B. B. King

INCLUDES FREE MP3 ALBUM DOWNLOAD

This quintessential collector’s edition includes B.B. King’s sensational album, My Kind of Blues, originally issued by the Crown label in August 1960 and long unavailable on vinyl. King himself has called it his favourite album and it’s easy to see why.

Recorded around March 1960 using only the accompaniment of Lloyd Glenn (piano), probably Ralph Hamilton (bass) and Jessie Sailes (drums), King’s stinging guitar and powerful voice come across beautifully. There’s a relaxed, almost after-hours feel to the proceedings emphasized by Glenn’s delicate piano work. Many of the songs are blues standards that have been covered by others, but in B.B.’s hands, they sound like true blues songs and it shows in his graceful and elegant performances. This may be the purest expression of King’s music, as exemplified on “Catfish Blues,” which is so dynamic it’s perhaps the definitive version of this standard.

There’s a fine balance between the classic B.B. cuts of “You Done Lost Your Good Thing Now” and “It’s My Own Fault, Darlin’,” letting us know what’s always been part of King’s blues message – that a relationship is a mutual responsibility. “Mr. Pawnbroker” describes marital blues from a pawnbroker’s perspective. The best thing about all the songs is that they feature King’s voice and guitar in their most essential form: upfront, sharp and strong, in a spare, blue setting.

In addition to the original masterpiece, this WaxTime collector’s edition includes 2 bonus tracks: the great “I’ll Survive” (which was recorded during the My Kind of Blues sessions, but finally not included on the LP) and “The Fool” (recorded in Los Angeles, 1959).

PERSONNEL:

B.B. KING, vocals and guitar, plus:

Lloyd Glenn (piano), probably Ralph Hamilton (bass),
and Jessie Sailes (drums).
Recorded at Radio Recorders studios, 7000 Santa Monica Boulevard,
Hollywood, California, on March 16, 1960.

With the exception of “The Fool”:
Johnny Board (tenor saxophone), Lawrence
Burdine (alto saxophone),
Kenny Sands (trumpet), Ralph
Hamilton (bass), Millard Lee (piano), Ted Curry (drums).
Produced by Joe Bihari.
Recorded in Los Angeles, California, 1959.

SIDE 1

01 YOU DONE LOST YOUR GOOD THING NOW
02 MR. PAWNBROKER
03 UNDERSTAND
04 SOMEDAY BABY
05 DRIVING WHEEL
06 THE FOOL *

SIDE 2

01 WALKING DR. BILL
02 MY OWN FAULT, BABY
03 CATFISH BLUES
04 HOLD THAT TRAIN
05 PLEASE SET THE DATE
06 I’LL SURVIVE *

* BONUS TRACKS