B.B. King – Spotlight On Lucille – Ace Records CDCH  187

With the dizzying number of B.B. King blues releases available, this one perhaps may be the least known to his ardent fans.  In fact, when I was doing late night blues radio on WSND FM 88.9 South Bend/Notre Dame, a cut on this stupendous collection entitled “38^th Street Blues” was my show’s lead-in.  Its two-minutes and twenty-nine seconds of rollicking blues attitude always set the tone just right for my shows. 

Released in 1991, this astounding 12-song CD presents sterling instrumentals from King’s 1950s-1960s periods with both the Kent and Modern labels.  It is startling just how faultless King’s guitar journeys sound here, with his style overall slightly a bit more jazz-influenced than what he normally offered from within the studio, though many savory and exciting musical designs are presented.

King really churns on Louis Jordan’s “Just Like A Woman,” and in addition to “38 Street Blues,” “Slidin’ And Glidin’,” “Step It Up,” “Calypso Jazz,” and “Powerhouse” are standout selections, though all are top-tier King.

We all know the King classics, and just how great a singer he was, but to have as indispensable a collection as this all-instrumental assemblage to relish, we should count ourselves as very fortunate, indeed.  “King Of Guitar,” without peer!

Below are the running tracks of this essential B.B. King CD.  This needs to be in any serious blues collection, as not recognizing this lofty material would be a disservice to a legend whose influence has never waned and continues to mean so very much to the blues, along with many other musical genres!

Song Titles

• Slidin’ And Glidin’
• Blues With B.B.
• King Of Guitar
• Jump With B.B.
• 38^th Street Blues
• Feedin’ The Rock
• Just Like A Woman
• Step It Up
• Calypso Jazz
• Easy Listening Blues
• Shoutin’ The Blues
• Powerhouse