By now all of our readers are aware that it has been reported by various media outlets that B.B. King is in hospice care. Our thoughts are with the 89 year old, undisputed King of the Blues, his family and close friends. Reports of his failing health have left us all with a heavy heart.

As a tribute and out of respect for the one and only Mr. B.B. King for the first time ever we leave the section we call The Monthly Artist Spotlight empty.

We have a full slate of new articles, features and editorials that celebrate the music that perhaps many of our readers heard for the first time through B.B. King. Before we get to that there is one story about B.B. that I would like to share with you.

Early impressions in life are the most powerful, and this one is no different.

It was a performance by B.B. King on the Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson. It took place in the mid 70’s. I was a teenager absorbing all kinds of music. On this program B.B. King came on stage wearing a suit and tie. He stood flat footed in front of his amp and off to his left was Doc Severenson and the Tonight Show Orchestra. They performed the Louie Jordan standard Let The Good Times Roll which was a concert favorite for King
for many years.

What transpired was something that, up to that point in my life, was somewhat foreign to me. There were no choreographed dance moves like one might expect from the Temptations or even James Brown which I had experienced watching television variety shows. This wasn’t the detached cool of a Frank Sinatra or some popular singer from that school of entertainment. This wasn’t a white rock band either, where the musicianship became secondary to the attitude or message that they were delivering. It was just one man, one guitar, one voice in front of a big band that was swinging hard.

When the song was over the crowd erupted into thunderous applause as Carson waved King over to the chair next to his desk, presumably to chat for a moment. The band made up of Los Angeles, first call jazz musicians immediately put their instruments down and gave King a standing ovation. King turned in their direction, bowed at the waist and tapped his heart.

Carson was applauding and was grinning ear to ear. Then he said something to the effect, and I believe he said it with complete sincerity, “You come on this show with some regularity and we have musical acts five nights a week. I have never seen the reaction from our audience that you get every single time.”

King said, “It’s not me, it’s the blues.”

I’ve thought about that moment many times through the years and more often in the past few days...

Here is what we have in store for you in the May edition of BLUES JUNCTION. Our Monthly Album Spotlight shines on the brand new album on Blind Pig Records by the Cash Box Kings. It is entitled Holding Court and it is a beauty.

Our Re-Visited feature takes us back in time to the winter of 1965 where Sam Charters rounded up the best blues musicians he could find in Chicago’s South Side nightclubs, brought them into a studio and made not one, but a series of three desert island discs called Chicago/The Blues/Today!

We have two full album reviews from two very different blues artists. I guess by way of playing catch up I reviewed an album that was released on Delmark Records late last year entitled In The Wee Small Hours by Sax Gordon. The record, which may just as easily be described as a jazz album, is just so good I had to share my thoughts on this recording with our readers here at the JUNCTION.

The other album, Back Down South, is the upcoming sophomore release by the astonishing young talent Big Jon Atkinson.  He put out an album last May entitled, Boogie With You Baby on Bluebeat Records. I gave that album a full review and it received my highest recommendation. His latest record (also on Bluebeat) is even better.

Check out the feature entitled, New Album Notes. It was a cold harsh winter for the most part for new releases, but things are beginning to heat up as artists gear up for festival season and we take a look at some of the best of the best.

As we keep B.B. King in our thoughts, I thought it would be entirely appropriate to put the interview I conducted with Tony Coleman back up on the top shelf. T.C. worked off and on as the drummer in the B.B. King Orchestra for thirty years. He traveled to 98 countries with King and has some personal thoughts on those experiences and the man who has had such an impact on his life. T.C. was introduced to me by the London based blues guitarist Otis Grand who described him as intelligent, articulate, opinionated and a man who has something to say. T.C. delivered as promised and this interview remains one of the most read pieces in the history of BLUES JUNCTION.

I also thought it the timing was right to rework an editorial I wrote last August entitled Stop It! I Mean It! Knock That Shit Off!

I would like to thank all of our readers who took the time and trouble to write to me this past month. It is great to hear from so many of you and your thoughtful appraisals of what you read here at the JUNCTION. As many of you can attest, I do try and get back to as many of you as I can and I truly appreciate being in contact with so many like minded individuals. The type of folks who are inclined to read feature length articles in a sound bite media age are the people who I enjoy being in contact with.

Enjoy the May edition of BLUES JUNCTION. Until we meet again, be well and be in touch.

- David Mac