Albert King With Stevie Ray Vaughan – In Session
By George Moraitis
| Label: | Stax – STX-7501-1 |
|---|---|
| Format: | Vinyl, LP, Album, Reissue |
| Country: | US |
| Released: | 2010 |
| Genre: | Rock, Blues |
| Style: | Blues Rock, Texas Blues, Memphis Blues, Electric Blues |
I love this album because it documents a rare musical collaboration in 1983 between two of the most influential blues guitarists of the last 30 years. At the time, Albert King was getting up there in years but still a great performer with a legendary reputation. Stevie Ray Vaughn was a young guitarist who was receiving early critical acclaim for his debut album ‘Texas Flood’. The producer of ‘In Session’ had a vision of bringing together unexpected pairings of performers and on this night, the wiry young SRV was paired with his childhood hero, Albert King. There are two things that I love about this album.
Although King was aware of Vaughn, he was certainly the elder stateman and you can tell that as the session progressed, he realises just how good Vaughn can play. Never one to shower other players with effusive praise, King says at one point that SRV is “pretty good.” But the small complement is delivered in such a way that it’s clear King recognized Vaughan’s artistry. Later in the program King says something along the lines of being nearly ready to let Vaughan take over, and while he might have been referring to the session at hand, one wonders if he was in fact thinking of the bigger picture. You can really sense that it begins with the apprentice revering the master and ends with the master being in awe of the apprentice.
Another highlight is that we get to hear this mutual respect through the way they play. Both are careful not to step on the other’s musical lines, but they still throw in the tasty licks when appropriate. Each player never plays all over the other guy, nor holds back to allow the other guy space, and in doing so, fade into the shadows. SRV and King navigate the difficult path of avoiding those extremes, and in the process deliver one of the most engaging duo-guitar performances ever recorded.
Less than a decade after this evening, both men were gone from this world. I feel that this session captured the spirit of each artist and presented us with the gift of their artistry.