D28boy Posted August 8, 2013 Share Posted August 8, 2013 Just caught this on Sky Arts and realy enjoyed it a lot . Whilst BB is now getting on a bit and probably way off his best I was blown away by Derek Trucks who guested with his wife Susan Tedeschi. Man can that guy play slide ....and his Missus can sing a bit too... Also guesting were Slash who seemed to be quite introverted and Ronnie Woods plus Mick Hucknall was squawking a bit. I think it showed to me that Slash is no guitar god..a good player but he just seemed a little lost in the impro (which suprised me a lot)Derek however just ripped anything BB threw at him. Great player IMHO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matonanjin Posted August 8, 2013 Share Posted August 8, 2013 BB King is going to be here (in Omaha) a week from Saturday! I'm really looking forward to it. Yes, he is getting on and no doubt "way off his best". But he is still the King. He is on with Peter Frampton and Sonny Landreth. Should be good! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D28boy Posted August 8, 2013 Author Share Posted August 8, 2013 But he is still the King. He is on with Peter Frampton and Sonny Landreth. Should be good! Agreed ...will be a great show.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milod Posted August 8, 2013 Share Posted August 8, 2013 I guess I figure "best" is awfully subjective. Is he supposedly off his best because hands may not be as fast? Or because a bit of aging offers a message reflecting increasing knowledge and wisdom, which contraindicates lessening of his musical and human message? <grin> m Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabs Posted August 8, 2013 Share Posted August 8, 2013 I was there, about 3 rows from the front on the floor seats :) It was the most amazing surprise ever when all of those players walked out.. As for the performance.. To be honest the whole night was kind of like that no one knew when they were going to play, how long to play for and the sound levels were all over the place... So it wasn't as smooth as it should have been. I wouldn't have missed it for anything though :) And yes Derek RIPPED it up like a gooden. I also got this great pic just before the gig started :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdgm Posted August 8, 2013 Share Posted August 8, 2013 WOW Rabs that is a GREAT guitar pic. Hope you don't mind me downloading it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabs Posted August 8, 2013 Share Posted August 8, 2013 WOW Rabs that is a GREAT guitar pic. Hope you don't mind me downloading it! Use it as you will Heres two more :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matonanjin Posted August 8, 2013 Share Posted August 8, 2013 I guess I figure "best" is awfully subjective. Is he supposedly off his best because hands may not be as fast? Or because a bit of aging offers a message reflecting increasing knowledge and wisdom, which contraindicates lessening of his musical and human message? <grin> m What?!?! Of course, "best" is subjective. "Best" is a comparative and unless there is an objective criteria for comparison it must, by definition, be subjective. And he is not supposedly off his best. He is off his best, hands and mind, because he is 88 years old!! (next month). There is no derogatory intent here. Quite the opposite. The man is, quite simply, amazing for his age. But I don't think that it is arguable that he is off his best, by any metric. And I have know idea what you meant by the last statement. "Contraindicates"? Did you mean "contradicts"? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milod Posted August 8, 2013 Share Posted August 8, 2013 Well... I think to suggest he is definitely "off his best" because he's 88 is a rather interesting comment. What's happening with age and maturity is that there are changes of the essence of what's being presented. It's different. It's still going to be "his best" in a performance but - HE is different and therefore the message of his music will be different. A little-aged whisky is fiery. A well-aged whisky is less fiery and smoother, it contains overtones of taste and, in effect, meaning, that necessarily are missing in the younger brew. As to my last sentence in the earlier post... let's just say that the above sentence covers it. I'm reminded again of a long discussion on a long flight some years ago discussing Shakespeare with a Shakespeare prof. I noted that I liked much of Shakespeare but not King Lear. She asked my age when I read it. I was 17. Her comment was right on, that it probably shouldn't be read until one is over 40, because it simply doesn't have meaning to the newer sensibilities of most younger readers. Since 40 nowadays is someone obviously young enough to be my own child, I'll add that there's a big change in one's and perspective between 40 and 70 as well. Friends assure me that there's much additional insight to learn of life as one adds yet another 20 years. I can guarantee that if ... if one has ears to hear them, there are messages from BB in his music today