Album Review: BB King and His Orchestra — Live
The opening sonic salvo of B.B. King Orchestra and His Orchestra Live might be jarring for longtime B.B. King listeners. A Vegasy revue number, “B.B.’s Theme” really has little to do with the master’s style of music, as instead a vampy track that serves notice that the band is tight. The toastmaster/bandleader Calvin Owens shouts over the playing (“do you feel it?”), adding to the showbizzy vibe of the track. And so it goes for eleven minutes. True, King enters part-way through and pulls things toward his style.
Things get moving in a Chigaco style after that. The instrumental showstopper “Why I Sing the Blues” features fleet-fingered guitar work and a horn section worthy of James Brown. King is comfortable enough with his position as one of the greats; he has no problem allowing plenty of space for his band members to strut their stuff. (One small complaint: the packaging doesn’t provide info on band personnel.)
It’s more than 25 minutes into this set (as presented on CD, at least) before King opens his mouth, halfway through “Sweet Little Angel.” It’s worth the wait. A sampling of King classics is rolled out, including “Everyday I Have the Blues,” “The Thrill is Gone” and “Caldonia.” On the last of these, the band really lets loose on this Louis Jordan number, doing justice to this song that illustrates the point at which blues split off into rock and roll.
The set — recorded in 1983 in France before a typical worshipful crowd — closes with “Paying the Cost to Be the Boss,” starting out sultry and smoky and building to a fitting crescendo at its end.
Not the most essential of B. B. King live releases, it’s nonetheless quite enjoyable.
About the Author
Bill Kopp
With a background in marketing and advertising, Bill Kopp got his professional start writing for Trouser Press. After a stint as Editor-in-chief for a national music magazine, Bill launched Musoscribe in 2009, and has published new content every business day since then (and every single day since 2018). The 4000-plus interviews, essays, and reviews on Musoscribe reflect Bill's keen interest in American musical forms, most notably rock, jazz, and soul. His work features a special emphasis on reissues and vinyl. Bill's work also appears in many other outlets both online and in print. He regularly hosts lecture/discussions on artists and albums of historical importance (including monthly events Music to Your Ears and Music Movie Mondays), and is a frequent guest on music-focused radio programs and podcasts. In Spring 2023 he is co-teaching a history of Rock 'n' Roll at UNC Asheville's College for Seniors. He also researches and authors liner notes for album reissues -- more than 30 to date -- and co-produced a reissue of jazz legend Julian "Cannonball" Adderley's final album. His first book, Reinventing Pink Floyd: From Syd Barrett to The Dark Side of the Moon was published by Rowman & Littlefield in 2018, and in paperback in 2019. His second book, Disturbing the Peace: 415 Records and the Rise of New Wave, was published in 2021 by HoZac Books. His third book, What's the Big Idea: 40 Great Concept Albums will be published in 2024. Read even more about him here.