Keeping It Real

When John Lee Hooker passed away in 2001 at the age of 83, obituaries noted that the blues giant was survived by no less than eight children. At least two of them, Zakiya Hooker (formerly Vera Lee Hooker) and John Lee Hooker, Jr., have followed in their dad's footsteps by becoming blues singers. But neither John Lee Hooker, Jr. nor Zakiya have tried to emulate him stylistically, and the swampy Mississippi-meets-Detroit approach he was known for is rarely heard on Keeping It Real (which, for the most part, has a decidedly urban, more Chicago-influenced flavor). Subtlety and understatement prevail on this enjoyable 2009 release; Zakiya isn't an aggressive belter of the Etta James/Koko Taylor variety, but that doesn't mean that she isn't expressive. Emotionally, Zakiya says what she needs to say on electric urban blues offerings such as "Cold Cold Feeling," "Crossroads," and "Hug U, Kiss U," and she is equally pleasing when she detours into soul on "Scared to Love" (a tune that wouldn't be out of place on a Teena Marie album), "What Am I Gonna Do," and the title track. One thing Zakiya does have in common with her father is a fondness for moody minor-key offerings, but the minor-key moodiness that prevails on "End of the World Blues" and the clever "Love Foreclosure" has more in common with the blues-soul of Bobby "Blue" Bland, Benny Latimore, and Little Milton than it does with John Lee Hooker's swampy minor-key moodiness. The disc's swampiest track is "Rock These Blues Away," a duet with John Lee Hooker himself; obviously, parts of Keeping It Real were recorded long before 2009. But anyone who plays Keeping It Real in its entirety will realize that Zakiya is very much her own person, and her individuality serves her well on this 62-minute CD.