B.b. King & Bobby Bland

B.B. King and Bobby Bland, "Together for the First Time - Live," Dunhill DSY50190/2.

When the SUN asked me to review this album, someone mentioned that they were disappointed in the "production" of it. Let us take care of that first. There is no production here.

What Steve Barri (Bobby "Blue" Bland's latest producer) has done is to get B.B. and Bobby together, in a studio, with a good audience, and let them go. That's all. But that's enough.

And, really what else do you need? What could Barri have done in addition to getting two of the very best voices in the blues, with one of them the best blues guitarist in the business, together with one of the best modern blues bands around?

Both B. and Bobby have been improvising blues since they were knee-high to a cotton stalk, and they are absolute masters at the format. All they needed was a list of songs, a stage, and an audience.

Actually that title is not quite correct. B. and Bobby first got together back in Memphis, when B. was disc jockeying on KDIA, after World War II, and Bobby was just getting started. That's almost 30 years ago, and 30 years of singing the blues is a lot of dues paid, and experience gained. If they couldn't trade licks on old standards after this time, it would be surprising.

And trade 'em they do, with hardly a bobble, even though it is B.'s band (led by Sonny Freeman), and Bobby has to do more of the adjusting. And, we must admit, there are a few times (just snatches) where there is a little "competition" going on.

But mostly it's one hell of a jam session, with first B. and then Bobby taking the lead, the other coming in, over and around, and then changing into another song.

B.'s guitar, and his band, underlie all the changes in fine fashion, never missing a beat or failing to pick up on a new direction. They are perhaps at their best on the medley of old blues songs, including "Rock Me Baby," "Black Night," "It's My Own Fault," "Come Back Baby," and others.

But it's the B. and Bobby Show, first of all, and the way they work together shows what the blues is all about. If you don't believe, one number, "I'm Sorry," will convince you. This is over nine minutes of largely improvisational blues, trading back and forth between the two, that will knock you on your ass!

After B.'s last two albums, it is especially nice to know that he can still play the blues. It's also nice to know that this album will give Bobby Bland more of an exposure, which he so richly deserves.

And if all you people out there pick up on this one, maybe ABC will see those little money signs coming in, and give us some more of this kind of music. Could you ask for anything better?

--Doug Fulton