Albert King - Chicago, IL 7/1/78

Easytree can be a little weak on the blues at times, with people posting bittorrents of Jimi Hendrix and others in the "blues" category, but occasionally they'll turn up a real gem like this Albert King concert from Chicago, 1978. I read somewhere (probably AMG) that King had a limited number of licks that he used on the guitar, but that what made his playing so special was the little touches, the "English" as they put it that would make his solos so compelling and keep them from becoming repetitive.

This praise is certainly borne out through this concert as the leaders stinging guitar cuts through a volley of horns, an excellent example of this is "Tired as a Man Can Be" where King dispenses with the vocals early to move into an extended, well-paced solo. King was never a flashy player, but he knew how not to overextend himself and get the most out of every song. A couple of other King standby's get nice treatments here, King's classic "Born Under a Bad Sign" and the often covered "Blues at Sunrise." The band brings the funk as well with the greasy "You're My Woman." Great concert!

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