Review of B. B.
King - Live In Japan
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Truly living up to his name, B.B. (Blues Boy) King has majestically dominated the blues scene for more than thirty years, giving an average of 300 days a year on tour and spending most of the other 65 in the recording studio. King has matched talents with the finest musicians; from the American jazz greats The Crusaders to rock stars like Leon Russell and Carole King. He has recorded hits in a hotel room, in a garage, and in the world's foremost studios.
Live In Japan was taped on March 4, 1971 in Sankei Hall, Tokyo, and was only released in Japan. Recorded on the heels of Live at Cook County Jail, King's highest charting album (#25), it is understandable why MCA Records executives originally passed on this fantastic live document. Jams, such as "Sweet Sixteen" and "Eyesight To The Blind," show B.B. and his band to be reveling in the Japanese ecstatic response to their music. There is a raucous joyfulness in the recording that is utterly contagious. New material, like "Hummingbird" (only known live recording of the song), project B.B. as a balladeer, while loose jams like "Japanese Boogie" and "Hikari #88" take this well oiled blues machine to new heights of free form improvisation. There is a lengthy version of "The Thrill Is Gone" where King shows off some flashy guitar lines set in contrast to his mix of falsetto wailing and rich gospel flavored tenor.
This album proves that the best way to hear B.B. is on stage. If you liked Cook County, this is a great companion piece.
Released Date: 1999
MCA Records
Japan
Tracks:
Every Day I Have The Blues
How Blue Can You Get?
Eyesight To The Blind
Niji Baby
You're Still My Woman
Chains And Things
Sweet Sixteen
Hummingbird
Darlin' You Know I Love You
Japanese Boogie
Jamming At Sankei Hall
The Thrill Is Gone
Hikari #88
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