(Geffen)

www.geffen.com

The state of Hawaii has what is called a Living Treasures Award. If B.B. King doesn't qualify for the national, heck, Planet Earth equivalent, then no one does. The man is one of a handful of people whose life and career spans the spectrum of American Blues music. He is that music's foremost world ambassador and, with Buddy Guy, its greatest living exponent and one of the greatest of all time. On top of all that, at the age of 83 (Sept. 16), he is still touring and making records, operating at about 90% peak capacity.  Any record collection - despite its owner's preferred tastes - that does not contain at least three of his releases or his 1992 King of The Blues boxed set is incomplete and invalid. No exceptions. 

King's new disc doesn't feature big name pop star guests, with the exceptions of Dr. John (piano) and Jim Keltner (drums), and it doesn't need them. Longtime friend and accompanist Eugene "Snooky" Young is featured on trumpet and along with veteran bassist Nathan East the band is composed mostly of B.B.'s studio and road musicians. That's all the man now needs or has ever needed to make great music.  If he's not operating at his peak, he's still too close to it for that to matter.

One Kind Favor is straight out blues and it likely wouldn't have been any better a record if it had been recorded forty years ago.  The King lays out first-rate takes of songs by John Lee Hooker, Blind Lemon Jefferson, The Mississippi Sheiks, Chester "Howlin' Wolf" Burnett, his personal heroes Lonnie Johnson and T-Bone Walker and himself.  If there is anything negative about the album it's the theme of the opening number, Jefferson/Lewis's "See That My Grave Is Kept Clean." The thought of it being in any way prescient is too much to contemplate.

But there is no mistaking the vitality of B.B. King. It is in his still strong, supple expressive voice and playing. And it is in his approach to making music. The songs and performances are classics, not museum pieces.  They are alive, and in assessing their quality absolutely no concession to age need be made, but it is worth mentioning. Few artists in any medium have ever had as full a bag of chops at this age as B.B. has; Duke Ellington, Pablo Casals, James Cagney maybe. It's a short list. Guy (72) and Little Richard (76) are still standing strong but they're years younger.  If the world is lucky, it'll one day be found out how well they fare at B.B.'s age. 

No matter how many B.B. King records you own this one is worth adding to the bunch.  If you're wondering if, well, if it isn't, then, as the man himself once sang; "grits ain't groceries, eggs ain't poultry and Mona Lisa was a man."

Standout Tracks: "Tomorrow Night", "Sittin" On Top Of The World" RICK ALLEN