Anyone going to the BB King Blues Festival expecting an evening of pure blues will always be sorely disappointed. This was evident from the first note as Galactic took to the stage in Atlanta’s Chastain Park Amphitheater on an unusually mild night in September. This New Orleans based jam band gave a hint that the Blues is not just about settin’ on Mississippi porches bemoaning the bad day you’ve had since you woke up this mornin’ and your woman had done gone. In the end they took us on a musical journey with one of the most infectious rhythm sections on the scene today. They were just a little taste of the huge range of musical styles that lay ahead.

Jeff Beck was up next and again pushed the envelope of what might be considered bluesy. In fact he pushed back the musical walls period. With a wide open stage shared only with his incredible drummer and keyboardist, he took complete advantage of the space both physically and musically. His totally instrumental set (except for some sampled raps and videos projected on the back screen) showed why Beck has been at the forefront of guitar music for the last three or so decades. Effortlessly jumping from pure blues to Asian pop tunes like Nadia and hip hop stylized dance numbers, he left no music genre unturned in his endless search for new sounds. Jeff Beck is the guitarist’s guitarist but the huge crowd at Chastain lapped up his hour long set and took to their feet in appreciation as he returned for encores which included his signature “People get ready”

Everything that can possibly be written about BB King has already been published. His band, most of whom have been with him for many years kicked things off as always showcasing why BB uses them in the first place. Then the King himself sauntered on to the stage to a standing ovation and settled himself down for a long and wonderful set that went through his decades of classics. BB King is about to turn 78 this month and he admits that age is taking its toll on his legs but there was no sign of any loss of dexterity in his hips as he swayed with his own wonderful music, or his fingers as his unique guitar sound drove its way into my soul. He is also a very funny man and knows how to work a crowd. Even the normally subdued “professional” Chastain concert goers who usually wouldn’t look up from their brie and champagne picnics were on their feet as the evening was coming to an end. King paid tribute to Jeff Beck when he joined BB’s band on stage for a wonderful couple of all too rare moments in music history. No one was sitting as King left the stage. Very few people even left to avoid the traffic rush. BB King is truly a legend and I for one am proud to have been part of this magical evening.