B.B. King - In France: Live At The 1977 Nancy Jazz Pulsations Festival

Album: In France
Size: 182,7 MB
Time: 79:13
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2024
Styles: Blues
Art: Front, back

1. Blue Monk/Caldonia (4:52)
2. Sweet Little Angel (7:17)
3. I Like To Live The Love (5:31)
4. It's Just A Matter Of Time (9:37)
5. Why I Sing The Blues (6:37)
6. I Got Some Outside Help (I Don't Really Need) (7:04)
7. The Thrill Is Gone (6:46)
8. I Need My Baby (6:38)
9. Sweet Sixteen (5:39)
10. Blues Instrumental (1:41)
11. To Know You Is To Love You (3:53)
12. When I'm Wrong (6:03)
13. Have Faith (6:14)
14. Outro Blues Instrumental (1:15)

Bluesman B.B. King was no stranger to releasing live albums, during the 1960s and '70s. He released eight in that decade, among them, some of the most acclaimed records of his career, including Live at The Regal, Blues Is King, Live & Well, Live In Cook County Jail, and Live In Japan. In France: Live at the 1977 Nancy Jazz Pulsations Festival adds significantly to that list. The 14-track show appears as the second release from Zev Feldman's cooperatively owned Deep Digs label. The first was Sister Rosetta Tharpe Live in France. The tapes were sourced from Office de Radiodiffusion-Télévision Française (ORTF) and are in excellent sonic condition.

King played with a septet that included trumpeter Eddie Rowe and alto saxophonist Cato Walker III had been with him for several years as had guitarist Milton Hopkins. Organist James Toney joined King in 1968 and remained for decades, as did tenor saxophonist musical director and nephew Walter King. Bassist Joe Turner and drummer Calep Emphrey Jr. (he also played with Freddie and Albert King, the only musician to play with all three) were new additions to King's orchestra. These 14 tracks were sequenced and arranged expansively for the festival. They reveal themselves every bit as capable as previous backing band Sonny Freeman and the Kingpins. Arguably, this band is better. Evidence of their prowess can especially be heard on the three instrumental workouts in the program's second half - "I Need My Baby," "When I'm Wrong," and "Have Faith."

King throws a curveball after his introduction with a medley of Thelonious Monk's "Blue Monk" and Louis Jordan's "Caldonia," the latter an evergreen to the end. The orchestra's swing on the former tune is drenched in jazz-blues while the latter is jump blues/R&B barnstormer. With great breaks from both guitarists, honking saxophones, bright trumpets and unshakeable grooves from the rhythm section. Further, in his song choices, playing and especially sing, King drenches the concert in vintage soul reflecting the twin influences of Motown and Stax/Volt on his music during the 1970s. Check the version of "I Like to Live the Love" studio recorded in 1973 for To Know You Is to Love You, it glides, grooves, shakes and shimmies with infectious B-3 runs, bumping bass, and King's raw, resonant signing.

There's also a driving, blues funky version of that album's title track with burning horns and guitars. The reading of "The Thrill Is Gone" here surpasses the one found on Live In Cook County Jail. It starts loose, like a rehearsal version with King finding the bassline and walking slow and low in his opening solo. When he begins singing, the band falls in behind him, creating a platform for his voice. Later, "Sweet Sixteen" gives the audience a rightious taste of Chicago blues, while "To Know You Is to Love You" is a soul-blues choogler with jazzy horns, driving organ and bass and biting guitars in cut time. Though released for Record Store Day, In France: Live at the 1977 Nancy Jazz Pulsations Festival is destined to become one of the more cherished live albums on King's shelf. /Thom Jurek, AllMusic

In France: Live At The 1977 Nancy Jazz Pulsations Festival mc
In France: Live At The 1977 Nancy Jazz Pulsations Festival gofile

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