B.B. King-Live At The Regal 1965 ABC
It's mind-boggling to consider how many great albums Riley B. King has released in his long and successful career. The man is obviously teeming with music, and still able to let it flow straight out of his heart and soul. Fans of the great bluesman will be pleased to know that Blues On The Bayou, his latest outing (and first foray as producer) is another tick in the Win column.
From the extra-funky "Bad Case Of Love" to the string-inflected
weeper "I'll Survive" and the tender, soulful "Blues
Man,"King sounds as good today as he did when he cut his
two greatest live albums, Live at the Regal and Blues Is King.
Actually, it's King's touring band backing him on all 15 cuts,
all of which were recorded live (without overdubs) in just four
days, which is why the whole outing sounds like a live CD. The
recording session was "one of the most relaxed and, for me,
most satisfying," said King.
King's vocals still have that rich, growling texture, but don't
miss some of his playful hops and swoops, such as the line endings
of "Broken Promise." Guitar players know King is one
of the genre's most interesting soloists, and here, as always,
his guitar breaks are well-constructed and at times wildly exhilarating.
Of his decision to produce the project himself, King said "I
stay open to suggestions, and over the past five decades I've
enjoyed having others produce my music. Many of those producers
were great, and many of those productions led to hits.
But recently I've felt the urge to get back to basics. Maybe it's
my age -- I'm turning 73 this year -- or maybe my conviction that
this current band is my best ever."
If you like the blues, you surely won't be disappointed with this
one. It's one more reason why the King of the Blues should be
considered a true American musical treasure at this point in his
career.
Todd Denton