B.B. King proves the thrill ain't gone

By Gautam Baksi

Daily Arts Writer

The term "living legend" should be used carefully. In a world of pre-packaged pop bands, it's easy to lose sight of the true musicians who built the ground upon which so many artists stand today.

That said, B.B. King has truly earned the title of living legend. At 75 years young, King has forever shaped the modern rock and blues scene with his electrified, six-stringed partner in crime, Lucille. Instrumental in introducing blues to a wide audience, it is a remarkable pleasure to see him in action today. Humble, honest and simple, B.B. King has come to personify the ideal persona of a blues hero bringing an overlooked genre of music to the mainstream. Critics may claim he lacks the talent of his contemporaries or doesn't play the "real blues," but the truth remains that B.B. King is the most famous blues musician alive today. Without him, Eric Clapton may have ended up the lead singer of a country band.

Gracing the historic Fox Theater stage Saturday night, B.B. King wasted no time in conversing with the audience. Though he was seated throughout the show, B.B. acknowledged the fact that at his tender age, "A man can sit if he wants to!" The near-capacity Detroit-based crowd did not seem to mind his inability to traverse the stage as B.B. lived up to lively expectations with his booming vocals. Though his legs may have shown the effects of time, his voice clearly didn't.

Accompanied by the B.B. King Blues Band filled with a four-piece horn section and piano, the night's music was a lively mix of horn-based blues intermixed with a more primal guitar blues sound backed only by a basic band. Early in the evening, B.B.'s solos were somewhat overshadowed by the enveloping horn section, but Lucille's clear tone still rang unmistakably through the theater's grand walls.

B.B. showcased his ability to play apparently "simple" solos, filled with few fancy riffs and lacking fast fingerwork. In their place, B.B.'s signature sound was a mixture of sharp bends and wailing tremolos that were accentuated, not merely by more notes, but rather with silence. The solos were simple, yet sang melodically. As B.B. once told U2, "I don't do no chords." His style is best summarized by saying that he knows when to play the right note - and also knows when silence is better than a string of notes.

During the two-hour show, King highlighted various songs from his extensive library, including classics like "Bad Case of Love" and "Just Like a Woman." Even an up-tempo version of "The Thrill is Gone" was tossed in for good measure near the end of the night. Audience members, particularly elderly females, could be seen openly expressing emotions of love towards B.B. as they yelled, chanted and clapped along to all of his songs. Humbly, B.B. repeatedly asked them for applause as each member of his band took turns soloing. However, the audience's reactions were tame compared to those given to B.B.'s vocals and solos.

There is no doubt the evening was magical and amazing, as B.B. King's exit off the stage was received by nearly ten minutes of warm applause and a standing ovation. Whether the highlight of the night was simply to see the man or just to hear his music (live) didn't matter; either one would be worth the price of the ticket. But Saturday night, fans got both.

Courtesy of Trudy and David Tannen

B.B. King makes Lucille cry last year at the Minneapolis Orchestral Hall.