In a music world abounding with superstars and living legends, B.B. King honestly stands tall with any of them. The guitarist has long lived in the artistic shadows of long-gone blues innovators like Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters, and Willie Dixon. King is a trailblazer in his own right, though, accomplishing something that the aforementioned legends never really did: selling the blues to a mainstream white audience.
B.B. King's Blues On The Bayou
Consider, for example, Blues On The Bayou. Taking his hard-working road band into a remote Louisiana studio, King and crew recorded Blues On The Bayou in a mere four days. A fifteen-song collection of old and new tunes written or co-written by King, the album was done live in the studio, offering no overdubs or production wizardry, just plain music. King debuts as a producer here for the first time, and the result is as tasteful treatment of the blues as you’ll find.
At the heart of every song is King’s masterful six-string work. A maestro on the guitar, King’s fluid playing style and the unique tone he coaxes out of "Lucille" sounds more jazzy than bluesy. Throw in King’s growling, soulful vocals on songs like "Broken Promise" or "I Got Some Outside Help I Don’t Need" and you’ll find the traditional wellspring from which King draws his blues.
The backing band, which has literally played hundreds of shows with King, support the songs in an understated manner, respectfully allowing King and his amazing guitar to dominate the proceedings.
The Reverend's Bottom Line
Many have dismissed King for going "Vegas," too slick and flashy for a bluesman, and from his earliest sides it’s been evident that he has always played with a lot of stylistic flair and glamour. His stage presence and six-string prowess is larger than life, and if he’s not, to quote an unfounded criticism, as "authentic" as earlier bluesmen, well, he’s traveled his own path for over 50 years and brought the music of the blues to the largest audience it’s ever enjoyed.
King has influenced dozens of younger guitarists, black and white, from folks like Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck to Robert Cray and Jonny Lang. While Blues On The Bayou isn’t a great artistic statement, just a solid effort showcases King doing what he does best: singing and playing the blues. For that alone, B.B. King deserves a seat alongside the legends. (MCA Records, released October 20, 1998)
