B.B. King

Let The Good Times Roll

Enjoy This Tribute; Then Buy The Original

Review Score:

(10/10)
In the twenty-five years since Louis Jordan's death, it's a real tragedy that his legacy as one of the founding fathers of rock 'n' roll is largely unknown outside those people in the musical profession. Mention Louis Jordan to most under-fifties and your likely to be met with blank expressions. That's what makes this album a double treat. First, it helps to expose Jordan's music to a wider audience. Second, these songs are a perfect match for B.B. King's brand of electric blues.

I've been listening to B.B. King for more than twenty years when for three dollars I could still find vinyl copies of his early Kent sides in the cutout bins in the discount stores, featuring classics like "Don't Get Around Much Anymore" and "Rock Me Baby." King is a national treasure and well into his seventies he's still recording some of the best albums of his career--Blues on the Bayou, Making Love Is Good For You, and Riding with the King (with Eric Clapton).

This tribute to the music of Louis Jordan ranks right up there. Whether it's taking on the lighter fare of "Ain't Nobody Here But Us Chickens" and "Caldonia" or the more serious blues of "I'm Gonna Move to the Outskirts of Town" and "Nobody Knows You When Your Down and Out," B.B. King and band are stellar. The band featuures Dr. John on piano (and also shares vocals on "Is You Is Or Is You Ain't (My Baby)") and Dave "Fathead" Newman on tenor sax.

Once you've purchased this CD, your job is only half done. Between 1942 and 1951, Jordan placed 57 songs on the R&B charts. To hear his original Decca recordings of these classics, go out and purchase the single-disc 20-song collection The Best of Louis Jordan or the two-disc 46-song anthology Let the Good Times Roll and discover for yourself why rock 'n' roll owes a debt of gratitude to this early influence. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

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