Blues On The Bayou

Rating

Album: Blues On The Bayou
#	Song Title		Time
1)	Blues Boys Tune Album Version	More Info...	3:29
2)	Bad Case Of Love Album Version	More Info...	5:29
3)	I'll Survive Album Version	More Info...	4:53
4)	Mean Ole' World Album Version	More Info...	4:30
5)	Blues Man Album Version	More Info...	5:20
6)	Broken Promise Album Version	More Info...	3:34
7)	Darlin' What Happened Album Version	More Info...	5:26
8)	Shake It Up And Go Album Version	More Info...	3:10
9)	Blues We Like Album Version	More Info...	5:08
10)	Good Man Gone Bad Album Version	More Info...	3:21
11)	If I Lost You Album Version	More Info...	4:57
12)	Tell Me Baby Album Version	More Info...	3:27
13)	I Got Some Outside Help I Don't Need Album Version	More Info...	4:38
14)	Blues In G Album Version	More Info...	3:28
15)	If That Ain't It I Quit Album Version	More Info...	3:21

Album: Blues On The Bayou
#	Song Title		Time
1)	Blues Boys Tune Album Version	More Info...	3:29
2)	Bad Case Of Love Album Version	More Info...	5:29
3)	I'll Survive Album Version	More Info...	4:53
4)	Mean Ole' World Album Version	More Info...	4:30
5)	Blues Man Album Version	More Info...	5:20
6)	Broken Promise Album Version	More Info...	3:34
7)	Darlin' What Happened Album Version	More Info...	5:26
8)	Shake It Up And Go Album Version	More Info...	3:10
9)	Blues We Like Album Version	More Info...	5:08
10)	Good Man Gone Bad Album Version	More Info...	3:21
11)	If I Lost You Album Version	More Info...	4:57
12)	Tell Me Baby Album Version	More Info...	3:27
13)	I Got Some Outside Help I Don't Need Album Version	More Info...	4:38
14)	Blues In G Album Version	More Info...	3:28
15)	If That Ain't It I Quit Album Version	More Info...	3:21

Performer Notes

Personnel: B.B. King (vocals, guitar); Leon Warren (guitar); Melvin Jackson (saxophone); Stanley Abernathy, James Bolden (trumpet); James Sells Toney (keyboards); Michael Doster (bass); Calep Emphrey Jr. (drums); Tony Coleman (percussion).
Recorded at Dockside Studio, Maurice, Louisiana. Includes liner notes by B.B. King.
BLUES ON THE BAYOU won the 2000 Grammy Award for Best Traditional Blues Album.
Personnel: B.B. King (guitar); Leon Warren (guitar); Melvin Jackson (saxophone); Stanley Abernathy, James Bolden (trumpet); James Toney (keyboards); Calep Emphrey (drums); Tony Coleman (percussion).
Audio Mixers: Joe McGrath; John Porter.
Recording information: Dockside Studios, Maurice.
Photographer: Kevin Westenberg.
Having just turned 73, B.B. King released BLUES ON THE BAYOU as a kind of retrospective look at 50 years of playing the blues. King produced BAYOU himself and recorded it at a remote studio in the heart of Lafayette, Louisiana with the band he'd been playing with for the past 10 years. A relaxed and well-oiled feeling is felt throughout this group of songs, some of which were newly written while others are older numbers that were dusted off and re-recorded specifically for these sessions. "Blues Boys Tune" and "Blues We Like" are solidly rendered King instrumentals and "I'll Survive" is a '50s nugget softly gilded by strings and horn charts punctuated by James Sells Toney's fluid piano playing.
King's economical use of notes means that "Mean Ole World" becomes more than just a standard shuffle and "Blues Man" not only possesses a slow burn, but could easily become his trademark song. Digging deep into his considerable catalog, B.B. King shows impressive acumen towards life's potholes by pulling out numbers dealing with betrayal ("Broken Promise"), sassy, Louis Jordan-flavored relationship problems ("Shake It Up And Go"), jealousy ("Good Man Gone Bad") and despair ("If I Lost You," "Tell Me Baby").

Professional Reviews

Entertainment Weekly (10/30/98, p.117) - "...It's all standard fare for the Delta blues king, but what really invigorates this 15-track set is rollicking instrumentals....Of course, King's tremulous, church-deacon voice caroling between (Lucille's) high-tone twangs is always a thrill." - Rating: B+

Living Blues (1-2/99, p.48) - "...King is at long last back making records that resemble his brilliant live presentations...the real King has emerged once more. Blues fans everywhere, rejoice."