hooker fans have debated the merits of his Riverside albums. Some much prefer him in an electric setting; others applaud the rural vision that Keepnews had for him. 
AllMusic Review by Alex Henderson