John Lee Hooker

One of the most distinctive albums in Hooker’s catalog and one of the most unusual releases on Impulse! Records. This 1966 session pairs his raw Delta blues style with a tight jazz rhythm section.

Recorded in Boston with seasoned jazz players (including Barry Galbraith and Milt Hinton), the album strips things down: no overproduction, just voice, electric guitar, upright bass, and drums. The result is hypnotic and intimate. Hooker’s trademark boogie pulse is still there, but it’s framed with subtle swing and space.

Highlights include:

“Shake It Baby” – slow-burning, groove-heavy blues

“Bottle Up and Go” – minimal, driving, almost trance-like repetition

The title track – dark, simmering tension with sharp rhythmic interplay

The stereo pressings (AS-9103) have a beautifully open soundstage, while the mono cut feels tighter and more direct. Either way, it’s a superb-sounding record—clean, dynamic, and deeply atmospheric.

It Serve You Right To Suffer isn’t loud or flashy. It’s late-night, smoky, and quietly powerful, Hooker at his most controlled and magnetic.