Live at the Regal

by B.B. King

Overview

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. Nowhere is this more evident than at the climax of "How Blue Can You Get," where the Chicago venue threatens to explode at King's prompting. Of course, the master's guitar is all over this record, and his playing here is among the best in his long career. Displaying a jazz sensibility, King's lines are sophisticated without losing their grit. More than anything else, Live at the Regal is a textbook example of how to set up a live performance. Talking to the crowd, setting up the tunes with a vignette, King is the consummate entertainer. Live at the Regal is an absolutely necessary acquisition for fans of B.B. King or blues music in general. A high point, perhaps even the high point, for uptown blues. ~ Daniel Gioffre

Product Details

Release Date:	09/18/2015
Label:	Charlie Parker / Geffen
UPC:	0008811164614

Tracks

1. Everyday I Have the Blues
2. Sweet Little Angel
3. It's My Own Fault
4. How Blue Can You Get?
5. Please Love Me
6. You Upset Me Baby
7. Worry, Worry
8. Woke Up This Mornin'
9. You Done Lost Your Good Thing Now
10. Help the Poor

Album Credits

Performance Credits

B.B. King   Primary Artist,Guitar,Vocals
Johnny Board   Sax (Tenor)
Pluma Davis   Trombone
Bobby Forte   Sax (Tenor)
Sonny Freeman   Drums
Duke Jethro   Piano
Lawrence Burdine   Saxophone
Millard Lee   Piano
Barney Hubert   Saxophone
Henry Boozier   Trumpet
Leo Lauchie   Bass,Bass (Electric)
Mayall York   Bass
Ken Sands   Trumpet
Kenneth Sands   Trumpet

Technical Credits

Bill Szymczyk   Producer
Johnny Page   Producer
Andy McKaie   Reissue Producer
B.B. King   Composer
John Tobler   Liner Notes
Joe Josea   Composer
Joe Bihari   Composer
Charles Singleton   Composer
Jane Feather   Composer
Erick Labson   Digital Remastering
Leonard Feather   Composer
Denyse Plummer   Composer
Johnny Pate   Producer
Victoria Spivey   Composer
Davis Plumber   Composer
Plummer Davis   Composer
Jules Taub   Composer
Peter Chatman   Composer
Maxwell Davis   Composer
Pluma Davis   Composer
Rick Ward   Liner Notes
Charlie Singleton   Composer,Composer
Reuben Floyd   Composer
Memphis Slim   Composer
John Lee Hooker   Composer
Dick Shurman   Liner Notes
Jules Bihari   Composer
Roy Hawkins   Composer
Mel London   Composer
Geary Chansley   Reissue Photo Research
Rick Darnell   Composer
Meire Murakami   Reissue Design
Pervis Spann   Introduction
Don Bronstein   Photography
Ray Flerlage   Photography
Davis Plummer   Composer