Happy 55th Anniversary to B.B. King’s Live In Cook County Jail, originally recorded September 10, 1970 and released in January 1971 (specific release date N/A).
When you check the frequent lists of greatest albums of all time or greatest live albums, B.B. King’s Live At The Regal (recorded in 1964) is frequently spotted in the upper echelons of the countdown. It is easy to see why too—a raucous nightclub crowd felt the full force of an artist pouring everything into the six strings of his guitar. The excitement and ribald atmosphere is palpable.
Yet some seven years later, King would release another live album that is close to surpassing Live At The Regal and carries even greater weight and meaning for the legendary blues artist. To understand the importance of September 10, 1970 in Chicago’s Cook County Jail, it is vital to put King’s life in the broader context of the Black American experience…