John Lee Hooker was f ted by the Rock aristocracy for his original Blues classics Dimples and Boom Boom, and for a series of polished albums in the last 12 years of his life up to 2001. Here, Savoy's archives present some of his first and finest recordings, played mostly solo in 1948/49 together with small group sides from a decade later; both reveal all the brooding mastery of this unique artist.