John Lee Hooker Jr.

Wednesday, August 10; BB's Jazz, Blues & Soups (700 South Broadway)

Aug 10, 2005 at 4:00 am

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Wondering what relevance the blues might have for your life? Take heed of "Blues Ain't Nothin' but a Pimp" by John Lee Hooker Jr.: "The blues woke you up this morning and told you to get your ass to work." Selling your soul to the devil, in other words, ain't what it used to be. But Hooker will tell you about demons. The son of the guitar-boogie king, he cracked up and nearly died on skid row, then cleaned up to pursue the single-minded purpose of standing his father's minimalism on its head. Neither a growler nor a major guitar player, the younger Hooker is a showman, a charismatic badass fronting a band versatile enough to handle greasy R&B, horny soul and jumping jazz. His songs aren't classic -- though "Goin' Down to Baghdad" is funnier than expected -- but the unadulterated strut of his sound is.

Show starts at 9 p.m. Tickets are $10; call 314-436-5222 for more information.