Search - B.B. King and His Orchestra :: Live

Live
B.B. King and His Orchestra
Live
Genres: Blues, Pop, R&B
 
  •  Track Listings (10) - Disc #1

B.B. King is hailed as the reigning king of the blues. The Mississippi-born King notched an incredible 74 entries on Billboard's R&B charts between 1951 and 1985, and he was one of the few full-fledged blues artists to...  more »

     
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CD Details

All Artists: B.B. King and His Orchestra
Title: Live
Members Wishing: 1
Total Copies: 0
Label: Acrobat Music
Release Date: 10/21/2008
Album Type: Live
Genres: Blues, Pop, R&B
Styles: Electric Blues, Modern Blues, Soul
Number of Discs: 1
SwapaCD Credits: 1
UPC: 884607000126

Synopsis

Product Description
B.B. King is hailed as the reigning king of the blues. The Mississippi-born King notched an incredible 74 entries on Billboard's R&B charts between 1951 and 1985, and he was one of the few full-fledged blues artists to score a major pop hit when his 1970 record The Thrill Is Gone crossed over to mainstream success.

Starting out with a radio appearance on Sonny Boy Williamson's King Biscuit Time, it is now more than 45 years since Bill Graham introduced him on the stage of the Fillmore West in San Francisco
where he got a standing ovation before he'd played a single note. It has been said B.B.'s penetration of blues into the musical mainstream can be compared to the contributions of Duke Ellington and Louis Armstrong in their spheres.

B.B. King And His Orchestra Live includes the hit track The Thrill Is Gone and B.B. stalwarts Why I Sing The Blues and Darling, You Know I Love You. It captures King accompanied by one of the best bands of his entire career in 1983 when this performance was taped in Cannes, France during the annual Midem Festival. Under the leadership of trumpeter Calvin Owens, his band's tight, concise playing supports B.B.'s stinging guitar and vocals to exceptional effect. These workouts on many of his greatest hits are the perfect introduction to the King of the Blues.

Highly regarded UK label Acrobat Music is launching its US operations with this as well as other re-issues that offer high quality and excellent value on October 21st 2008. All of the Premier Collection titles are showcased in deluxe packages with unique, consistent packaging, which include o-cards, extensive liner notes and either a large number of tracks or lengthy play time. Acrobat will be establishing its presence as the premier independent re-issue label in the US through its distribution deal with TVT Distribution.

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CD Reviews

Punchy 1983 live set from blues legend
hyperbolium | Earth, USA | 11/10/2008
(4 out of 5 stars)

"This 1983 live set showcases B.B. King in Cannes, France, backed by a tight, powerful band led by trumpeter Calvin Jones. Fitting their set into a jazz festival program that included Pat Metheny and Dave Brubeck, King's orchestra, with a full horn section and a diesel-powered rhythm section (uncredited in the liner notes), took the opportunity to stretch their arrangements. The eleven minute opener, "B.B.'s Theme," is a testament to the band's muscular precision, and it's only a warm-up for the introduction of the star himself. King's guitar is an ample match for the band's horn-lined kick, starting with the instrumental "Why I Sing the Blues" on which King trades solos with a funked-up bass before jokily segueing into a blue funk riff borrowed from "Dueling Banjos." Even when taken down-tempo for "Darling You Know I Love You," the band's horns provide plenty of punch and Jones' trumpet serves as a soulful foil to King's guitar. The set features several King favorites, including "Sweet Little Angel" and the 1970 crossover hit "The Thrill is Gone," played and sung with plenty of verve. Additional highlights include a moody and pained take of King's original "All Over Again" and an instrumental arrangement of Jesse Belvin's "Guess Who?" that includes Stax-like horn accompaniment and a searing muted trumpet solo. The disc closes with a brash take on Louis Jordan's "Caldonia" and the original "Paying the Cost to Be the Boss." Acrobat's release, with a new cover photo and liner notes, plus an "O-card" surrounding a standard jewel box, is a straight-up reissue of Fabulous' like-titled (and now out-of-print) 2003 import. Between song banter is omitted by fading tracks just before or after the audience applause begins, but any sense of stitching is completely overpowered by the set's energy. [©2008 hyperbolium dot com]"