B.B.
King
Let The Good Times Roll
The blues has often been referred to as swings distant cousin,
so its fitting that The King of Blues decided to pay tribute
to one of the kings of swing, Louis Jordan. And what a toe-tapping,
butt-shaking tribute it is! Countless musicians have paid homage
to Jordan in the past, but Let The Good Times Roll, the
latest release from guitar legend B.B. King, surpasses all the
previous efforts. It opens with an infectious rendition of Aint
Nobody Here But Us Chickens, followed by an uptempo version
of Is You Is, Or Is You Aint (My Baby), featuring
Dr. John tickling the eighty-eights as he shares the microphone
with King. Its impossible to sit still during B.B.s
take on
Choo
Choo ChBoogie. Go ahead and try. The horn section
on this album oozes swankjust listen to how they captured
the Louis Jordan sound as the drag
and slink behind the beat on Buzz Me. And if you want
to know why they call B.B. The King of Blues, listen to him make
love to his guitar Lucille on Im Gonna Move To The
Outskirts Of Town. Jack, You Dead and Saturday
Night Fish Fry hop like mad, and B.B. also includes two
of his favorite Jordan tunes, Caldonia and the title
track, Let The Good Times Roll. The latter track showcases
Kings singing and is a standard in his repertoire. The only
problem with this excellent CD is deciding whether to put it in
the blues or swing section of your collection.
-
Steve Kastenbaum
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