King of the Blues [Box] [Box]

Performer: B.B. King
Artist: Bobby "Blue" Bland; Ringo Starr; U2; Bonnie Raitt; Joe Walsh; Leon Russell; The Crusaders; Carole King; Stevie Wonder
Producer: Dave Crawford; John Landis; Don Was; Ed Michel; Esmond Edwards; Barry Moore; Howie Leder; Ian Taylor; Ira Newborn; Jimmy Iovine; Joe Sample; Joe Zagarino; Johnny Pate; Jon Tiven; Lou Zito; Quincy Jones; Sid Feller; Sidney A. Seidenberg; Stewart Levine; Stix Hooper; B.B. King; Vernon Reid; Wilton Felder; Bill Szymcyzk; Gary Moore; Bob Thiele; Andy McKaie (Compilation)
Distributor: Universal Distribution

Notes: Personnel includes: B.B. King (vocals, guitar, piano); Bobby Bland, Bonnie Raitt (vocals); Hugh McCracken, Joe Walsh, Mac "Dr. John" Rebennack, Ray Parker, Jr., Dean Parks, Bobby Caldwell (guitar); Ernie Watts, Hank Crawford (alto saxophone); Bobby Forte, David "Fathead" Newman (tenor saxophone); Ronald Cuber (baritone saxophone); Ben Webster (saxophone); Carole King, Gary Wright (electric piano); Johnny Ace, Al Kooper, Leon Russell (piano); Stevie Wonder (keyboards); Red Callender, Brian Garofalo (bass); Sonny Freeman, Russ Kunkel, Ringo Starr, Jim Keltner, Wil Calhoun (drums); Paulinho Da Costa (percussion); Merry Clayton (background vocals). U2: Bono (vocals); The Edge (guitar); Adam Clayton (bass); Larry Mullen (drums). The Crusaders: Wilton Felder (guitar); Joe Sample (keyboards); Stix Hooper (drums). The Memphis Horns: Andrew Love, Wayne Jackson (horns). Digitally remastered by Erick Labson (MCA Studios, No. Hollywood, California). Personnel: B.B. King (vocals, guitar); Gary Moore, Bobby "Blue" Bland, Bonnie Raitt, Bono (vocals); The Edge (guitar, keyboards); Cornell Dupree, Thek Edge, David Spinozza, Dean Parks, Bobby Cadwell, Johnny Jones, Julio Ferrer, Hugh McCracken, Irving Ashby, Milton Hopkins, Jesse Daniels, Eli Tartarsky, Leonard Gill, Jesse Ed Davis , Joe Walsh , John Uribe, Jon Tiven, Al Hendrickson, Lee Ritenour , Mac Rebennack, Michael Landau, Norman Harris, Ray Parker, Jr., Roland Chambers, Sally Tiven, Arthur Adams , Steve Watson , Billy Butler, Calvin Newborn (guitar); Fred Jackson, Jr. (flute, tenor saxophone); Jewell L. Grant, Earl Turbinton, Lawrence Burdine (saxophone, alto saxophone); Louis Hubert, Bobby Forte (saxophone, tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone); Johnny Board (saxophone, tenor saxophone); Quitman Dennis (saxophone, horns); David McMurray, Don Wilkerson, Lee Gatling, Bumps Myers, Brother Gene Dinwiddie, Mahlon Clark, Fred Ford, Harold Austin, Larry Williams , Trevor Lawrence, Ben Branch, Ben Webster, Bill Hood, Bobby Keys (saxophone); David Sanborn, Ernie Watts, Howard E. Johnson , Cato Walker, George Coleman, Hank Crawford, William Green (alto saxophone); Herbert Hardesty (tenor saxophone, trumpet); Maxwell Davis (tenor saxophone, organ); Bill Havey, Vernon Slater, David "Fathead" Newman , Hilton Joseph, Adolph Duncan, Richard Sanders, Jimmy Forrest, Red Holloway, Arnett Cobb, Wilton Felder, Bill Harvey (tenor saxophone); Floyd Turnham, James Walker , Barney Hubert, Eddie Saxman Synigal, Jerome Richardson, Kim Hutchcroft, Ronnie Cuber (baritone saxophone); Jim Price (trumpet, trombone, electric piano); Steve Madaio (trumpet, horns); Waymon Reed, Conte Candoli, Tom Branch, John Willie Cook, Ernie Royal, Ken Sands, Edward Rowe, Lonny Lalanne, Carl Adams, Gary Grant, Henry Boozier, Hobart Dotson, Jake "Vernon" Porter, James Bolden, Jerry Hey, Al Porcino, Oscar Brashear, Patrick Williams, Ray Linn, Snooky Young, Woody Shaw, Al Aarons, John Browning , Bobby Bryant , Roy Poper, Calvin Owens, Charlie Miller (trumpet); Dick Noel, Steve Sherard, Garnett Brown, Charles Fendley, Sammie Jett, Tommy Pedersen, Joseph Burton, Jimmy Henderson , Juan Tizol, Pluma Davis, Tom "Bones" Malone, Benny Powell, Tommy Pederson , Jack Redmond, Lloyd Ulyate (trombone); George Bohannon, Nicky Payne, Gary Herbig, Kurt McGettrick, Andrew Love, The Memphis Horns, Wayne Jackson, Chuck Finley, Martin Drover, Nick Pentelow, Frank Mead (horns); Paul Harris , Willie "Big Eyes" Smith (piano, organ); Joe Sample (piano, keyboards); John Hobbs, Ron Levy (piano, synthesizer); Doctor Ragavoy, Charles Brooks, Dan Willard, Millard Lee, Sonny Burke , Jimmy Rowles, Joe Zagarino, Johnny Ace , Al Kooper, Leon Russell, Lloyd Glenn, Phineas Newborn, Jr., Robert Anderson, Frank Owens (piano); Gary Wright, Carole King (electric piano); Charles Bowles, James Toney, Duke Jethro, Ronnie Barron (organ); Dave Crawford, Charles Mann (keyboards, background vocals); Dr. John, Phil Blackman, Neil Larsen, Ron Kersey, Stevie Wonder, Tommy Eyre, Paul Griffin (keyboards); Randy Kerber (synthesizer, bass synthesizer); Jim Cook, Lawrence Dermer (synthesizer); Paul Mullen, Warren Chiasson (vibraphone); Victor Feldman (electric bass); Stix Hooper (drums, percussion); Ted Curry, Calep Emphrey, Earl Forest, Earl Young, Ed Greene, Phineas Newborn, Sr., Bob Morin, Harold Potier, Graham Walker, Jackie Mills, James Gadson, Jim Gordon , Jim Keltner, John Starks, Kenny Aronoff, Larry Mullen, Jr., Luther Dixon, Oliver Jackson, Anton Fig, Ringo Starr, Russ Kunkel, Will Calhoun, Bernard "Pretty" Purdie, Herb Lovelle, Jesse Sailes, Sonny Freeman (drums); Earl Nash, Larry Washington, Eddie "Bongo" Brown (congas); Marcus Barnett, Lenny Castro, Nan� Vasconcelos, Paulinho Da Costa, Debra Dobkin (percussion); Cindy Mizelle, Luther Waters, Valerie Pinkston-Mayo, Phyllis Duncan, Rebecca Evans Russell, Helen Duncan, Julia Tillman Waters, Rebecca Russel, Paulette Brown, Joshie Armstead, Linda Taylor, Lisa Fisher, Maxine Willard Waters, Oren Waters, Carol Kenyon, Tasha Thomas, Bunny Hull, Carl Hall (background vocals). Audio Remixers: Ron Jacobs ; Louis Silas, Jr.; Shelly Yakus; Bill Inglot. Liner Note Authors: Colin Escott; B.B. King. Recording information: H (05/1949-12/1991); Hollywood, CA (05/1949-12/1991); Houston, TX (05/1949-12/1991); Los Angeles, CA (05/1949-12/1991); Memphis Recording Service, Memphis, TN (05/1949-12/1991); Miami, FL (05/1949-12/1991); New York, NY (05/1949-12/1991); Regal Theatre, Chicago, IL (05/1949-12/1991); Village Gate, New York, NY (05/1949-12/1991); WDIA Studio "A", Memphis, TN (05/1949-12/1991); YMCA, Memphis, TN (05/1949-12/1991). Director: Calvin Owens. Photographer: Geary Chansley. Unknown Contributor Roles: Duke Ellington Orchestra; Nicky Payne; Fred Ford; Sammie Jett; Adam Clayton; Ben Branch; Gary Moore; Martin Drover; Bobby "Blue" Bland; Bonnie Raitt; Nick Pentelow; Frank Mead. Arrangers: Dave Crawford; Edward Rowe; Ira Newborn; Johnny Pate; Maxwell Davis; B.B. King. No way can a mere four discs cover every facet of the blues king's amazing recording career, but MCA makes a valiant stab at it. The first two discs, as expected, are immaculate: opening with his Bullet Records debut ("Miss Martha King"), the box continues with a handful of pivotal RPM/Kent masters before digging into his 1960s ABC-Paramount material ("I'm Gonna Sit in 'til You Give In" and "My Baby's Comin' Home" are little-recalled gems). The hits -- "The Thrill Is Gone," "Why I Sing the Blues," "To Know You Is to Love You" -- are all here, and if much of the fourth disc is pretty disposable, it only mirrors King's own winding down in the studio. ~ Bill Dahl This 4-CD box set contains 7 previously unreleased tracks and 12 rarities. KING OF THE BLUES begins with B.B.'s first-ever recording, 1949's "Miss Martha King," and culminates 40 years later with 1991's "Since I Met You Baby," a duet with Gary Moore. Also included is a 72-page booklet with photos, a complete discography, comprehensive liner notes by Colin Escott and first-person commentary by King on his life and music. Disc 1 features King's earliest Memphis work, where he began his career as a disc jockey, then progresses to a selection of music he recorded for the Bihari brothers (Kent, Modern and RPM labels), and concludes with recordings made for ABC Records. On this disc you can hear King's guitar playing gradually evolve, moving from his roots in Charlie Christian and T-Bone Walker, into the sweet, sensual, concise melodic style which became his trademark. Disc 2 chronicles King's rise to blues stardom, while Disc 3 shows him crossing over to reach the rock and pop audience. "The Thrill Is Gone" (his breakthrough single) set the standard for King's collaborations with rock and jazz royalty that make up much of Discs 3 and 4. No matter what the setting was, no matter who the collaborators were, B.B. King has always maintained his sound, his style and his focus.

