POP REVIEW : Hooker, James: A Study in Contrasts

At age 72, blues legend John Lee Hooker can’t be expected to perform as scintillatingly as he once did. But he can certainly do better than the lackadaisical effort he offered on Wednesday at the Hollywood Bowl, where he was clearly just going through the motions.

At his recent show at the Variety, for instance, Hooker--who was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame last year--was really on , investing genuine passion and energy into his performance and in turn pumping up his band, which seemed to respond to Hooker’s mood.

Now that show was something to cheer about, and it made the singer-guitarist’s headlining appearance at the Bowl blues show (which also featured Etta James, the JB Horns and Charles Brown) all the more disappointing.

But at this stage of his career, he gets showered with acclaim for merely showing up.

Watching Hooker on cruise control wasn’t much fun, unless you hadn’t seen him before and didn’t know what to expect. The fans at the Bowl seemed to love the set, even though he showed only glimpses of his greatness, a few flashes of his great old Mississippi Delta blues form. His guitar playing was at best perfunctory.

Hooker’s ploy is to surround himself with terrific musicians--the Coast to Coast Blues Band--and let them carry the show with lengthy blues jams.

But the band, featuring saxophonist Kenny Baker and organist Deacon Jones, wasn’t particularly inspired Wednesday, and young female blues singer Vala Cupp, who was hardly ever on key, was downright awful. The lone exception was the guest star, 60-year-old guitarist Albert Collins, who provided what electricity there was in the set. Unfortunately, he was only allotted short solo spots.

The other major performer in the Bowl show, R&B; singer Etta James, doesn’t share Hooker’s blase attitude toward performing. A Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nominee, James is a rollicking, robust singer who revels in songs with suggestive lyrics, like “Damn Your Eyes” and “You Can Leave Your Hat On.” She transformed these songs into intense little dramas, bolstered by lewdly humorous touches.

Backed by the marvelous Roots Band, James was a joy to watch, with her loose, playful style and an infallible sense of time that’s rivaled by only a handful of R&B; greats.

The set featuring the JB Horns--three alumni from the great old James Brown band--was largely a bore. Headed by alto saxophonist Maceo Parker and featuring tenor saxophonist Pee Wee Ellis and trombonist Fred Wesley, this band played mostly tunes in the classic Brown grooves. But without a first-rate vocalist, the grooves became tiresome very quickly.

These are accomplished, creative musicians. You’d think they’d have more to offer than recycled Brown riffs--something already offered regularly by nearly all rappers and half the world’s R&B; singers these days.

Just one more disappointment in a generally disappointing evening.