In France: Live at the 1977 Nancy Jazz Pulsations Festival in Bloomington, MN

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
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
'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,
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
'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
. It starts loose, like a rehearsal version with
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,
is destined to become one of the more cherished live albums on
's shelf. ~ Thom Jurek