BB King Plays the Birchmere on New Year’s Day and January 2nd, 2011

here are

few opportunities in life to experience a “Living Legend.” Riley B. King’s performances at Alexandria, VA’s Birchmere Music Hall provided just that, a rare chance to take in a show by the “King of the Blues.” The pride of Itta Bena and Indianola, Mississippi, BB King has been singing and playing the blues for more than three quarters of a century. He relocated from Kilmichael Hills, MS to Memphis in 1947. Like numerous artists, King was attracted by the Entertainment Mecca that Beale Street had become. Post War Memphis was bustling with activity in the arts, business and commerce. BB King’s cousin, Booker T. Washington “Bukka” White, took him under his wings. The rest is music history. From a momentous appearance on the legendary Memphis radio station WDIA, to friendships with legendary stars such as the late Elvis Presley and Delta Blues pioneer Sonny Boy Williamson II, BB Kings stature has increased year by year, achieving international acclaim. He is a blues star whose incredible achievements are highlighted by honorary doctorates from schools as diverse as tiny Tugaloo College, Yale University and the Berkeley School of Music. His touring schedule remains prodigious, his work in the recording studio has yielded over 50 albums and he has garnered at least 15 Grammy Awards (still counting). King also has been inducted in the Blues Foundation as well as the Rock & Roll Halls of Fame and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom and National Heritage Fellowship by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). That said, his numerous accomplishments leave small wonder as to his title “King of the Blues.”

aving refreshed my knowledge of B.B. King’s biography, the only way to enhance it was to experience a live performance. Memo to self, if you are going to see a legend, get there an hour early, not twenty minutes. The parking lot was full when I arrived, but, luckily, I got the last space remaining on the street just outside. Although the concert hall was filled almost to capacity when I entered, an usher escorted me to a seat just two tables removed from the stage, another stroke of luck. Mr. King and “Lucille” delivered as only he and his guitar can. The atmosphere in the Birchmere Music Hall was electric. Silver Springs, MD resident and Chicago native Daryl Davis opened the show. Davis is well known to Washington DC fans, having graduated from Howard University with a BA in Music, lauded for his CD “American Roots Music” and achieving widespread acclaim as a ground breaking author. His 45 minute performance on keyboards was a virtual primer on the blues. He entertained the audience with vocal and keyboard arrangements featuring Delta Blues, Chicago Blues, Boogie Woogie and more. His anecdotes and playful banter delighted everyone as he covered BB King classics such as “Sweet 16”, “Caldonia” (made famous by Cab Calloway) and the Jerry Lee Lewis classic “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin On.”

B King came on onstage, preceded by his horns and core rhythm section. Like Davis before him, King approached the audience as though he were sitting comfortably in his family room, delivering stories to the accompaniment of “Lucille” while sitting fireside. His stories meandered through the cotton fields of the Mississippi Delta, to eavesdropping on Blind Lemmon Jefferson to reminiscing about the legends of yesterday, thoughtfully reflecting on his life as one of the oldest remaining blues men along with his friend, 97 year old Pinetop Perkins, a Belzoni, MS native and still performing.

hile the audience listened with rapt attention to the musings of the “King,” they also were enthralled with the music. His treatment of “Blind” Lemmon Jefferson’s “See that My Grave is Kept Clean” was well received, but, as he sang this song, I could not help but hope that God will keep him here for decades to come. King’s entreaty to national artists to show more respect for women in contemporary lyrics was followed by a ballad dedicated to the “the ladies,” “You Are My Sunshine” from his 2008 album, “BB King Live.” This evening of music with a legend lasted more than 2 hours, BB King delivering for a full 90 minutes or so. With the last chords of “The Thrill is Gone,” many gathered in front of the stage, hoping for an autograph from BB King, a photo opportunity or just one more glimpse of “a living blues legend.”

For a revealing Academy of Achievement interview of BB King: King of the Blues (where he discusses growing up in the Mississippi Delta, Memphis beginnings and more), visit http://www.achievement.org/autodoc/page/kin2int-1