Search - B.B. King :: Blues Kingpins (Dig)

The biggest Kingpin of the Blues Kingpin series--and in the entire canon of blues music for that matter--is heard in all his glory on 18 tracks from the early prime of his storied recording career. Recording for the Bihari brothers' RPM and Kent labels between 1950 and 1962, King unveiled his talents to the world: his single-string guitar style, adapted from Charlie Christian and T-Bone Walker, was marvelously dramatic, understated, and sophisticated, while his strong singing was an unwavering beacon of pride, resilience, and tough determination, no matter how melancholy the lyrics got. No wonder the likes of "Three O?Clock Blues," "Sweet Little Angel," "Every Day I Have the Blues," and "Sweet Sixteen" were huge favorites among urban African-American record buyers. While the so-so songs "Sneakin? Around" and "Please Accept My Love" are trinkets amidst the diamonds, the disc remains a desert-island album. -- Frank-John Hadley