(Submitted on September 5, 2017)
As a novice to blues music, I recently did some research on the subject. I came across a list on the website “Vinyl Me Please” entitled “The 10 Best Blues Albums for a Beginner.” I listened to some of the most highly regarded work of artists such as Lead Belly and Robert Johnson, in addition to the record “John Mayall – Bluesbreakers With Eric Clapton.” As a rock aficionado, the latter was probably the one I was most eager to listen to, being fairly familiar with Clapton’s music. But then I listened to B.B. King’s Live at the Regal, an album recorded at the Regal Theatre in Chicago in 1964, 16 years into his career, and that was what really stood out for me. Of course, I knew beforehand who King was, and was aware of his legendary status. But for one reason or another, I couldn’t recall ever having heard any of his songs.
In reading more about King, I learned that he grew up picking cotton in the Mississippi Delta, and developed an interest in music – specifically the guitar – at church. He started his career with performances in juke joints and on radio. From humble beginnings, he went on to become regarded as one of the most influential blues musicians in history. He passed away at the age of 89 in 2015.
King was particularly known for devoting much energy into his live performances, and he would regularly do over 200 concerts a year, well into the twilight of his life. It turned out that the record I listened to, which I found immediately appealing, was a fantastic introduction to the artist’s work. Live at the Regal features a collection of his greatest hits, and it ended up being considered one of the finest live albums ever recorded.
First, there is the music itself, and King’s renowned vocals and virtuoso guitar technique are fully on display, backed by a tight horn section and the beat of drums played by Sonny Freeman. Many distinctive elements of the blues genre weave through the songs, including the repetition of lyrics, sung to perfection by King whose vocal range allows him to slide effortlessly from gravelly growl to falsetto. King makes use of call-and-response, also typical of the genre, in songs such as “It’s My Own Fault,” in which his vocals alternate with the sultry sound of a tenor saxophone. King’s vocal range is matched by the extraordinary talent he brings to his guitar playing. His style is precise and powerful, and he uses the instrument to produce sounds that run the gamut. His playing is frequently described as dynamic, and this word seems apt, given that he can alternate between loud and soft, and aggressive and gentle.
I had read that a 12-minute, three-song medley on the first side of the album was perhaps the greatest 12 minutes of live musical performance ever recorded, and my senses were heightened with anticipation as the song “Sweet Little Angel” started to play. I wasn’t disappointed, and found myself entirely swept up in the experience. However, this album is so much more than just the music. As it was recorded live, it includes lots of B.B. King stage banter and between-song vignettes, and it’s immediately apparent that he is a charismatic performer who interacts with his audience and invites them to make noise and really feel the experience of the show. And feel it they do, as they cheer and clap throughout the concert. I read one account describing this as distracting. However, for me it was transporting and I felt as I listened to the album that I was there, at the Regal, right in the midst of the audience and enveloped by this great music and responding to the stories King is telling both through banter and song.
In looking back at his career, King once said, “I wanted my guitar to flow and sing, to make it prolong my feelings like all my favorite music did.” On this album, he surely achieves that aim. For King aficionados, it is a must-listen, and for anyone who is unfamiliar with blues music but is looking for the ideal way to introduce themselves to it, one could hardly find a better place to start.
Manhattan Dreaming 