POP MUSIC REVIEW : B.B. King, Jimmie Vaughan Give Blues a Lift at the Greek

More proof the blues are far from extinct: Sunday’s “Blues Music Festival ‘95” at the Greek Theatre, where generations of players gathered for a five-hour concert headlined by guitarists B.B. King and Jimmie Vaughan. The show also featured Etta James (who was reviewed here recently), J. Geils Band alumni Magic Dick and Jay Geils, and Elvin Bishop.

Five years ago, King shared the Greek stage with another guitarist named Vaughan: the late Stevie Ray, whose epic, blues-rock journeys offered a cosmic counterpoint to King’s classic lines. Vaughan’s older brother Jimmie seems more a part of King’s universe, with a looser presence and without the moodier edge Stevie Ray carried.

Not that Jimmie Vaughan was without his own passionate musical shadings Sunday, now that he’s left the Fabulous Thunderbirds for a solo career. But he’s still focused on integrating it all into that old rockin’ blues vibe. Before his set was over, he had dueled with flamenco guitarist Romero Martinez, and blended moments of gospel into the lush “Six Strings Down,” which he dedicated to his brother.

Soon after, King arrived with his big band to play blues that were both completely familiar and startlingly fresh. The song choices were often predictable (including his 1970 hit “The Thrill Is Gone”), but the 46-year veteran demonstrated a deepening mastery of musical emotion, where a light touch sometimes cuts the deepest.

King allowed generous solo time for his dozen band members, but it was 12-year-old guitarist Nathan Cavalieri’s arrival for two songs of excited guitar interplay that nearly stole the night. King dubbed the boy a genius, proof enough the blues would be alive for another generation.