quite different from what could, or would have been there 40 years ago, regardless that it's the same piece. Johnny Cash's voice was that of age when he sang the "Nine Inch Nails" piece "Hurt." It's a different message with the voice of age from the same words sung by a voice in youth. So also with BB. m Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D28boy Posted August 9, 2013 Author Share Posted August 9, 2013 Well... I think to suggest he is definitely "off his best" because he's 88 is a rather interesting comment. What's happening with age and maturity is that there are changes of the essence of what's being presented. It's different. It's still going to be "his best" in a performance but - HE is different and therefore the message of his music will be different. A little-aged whisky is fiery. A well-aged whisky is less fiery and smoother, it contains overtones of taste and, in effect, meaning, that necessarily are missing in the younger brew. As to my last sentence in the earlier post... let's just say that the above sentence covers it. I'm reminded again of a long discussion on a long flight some years ago discussing Shakespeare with a Shakespeare prof. I noted that I liked much of Shakespeare but not King Lear. She asked my age when I read it. I was 17. Her comment was right on, that it probably shouldn't be read until one is over 40, because it simply doesn't have meaning to the newer sensibilities of most younger readers. Since 40 nowadays is someone obviously young enough to be my own child, I'll add that there's a big change in one's and perspective between 40 and 70 as well. Friends assure me that there's much additional insight to learn of life as one adds yet another 20 years. I can guarantee that if ... if one has ears to hear them, there are messages from BB in his music today quite different from what could, or would have been there 40 years ago, regardless that it's the same piece. Johnny Cash's voice was that of age when he sang the "Nine Inch Nails" piece "Hurt." It's a different message with the voice of age from the same words sung by a voice in youth. So also with BB. m Hey....you're reading way too much into my comment Milod. It's not an ageist thing and I'm not saying he doesn't put on a great show but listening to him playing & singing you could hear a fair few mistakes and a some areas where he appeared a bit off and he was just not playing as well as I've heard him play in the past. And I agree Cash's version of Hurt is a masterpiece especially with the video. Must say I thought I'd be getting burned for dissing Slash. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
badbluesplayer Posted August 9, 2013 Share Posted August 9, 2013 BB's still kickin' so that's good with me. Notice how he's still using one of those Gibson Lab series amps. Hah!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saturn Posted August 9, 2013 Share Posted August 9, 2013 My buddy works at the Hilton Hotel in Baltimore and told me BB checked in there the other day. I assume he was playing somewhere close but I never heard about it. When I jokingly asked him if he had his harp with him (my buddy plays harmonica) to jam his reply was "That old fart talks too much to play music any more". In his defense, he saw BB live a few years ago and told me he just sat there and told stories half the show and barely played 2 notes on his guitar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matonanjin Posted August 9, 2013 Share Posted August 9, 2013 Well, BB King does still have it in one regard (at least mentally) I watched him a few weeks ago on Palladia or some other music channel. It was a fairly recent concert judging from his age. And, yes, he did sit the entire time. It was BB King and "friends". Ritchie Sambora, Terrance Howard and some woman named "Solange" or something like that. She came on stage and my wife comments, "What a cute dress". I responded "Cute dress?! Cute woman!" This woman was gorgeous! But BB King spent most of the time flirting with her! Sure some of it was for the act but you could tell he was thinking "Oh if I was just younger"! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milod Posted August 9, 2013 Share Posted August 9, 2013 I guess part of my comment comes from a degree of regret I missed Frank Sinatra one year when he was performing in Las Vegas and I was there on a writing/photog assignment. Stuff happened and I had to be on a shoot when he was performing. It was toward the end of his career and, yeah, he was forgetting words to songs, etc., but... the phrasing... And seriously, I figured he was a far better singer with a far better voice post WWII than as a teen idol before the war. The reason I suggested there's still a message, still something important to learn, is that it is there if we have eyes and ears to perceive it. As for Slash... <grin> Slash who? m Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie brown Posted August 9, 2013 Share Posted August 9, 2013 Well, BB King does still have it in one regard (at least mentally) I watched him a few weeks ago on Palladia