The Lumberjack

Issue date: 9/12/07 Section: Music

Media Credit: John Chapman

Growing up with parents that booked entertainers into casinos led Paolo Adorno Jr., 50, to have a childhood filled with top musical personalities. When this self-described hippie first met B.B. King, he was too young to even understand whom he was meeting.

The man Adorno adores is a music legend. B.B. King is an entertainer who is loved throughout the world and is known as the king of the blues. During his concert last Tuesday night at the John Van Duzer Theater, B.B. King expressed gratitude to a life that has allowed him to tour the world sharing his music with fans. King earned a spot in the Blues Foundation Hall of Fame in 1984 and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987.

Adorno has spent his life hanging out with musicians. After a short period in the military he went on tour with the Grateful Dead. Since that trip ended he has become a defender of the redwoods, living in the forests of Humboldt County. Yet, with no lucrative occupation, he still finds a way to come to town, get a ticket and enjoy the music of an icon like B.B. King.

Even though Adorno brags about his many famous friends, he said, "Doesn't matter who we know, but who we are. B.B. is a man of God. There's a reason he hasn't retired. He's still playin' 'cause he's spreading love'."

Love for the fans and for the music must have a lot to do with it. King has released over fifty albums in a career that has spanned almost seven decades. Some of these albums are considered blues classics. He is now 81 years old and can no longer stand while he plays. Seated with his guitar named Lucille, his personality shines with the vitality of youth. Joking around, King said, "As you get older things start to grow on you and some things start to fall off." King's ability to play the blues and entertain a crowd is one thing that is not failing him despite his age and a battle with diabetes.

King's band, which consists of two trumpets, two saxophones, drums, bass, keyboard and rhythm guitar, started the show with an instrumental blues selection that showcased the horns and back up guitarist versatility. When King came onstage the sold-out house gave him a standing ovation and nearly drowned out the music. King delivered a humble introduction of himself mentioning that he had been recording for over 60 years. He then began his set with "Why I Sing the Blues" and "Blues Man".

On his third song, "When Love came to Town," King and a trumpet player teased the audience into singing the title line during the chorus. Audience participation soared as people tapped their feet and shimmied their shoulders. Without encouragement, the audience also joined in loudly for the line "yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah" which repeats itself several times in the tune.

Between most of the songs King told anecdotes from his past or generalized stories of a distinctly human nature. King even commented that someone would probably remark "he talked more than he played." He did not talk more than he played, but he did spend a significant amount of time engaging the audience in that way. He spoke of growing up in a segregated South with drinking fountains that were labeled "white" and "colored." After sneaking a drink out of the white fountain King remembered thinking "I don't see what all the fuss is about. It doesn't taste any better." He went on to thank the nation for the changes it has undergone since this time.

In another display of royalty, King asked the women present permission to play "Ain't That Just Like a Woman." They agreed with applause and King played the song with jokes mixed in that had people laughing. Even though many of the jokes were aimed at women's treatment of men he acknowledged how truly wonderful he believed women to be. For this reason he went on to play "You Are My Sunshine" in honor of the women in the audience. In a comical twist, King asked that all the women give their man a kiss during the song. Watching folks nuzzle and kiss throughout the audience was endearing.

The front rows of the show received extra attention from King. He would say things directly to these audience members and throw out golden trinkets as memorabilia. A man with dreadlocks and a beautiful blond lady with a nose ring sat in the first row in front of King. At one point he said, "You two look like you belong in L.A." Both of the audience members received King pins, a necklace and a guitar pick. Both of them, Smokin' Moses and Leyna Mott, were more than happy to share extras with audience members and show off the gifts they kept for themselves. "It was phenomenal. Best show I've been to," said Mott.

King ended the show with "The Thrill Has Gone Away". The mournful blues classic entranced the audience as they quietly soaked in the power of King's soulful art. After finishing, King requested the audience's permission to return to Arcata and put on another show in the future. The people loudly granted the King permission with hoots and applause.

Meanwhile, there had been a young blues fan standing outside in the cool air. A King crewmember had kindly left a backstage door ajar about an inch. And so, in the damp darkness, Zack Cinek, a 21-year-old HSU journalism senior, listened to the King of the blues without the comfort of sight or seat.

"I thought it had that delicate sound. It was thoughtful and heartfelt. It had a deft touch to it," Cinek said of King's guitar picking.

Matthew Kruse can be contacted at mwk7@humboldt.edu

Page 1 of 1

Article Tools