Entertainment Weekly (12/11/92, p.66) - "...a near perfect collection...The best work of a legendary artist, respectfully distilled into one lengthy, joyous listening experience...Absolutely first-rate..." - Rating: A Q (1/93, p.95) - 4 Stars - Excellent - "...It's all here--the entire life's work of the music's foremost ambassador, a man who, while he may not appear as driven as the great stylists of the post-War blues boom, is nonetheless its foremost gentleman and player..." Musician (1/93, p.88) - "...What's most striking about this chronology is not Mr. B.B.'s longevity or output, but his growth and consistency, moving easily through soul, funk, rock and jazz without compromising the essential core truth in his blues, remaining contemporary from generation to generation..." Living Blues (Jan/Feb 93, p.52) - "...does striking justice to King's remarkable royal tenure...sound quality is stunning throughout the entire box, spotlighting every nuance of King's remarkable guitar technique and patented crying vocal style..." Village Voice (3/2/93, p.5) - Ranked #6 in the Village Voice's list of the 10 Best Reissues Of 1992.

The great Memphis guitarist and singer B.B. King has been the most high-profile figure in blues since the 1960s, ever since his LIVE AT THE REGAL album established him as a superstar. King has collaborated successfully with everyone from Bobby Bland to U2, but he made his name as a soulful, enthusiastic bandleader. His beloved Gibson ES-345 guitar, "Lucille," is the source of King's trademark sound--percussive attack, dramatic string-bending, and spare lead lines with a vocal-like quality.

Click Here for Shipping Options and Policies

Shipping or Dimension weight in pounds: 0.25