Albert King - Live From The Fabulous Forum 1972 (2015)

The Rockbeat label continues it's releases of old broadcasts of rock/jazz/blues artists, and this Albert King set is worth a listen if you're a fan of his blues style. The sound is actually pretty decent–similar to other recent live sets from this label–a bit flat but every instrument can easily be heard. And like other releases from this label some songs fade out prematurely. As usual the booklet notes are nothing all that great, except for the cover painting of King, and the disc slips inside a slot in the cardboard package. The rating is probably a bit inflated simply because King is one of my favorite bluesmen. This set is probably somewhere between three and four "stars". The cover art is by William Stout, whose book "Legend of the Blues" is a great book for blues fans. Following along after R. Crumb's "Heroes of Blues, Jazz, & Country", which is filled with portraits and biographies of many musicians from the genres in the title. Stout's book is like a second volume of musician's portraits/biographies–similar to the Albert King cover. Both books come with a CD of some great music. And both books belong in any long time blues music fan's library.

This is a typical set that King played during the late '60s/early '70s. Included are good versions of "Got To Be Changes Made", "Killing Floor", "I'll Play The Blues For You", and a lengthy "Stormy Monday". King's band is pretty hot–with Donald Kinsey (who recorded for Alligator Records with his own band) on second guitar and Rick Watson's fine tenor sax blowing. And speaking of horns, King is backed by two trumpets who, along with Watson's sax, create a good foil for King's guitar and vocals. And as usual, his rhythm section is top notch–setting everything up for King to do his thing–which he does with some strong vocals and some typically incendiary guitar solos.

While there's nothing really new here, the chance to hear King live is always a treat. His style wasn't flashy–he just got down to business. And this live set is more proof that he was one of the titans of post-war electric blues. If you're a fan check this out. ~Stuart Jefferson

TRACKLIST

1. Got To Be Changes Made (Live) ( 5:31)
2. I'll Play The Blues For You (Live) ( 5:35)
3. Killing Floor (Live) ( 3:42)
4. Angel Of Mercy (Live) ( 4:54)
5. Matchbox Blues (Live) ( 5:26)
6. Watermelon Man (Live) ( 2:30)
7. Breakin Up Somebody's Home (Live) ( 4:54)
8. Stormy Monday (Live) (11:43)

Personnel:

Albert King: Guitar, Vocals
Donald Kinsey: Guitar
Rick Watson: Tenor Sax
Norville Hodges: Trumpet
Wilbur Thompson: Trumpet
James Washington: Organ
Bill Rennie: Bass
Sam King: Drums