Blues

(NEW YORK) - B.B. King is a consummate bluesman whose passionate playing has brought him global fame. But little has been written about this Beale Street Blues Boy's early days in tiny Itta Bean, Miss., his stint as a Memphis DJ, or his two decades on the South's "Chitlin' Circuit," playing his undiluted Delta blues before exclusively black audiences. This other side to King's tale is documented in The B.B. King Companion, five decades' worth of commentary on the man who made love come to town. Available this June by Schirmer Books, the collection of essays includes pieces by Gene Santoro ("E Pluribus Bluesman") and Charles Sawyer ("The Legacy: Keep The Hammer Down"), among others, and features a complete discography of King's works. The volume is edited by Richard Kostelanetz, whose credits include over 40 books on popular and avant-garde music.
(photo courtesy of MCA Records)