80 [Digipak]

Performer: B.B. King
Artist: Van Morrison; Eric Clapton; Sheryl Crow; Daryl Hall; John Mayer; Mark Knopfler; Glenn Frey; Gloria Estefan; Roger Daltrey; Elton John; Billy Gibbons; Bobby "Blue" Bland
Distributor: Universal Distribution

Notes: Personnel: B.B. King (vocals, guitar); Glenn Frey, John Mayer , Billy Gibbons (vocals, guitar); Van Morrison (vocals, harmonica); Elton John (vocals, piano); Daryl Hall, Gloria Estefan, Roger Daltrey, Sheryl Crow, Bobby "Blue" Bland (vocals); Davey Johnstone, Dean Parks, Eric Clapton, Larry Campbell, Mark Knopfler, Clem Clemson (guitar); Brandon Fields (saxophone); Gary Grant, Jerry Hey (trumpet); William Reichenbach (trombone); Luke Smith (Hammond b-3 organ); Chris Stainton, Guy Babylon, Robbie Buchanan, Brian Mitchell (keyboards); Leland Sklar, Bob Birch (electric bass); T-Bone Wolk, Yolanda Charles (bass guitar); Nigel Olsson, Russ Kunkel, Ian Thomas, Billy Ward (drums); John Mahon (percussion). Although star-studded duet albums are often a mixed bag, when executed with appropriate collaborators and material the results can be impressive. Such is the case with many tracks on B.B. King's 80, which celebrates the blues legend's birthday with panache and, of course, a slew of high-profile guests. The 2005 album begins with "Early in the Morning," a pitch-perfect mid-tempo number performed with Van Morrison, and continues in finest form when it features other performers fluent in the blues, including Eric Clapton (a Hammond-tinged take on "The Thrill Is Gone"), Mark Knopfler (the simmering "All Over Again"), and King's longtime friend and peer Bobby "Blue" Bland (the intimate, conversational "Funny How Times Slip Away"). On every tune, King commands his guitar (the beloved "Lucille") better than performers a fraction of his age, and his weathered voice only adds to the record's charm.

Entertainment Weekly (No. 840, p.88) - "...King seems less an archetypal grizzled bluesman than a wise old Zen master, at peace with the world and himself. That doesn't mean he can't still sing and play some mean blues...." - Grade: B+

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