In Victoria, the world聮s greatest living bluesman didn聮t exactly let his guitar do the talking.Thursday night, B.B. King chatted and reminisced at least as much as he played the shiny black instrument he calls Lucille. Even the King was aware he was in a garrulous mood.聯I can see the papers tomorrow,聰 he said. 聯B.B. talked all night.聰Still, a fair dollop of music slipped out as well. Holding court in front of 2,900 adoring fans, King wrapped up his two-hour show with the 1969 classic The Thrill is Gone. The concert capped with the bluesman tossing out gold chains (well, they looked gold) to the crowd.B.B. played the entire show from his chair. Still, the grand old fellow聮s 81 now 聴 there聮s likely few who聮d grumble.Besides, he聮s an animated performer: Pummelling his hand into his palm, pulling faces, even defiantly shaking his fist into the air.
The essentials of his music remain. When he wants to, King can summon up that resplendent vocal roar. And his guitar sound is still there: A big, round velvety sound, oodles of sustain and notes bent in a way that suggests the singing voice.These days, B.B.聮s show is as much a tribute to B.B. the Legend as anything else. He often plays snippets of songs -- perhaps a verse and a chorus -- rather than the entire tune. And talk? It聮s hard to hold him back.His eight-piece band played a couple of introductory instrumentals. Then King, making his entrance, seemed charmed by two little girls in the front row.He tossed them a few guitar picks, then later smilingly declared: 聯This is a kiss for both of you. Isn聮t that nice, aren聮t they wonderful?聰His longest rap occurred mid-set. First King talked about how beautiful and smart the ladies are. Then he joked about his age: 聯Things grow on ya. Sometimes things fall off ya!聰 Then he spoke about having his cataracts removed, his mule Big Ben, the joys of Viagra and playing craps in the cotton fields.It was all rather engaging. Some of King聮s stories were telling, such as his early recollections about yearning to drink 聯white water聰 -- water from the fountain reserved for white folk.聯Today,聰 he said, 聯we can laugh about it.聰 The tale flavoured his next song, Blues Man, containing the line: 聯I聮m a blues man but a good man -- understand?聰The song U2 wrote for him, When Love Comes to Town, reconstituted as a chugging upbeat boogie, was almost unrecognizable. How Blue Can You Get 聴 an archetypal blues ballad about an evil woman 聴 sounded a tad perfunctory, as did Everybody Wants to Know Why I Sing the Blues. And while it was fun to sing along with You Are My Sunshine mid-show (聯This one聮s just for the ladies,聰 said B.B.), it seemed more like campfire frolics than an electrifying blues performance.Still, if anyone has earned the right to just plain enjoy himself, it聮s B.B. King. For me, the most significant moment came during Key to the Highway. The song聮s protagonist is a man who stops roaming ... just like King, who聮s spent the last 60 years of his life touring almost constantly.聯I聮m gonna do this 聮til I die folks,聰 he muttered. I hope he does.
