Together For The First Time: Live

Performer: B.B. King
Distributor: MSI Music Distribution

Notes: Personnel includes: Melvin Jackson, Sonny Freeman, Mel Brown, Ben Benay, Milton Hopkins, Joseph Burton, Ron Levy, Cato Walker, Louis Hubert, Bobby Forte, Edward Rowe, Wilbert Freeman, Charles Polk, Tommy Punkson, Harold Potier, Jr., Theodore Arthur, Theodore Reynolds, Leo Penn, Joseph Hardin, Jr., Alfred Thomas, Michael Omartian. Although the duo of Bobby Blue Bland and B.B. King was one of the most popular touring acts of the '70s and '80s, their first duet album -- appropriately titled Together for the First Time ... Live -- doesn't quite live up to expectations. Both musicians are in fine form, but rarely do any sparks fly. Occasionally, King turns out a good solo and Bland sings with passion, but usually the vibe of the record is too relaxed to be truly engaging. It's a pleasant record, just not the essential listening that it should have been. ~ Thom Owens That's "together for the first time" on disc, of course. Bland and King have shared stages since the '50s, when they were both members of the Beale Streeters, the legendary Memphis blues commune. In any case, this 1974 concert catches both artists at the peak of their game, recorded (with a nice sense of inside-the-band intimacy) in front of an extremely appreciative audience. Highpoints include a terrific call-and-response duet between the two stars on Bland's signature "That's the Way Love Is," and a riveting, can-you-top-this version of "3 O'Clock Blues," which features stinging guitar work by King and some of Bland's most impassioned singing ever.

Q (2/93, p.87) - 3 Stars - Good - "...the onstage pleasure they get from each other's music adds excitement and that extra spark..." Mojo (Publisher) (12/00, p.64) - "...A fine representation of [his] stage persona in the company of long-time friend and performing peer, B.B. King."

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.

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