TURN-ONS AND TURN-OFFS IN CURRENT HOME ENTERTAINMENT RELEASES : ExcellentGoodFairPoor : COMPACT DISCS

“The Original American Folk Blues Festival.” Various Artists. Polydor (import). This CD of a 1962 Hamburg concert is an archival treat, featuring a summit meeting of such blues greats as John Lee Hooker, T-Bone Walker, Willie Dixon and Memphis Slim. These aren’t definitive performances of the songs the artists are best known for, but this frequently invigorating session of roadhouse blues--and surprisingly clean sound--gives CD fans a chance to hear Walker’s great guitar work, Hooker’s inimitably raw vocals and the passion of real blues.