B.B. King

Classic album: B.B. King – Live at The Regal 1965

Posted on by Hallgeir Olsen

“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.”
– Allmusic

Live at the Regal is a 1965 live album by American blues guitarist and singer B.B. King. It was recorded on November 21, 1964 at the Regal Theater in Chicago. The album is widely heralded as one of the greatest blues albums ever recorded and is #141 on Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. In 2005, Live at the Regal was selected for permanent preservation in the National Recording Registry at the Library of Congress in the United States.

“Ladies and gentlemen, how about a nice warm round of applause to welcome the world’s greatest blues singer, the king of the blues; B.B. King.”

This is how one of the best live blues albums ever made starts,  we get 35 minutes of blues captured just as blues music was designed to be heard, live and loud! Continue reading “Classic album: B.B. King – Live at The Regal 1965” →

Classic documentary: Blues Story by Jay Levey

Posted on by Hallgeir Olsen

BLUES STORY: A Documentary (2003)
Directed by Jay Levey

The blues was born at the turn of the century in the Mississippi Delta and other regions of the South. It would become the cornerstone of all popular American music. This is its story as told by the artists who lived it.

Produced and directed by Jay Levey, executive produced by Levey and Richard Foos (the man who founded Rhino Records as well as Shout!), with Edward Marritz directing photography and Mark Mandler serving as the sound engineer, the film also counts Jim O’Neal (the founder of Living Blues magazine and owner of Rooster Blues) as executive consultant and associate producer. What a great production crew.

Hubert Sumlin, guitarist with Howlin’ Wolf for many years, tells a story about his mother telling him that if he wanted to do church music, he should do church music. If he wanted to go the other way, he should. His smiles and says, “Yes, ma’am, I’m going the other way.” Continue reading “Classic documentary: Blues Story by Jay Levey” →

September 16: The Late Blues Legend B.B. King Was Born in 1925

Posted on by Egil Mosbron

B.B. King

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_message message_box_color=”mulled_wine” icon_fontawesome=”fa fa-quote-left”]The blues was like that problem child that you may have had in the family. You was a little bit ashamed to let anybody see him, but you loved him. You just didn’t know how other people would take it.
~B. B. King

I never use that word, retire.
~B. B. King

Universally hailed as the reigning king of the blues, the legendary B.B. King is without a doubt the single most important electric guitarist of the last half century. His bent notes and staccato picking style have influenced legions of contemporary bluesmen, while his gritty and confident voice — capable of wringing every nuance from any lyric — provides a worthy match for his passionate playing.
~Bill Dahl (allmusic.com)[/vc_message][/vc_column][/vc_row]

The Thrill Is Gone (Live at Montreux 1993):

Continue reading “September 16: The Late Blues Legend B.B. King Was Born in 1925” →