Albert King – I’ll Play The Blues For You
With a distinctive guitar sound, the soulful blues of Grammy-nominated Albert King (guitar/vocals) were the Mississippi native’s signature. This remastered album features some tasty horns that Stax Records often provided for King’s albums, punctuating his electric blues guitar. This showcase was always considered one of Albert’s best & even this reissue has a fresh, pristine sound. King’s vocals were always warm, & he navigated his guitar runs through his vocals much the same as B.B. King. It was always effective, if not dramatic. His guitar almost became a duet partner. The horns simmered the sound & lent a sensitive groove to each number.
Originally produced & arranged in 1971 by Allen Jones (organ/electric piano) & Henry Bush at Stax Studios in Memphis, TN. There are 8 pieces to I’ll Play The Blues For You (Dropped June 12/Craft/Concord). The classic lead song is the title track (Parts 1 & 2) with a perfectly balanced arrangement. No bluesy meandering, shouting, or raw vocals. Albert King (1923-1992) was a consummate artist.
Some tunes lean a little into the souler-wind than blues, but it’s Albert’s voice that keeps it consistently true. With “Breaking Up Somebody’s Home,” he manages that entity of soul-blues with skill. The brass never interferes with Albert’s narrative but does add significance. King’s guitar is so influential that you can almost hear where Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughan & Mike Bloomfield picked up on his expressive playing. A widely imitated sound, but what’s peculiar is that Albert was left-handed & often played right-handed guitars upside down with dropped open tuning. Little details like that make his style even trickier to emulate.
I also hear in Albert’s voice a tone, intonation, & phrasing that I believe Eric Clapton applied to his own bluesy vocals. Evident on his blues solo album “From the Cradle.” More commercial & mainstream by Albert is “I’ll Be Doggone,” filled with the formulaic horn runs & funky drive popular in the era. While it’s not classically the blues, it has its attraction as an entertainment piece & is live. And no, Albert King was not related to B.B. King. Albert was born, Albert Nelson.
Highlights – “I’ll Play The Blues For You,” “Breaking Up Somebody’s Home,” “High Cost of Loving,” “I’ll Be Doggone,” & “Don’t Burn Down the Bridge.”
Musicians – The Bar-Kays & the Movement @ Michael Toles (guitar), James Alexander (bass), Willie Hall (drums), Tommy Elrod (percussion), Ben Cauley & Mickey Gregory (trumpets), Harvey Henderson & Tommy Williams (saxes), & Memphis Horns @ Wayne Jackson (trumpet), Andrew Love (tenor sax), Lewis Collins (alto sax), James Mitchell (baritone sax), & Jack Hale (trombone).
Album photography courtesy of Bernard Nagler. B&W image courtesy of Albert’s Facebook gallery. CD @ https://craftrecordings.com/collections/albert-king & https://www.facebook.com/AlbertKingOfficial/