BB King - 1991 [2008] "Live at the Apollo"

There are both good and bad points to this CD. Of the latter, the Phillip Morris "Super Band" is confined to background work with -- other than a few spots for Plas Johnson's tenor -- no soloists being heard from. As an ensemble, the all-star orchestra performs well, but is essentially anonymous. Also, despite the backing, B.B. King does not attempt to play jazz, a wasted opportunity. But, switching to the good points, Live at the Apollo is an excellent example of a strong B.B. King live performance. Somehow he always makes his combination of blues and familiar hits sound fresh. With a liberal amount of space set aside for his guitar solos, B.B. is in top form throughout the well-paced set, which is far superior to most of his overproduced studio sessions for MCA. Even if the big band is mostly irrelevant, this CD is recommended for B.B. King's singing and playing.

Track listing:

01 When Love Comes To Town    4:52
02 Sweet Sixteen    7:25
03 The Thrill Is Gone    3:33
04 Ain't Nobody's Bizness    2:43
05 Paying The Cost To Be The Boss    2:29
06 All Over Again    7:32
07 Nightlife    4:03
08 Since I Met You Baby    3:53
09 Guess Who    5:03
10 Peace To The World    2:53

Personnel:

    B.B. King - lead guitar, vocals
    Jeff Clayton - alto saxophone
    Jerry Dodgion - alto saxophone
    Plas Johnson - tenor saxophone
    Gary Smulyan - tenor saxophone
    Ralph Moore - tenor saxophone
    Harry "Sweets" Edison - trumpet
    James Morrison - trumpet
    Joe Mosello - trumpet
    Robin Eubanks - trombone
    George Bohanon - trombone
    Paul Faulise - trombone
    Urbie Green - trombone
    Ray Brown - bass
    Kenny Burrell - guitar
    Harold Jones - drums
    Gene Harris - piano, conductor