b King

B.B. King is not only a timeless singer and guitarist, he's also a natural-born entertainer, and on Live at the Regal the listener is treated to an exhibition of all three of his talents. Over percolating horn hits and rolling shuffles, King treats an enthusiastic audience (at some points, they shriek after he delivers each line) to a collection of some of his greatest hits. The backing band is razor-sharp, picking up the leader's cues with almost telepathic accuracy. King's voice is rarely in this fine of form, shifting effortlessly between his falsetto and his regular range, hitting the microphone hard for gritty emphasis and backing off in moments of almost intimate tenderness.

The seventh volume in Ace's ongoing mid-price series based on B.B. King's original Crown LPs with bonus tracks. "More B.B. King" was released in 1961 and is an entertaining mix of booting R&B, blues ballads and instrumentals, drawn primarily from the Kent singles of the period. The bonus tracks comprise eight related Kent singles that have mainly escaped the reissuers net. These are quality recordings orchestrated by the great Maxwell Davis. As always, there is an eye-catching front cover, while compiler John Broven supplies the explanatory background notes.

This unusual compilation from the Kool Jazz at Midem Festival combines parts of three separate sets. The Dave Brubeck Quartet with clarinetist Bill Smith, bassist Chris Brubeck and drummer Randy Jones, has the most interesting program, utilizing an electronic delay along with Smith's clarinet to add a new touch to "Lover Man," offering an energetic version of "Blue Rondo a la Turk" and introducing a recent work by Brubeck, the very swinging "Ol' Bill Basie" which showcases some fine playing by the leader and some choice bass trombone by son Chris. Guitarist Pat Metheny joins the Heath Brothers for "Move To The Groove; " Metheny's bluesy guitar and Jimmy Heath's soulful tenor sax work well together. B. B. King's set is at best average and an odd choice to include on what is predominantly a jazz record.

In theory, a B.B. King album featuring 13 duets with a variety of different artists could be spectacular, but Deuces Wild feels like it was conceived with the bottom line in mind. Instead of choosing artists who would complement B.B., the producers assembled a lineup that would appeal to a broad audience, from old blues fans and rockers to contemporary country, urban R&B, and hip-hop fans…

The seventh volume in Ace's ongoing mid-price series based on B.B. King's original Crown LPs with bonus tracks. "More B.B. King" was released in 1961 and is an entertaining mix of booting R&B, blues ballads and instrumentals, drawn primarily from the Kent singles of the period. The bonus tracks comprise eight related Kent singles that have mainly escaped the reissuers net. These are quality recordings orchestrated by the great Maxwell Davis. As always, there is an eye-catching front cover, while compiler John Broven supplies the explanatory background notes.

This isn't his most well-known stuff, but it's a very solid late '60s set. Featuring brassy arrangements by Johnny Pate (who also worked with many prominent Chicago soul acts during the '60s), it presents King's sound at its fullest without sacrificing any of his grit or sophisticated swing…

Another collaboration that worked a lot better than one might have expected. King and the Crusaders blended in a marginally funky, contemporary style for the buoyant "Never Make Your Move Too Soon" and an uplifting "When It All Comes Down."…

The potential for a collaboration between B.B. King and Eric Clapton is enormous, of course, and the real questions concern how it is organized and executed. This first recorded pairing between the 74-year-old King and the 55-year-old Clapton was put together in the most obvious way: Clapton arranged the session using many of his regular musicians, picked the songs, and co-produced with his partner Simon Climie. That ought to mean that King would be a virtual guest star rather than earning a co-billing, but because of Clapton's respect for his elder, it nearly works the other way around.