or some other music channel. It was a fairly recent concert judging from his age. And, yes, he did sit the entire time. It was BB King and "friends". Ritchie Sambora, Terrance Howard and some woman named "Solange" or something like that. She came on stage and my wife comments, "What a cute dress". I responded "Cute dress?! Cute woman!" This woman was gorgeous! But BB King spent most of the time flirting with her! Sure some of it was for the act but you could tell he was thinking "Oh if I was just younger"! Solange Knowles, is Beyonce's younger sister. And yeah, she's a beauty!! Good singer, too! So, at the very least, BB still has great taste, in women! CB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie brown Posted August 9, 2013 Share Posted August 9, 2013 Also, at 88, BB's not near the top of his game. I was lucky enough to see him, 40 years ago, when he Was! He's just nowhere close to that, now...his singing (when he does) is still decent, but his playing is even more sparce, than just a few years ago. Time takes it's toll, and he's certainly earned his right to "sit down," and let other's carry the weight. He's still one of my favorites, and always will be. And, there's not too many folks, his age, that even bother to go out on the road, anymore...much less, as often. So, You Go!..BB! CB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matonanjin Posted August 9, 2013 Share Posted August 9, 2013 Solange Knowles, is Beyonce's younger sister. And yeah, she's a beauty!! Good singer, too! So, at the very least, BB still has great taste, in women! CB Beyonce'sister! I did not know that. Beyonce is beautiful. Solange is breathtaking! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matonanjin Posted August 19, 2013 Share Posted August 19, 2013 I can guarantee that if ... if one has ears to hear them, there are messages from BB in his music today quite different from what could, or would have been there 40 years ago, regardless that it's the same piece. m In his defense, he saw BB live a few years ago and told me he just sat there and told stories half the show and barely played 2 notes on his guitar. I hate to say this but it was a huge disappointment. Clearly, I did not have the ears to hear the (BB King's) message. The concert was good. Sonny Landreth was very good as was Peter Frampton, of course. Peter Frampton brought other surprise guitarists on stage which included Larry Carlton and the lead guitar player for Cheap Trick. Larry Carlton was the highlight of the evening, IMO. BB King played more than two notes, but barely...... His band played for some period, 10 -15 minutes and then BB King was helped on stage. Peter Frampton sat in with him and, of course, they did "The Thrill is Gone". And then Frampton left and BB kept going with the "Thrill is Gone", not playing but just talking for about 10 minutes. Then they helped him back off stage. The highlight of his performance actually was when he came on stage and the love that the crowd showed him. The roar when he came out was absolutely deafening. I mean this in no way disrespectfully of him. And keep in mind this is coming from a senior citizen. He is the King. But it is, sadly, time for him to hang up Lucille. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milod Posted August 19, 2013 Share Posted August 19, 2013 Yeah... I'd say if that's a "bb concert," it's falsely advertised. m Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie brown Posted August 19, 2013 Share Posted August 19, 2013 While it MAY be time for BB to put Lucille back in her case, I don't see that happening, unless he literally expires on stage, or nearly so. He plays, sparingly as he does, simply for the love of the music. I DO think the promoters need to re-think their advertising, of his concerts. "BB and Friends," maybe? Or, "BB King presents:" to showcase his contributing acts, that tend to make up the bulk of the show. Just some thoughts/idea... CB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matonanjin Posted August 19, 2013 Share Posted August 19, 2013 No! To be clear it was not false advertising. This thread started out about BB King and I somewhat took it in a different direction. It was the Peter Frampton Guitar Circus with BB King and Sonny Landreth. I think, but could be wrong, that at different dates in the tour there could have been different guests than BB King and Sonny Landreth. But certainly it was not billed as BB King as the headliner. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie brown Posted August 19, 2013 Share Posted August 19, 2013 Whatever the case may be, nowadays...I'm just really glad, to have seen him, when I was 19, in Kansas City, during at least one of his "Peaks" as a performer, and player! It was absolutely stunning, to witness! And, I'd seen a LOT of Rock and "Blues" acts, by then, who were also amazing! But, there was just something "really special" about BB! The air, was "electric" (in all kinds of ways) that evening! CB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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