There is in everyone, a touch of the romantic, nostalgia for smoked filled dens, the clicking of wine glasses, and melancholy music filling the air.  Wherever he is at, B.B.  King gives you this feeling, bringing a definition to rhythm and blues that few have been able to rival.  For over sixty years, he has been hailed the king, occasionally playing with other blues icons, such as Gladys Knight, Randy Crawford and John Mayall.

His style is distinctly related to his guitar, a deeply instrumental approach, finding chords where one would have thought none existed, hanging on notes that linger in an evening air saturated with the ghosts of the fabulous era of rhythm and blues.  The music is haunting yet vibrant, bringing back lonely nights and the throbbing of the heartstrings.  His technique has influenced some of the world’s greatest music performers, including Eric Clapton, George Harrison and Jeff Beck.

B.B. King mixes traditional blues with jazz, pop, swing and jump to create his own unique and highly personal sound.  The master of electric guitar was inducted into the rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987.  Rolling Stone listed him as number seven of the top one hundred greatest guitarists of all time, and Gibson’s ranked him as number seventeen.

B.B. King has performed tirelessly throughout his career, delivering an average of 250-300 concerts a year.  At the age of 87, he’s still going strong, giving fans one of the most memorable of musical experiences.

If you’ve never had the opportunity to hear the King live, now would be a very good opportunity to do it.  It’s not just a step into musical entertainment at its best, but music that spans the years, bringing with it the history of blues, jazz and rock and roll development.  Classical and sophisticated, yet plaintive and simple, it’s as easy to listen to with your blue jeans on as in a suit and tie ensemble.  Find out why B.B. King is considered one of the greatest blues players and guitarists that ever lived, while deepening your appreciation of music.

This entry was posted on Thursday, November 1st, 2012 at 10:31 pm and is filed under Concerts. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.