Two Bugs and a Roach

Earl Hooker was widely considered the guitarist's guitarist in Chicago, admired by B.B. King and Jimi Hendrix alike. This instrumental track is legendary. The "two bugs" refer to his lifelong battle with tuberculosis, which would kill him two years later. Hooker was an early adopter of the wah-wah pedal, and he uses it here with devastating, vocal-like precision over a deep Chicago shuffle. He was also an unmatched slide player, combining standard fretting with a short steel slide to create an entirely unique, fluid tone.