Bobby "Blue" Bland Together For The First Time - Live CD

That's "together for the first time" on disc, of course. Bland and King have shared stages since the '50s, when they were both members of the Beale Streeters, the legendary Memphis blues commune. In any case, this 1974 concert catches both artists at the peak of their game, recorded (with a nice sense of inside-the-band intimacy) in front of an extremely appreciative audience. Highpoints include a terrific call-and-response duet between the two stars on Bland's signature "That's the Way Love Is," and a riveting, can-you-top-this version of "3 O'Clock Blues," which features stinging guitar work by King and some of Bland's most impassioned singing ever.

Personnel includes: Melvin Jackson, Sonny Freeman, Mel Brown, Ben Benay, Milton Hopkins, Joseph Burton, Ron Levy, Cato Walker, Louis Hubert, Bobby Forte, Edward Rowe, Wilbert Freeman, Charles Polk, Tommy Punkson, Harold Potier, Jr., Theodore Arthur, Theodore Reynolds, Leo Penn, Joseph Hardin, Jr., Alfred Thomas, Michael Omartian.

Q (2/93, p.87) - 3 Stars - Good - "...the onstage pleasure they get from each other's music adds excitement and that extra spark..."
Mojo (Publisher) (12/00, p.64) - "...A fine representation of [his] stage persona in the company of long-time friend and performing peer, B.B. King."