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B.B. King
Live at Montreux 1993
(Eagle Rock Entertainment)
 B.B. King has always been one of the great ambassadors of the blues, tirelessly bringing his brand of classy, big-band style live shows to all corners of the globe. B.B.'s played one particular corner, Switzerland's Montreux Jazz Festival, well over a dozen times, so it would make sense for one of those shows to make it to DVD.
King's 1993 Montreux performance is a stellar document of what the king of the blues does in front of a live audience. The feisty licks culled from his trusty Lucille may be what the crowd came to see, but B.B. King is a showman first and foremost. His passionate, soulful vocals (which have not diminished over time), the interplay with his band and his humble, unpretentious interaction with the audience make this live show seriously entertaining and demonstrate why B.B. is one of the most likeable characters in blues history.
All the expected cuts are here, from his raucous reading of Louis Jordan's "Caldonia," to the unrelenting slow groove of "Rock Me Baby." Do we even need mention the inclusion of showstopper "The Thrill is Gone"—a song that seems to gather more steam every time you hear it live?
King and his band were simply on fire that night in Montreux. Perhaps the highest compliment that can be paid is that we've come to expect nothing less from a B.B. King show. —Mark Uricheck
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