B.B. King News

JANIVA MAGNESS Talking on the phone with Janiva Magness from her home in Los Angeles is kind of like having a conversation with a firecracker, or a flash of beautiful, strong lightning.

King's band, the B.B. King Orchestra, had spent 20 minutes rolling out a long red carpet for their namesake leader.

The temperature may be hot at this year's Fourth of July concert at Pavillion Park, but the tunes promise to be stone cold.

Greensboro Mayor Nancy Vaughan, left, with restauranteur and nightclub proprietor Rocco Scarfone.

Friday night, catch a blues-rock guitar hero in person when Daniel Castro, leader of the Daniel Castro Band, performs at Arcadia Blues Club.

B.B. King headlines the M&T Syracuse Jazz Fest Saturday, July 12 at 9:30 p.m. It's hard to define what makes a musician a legend.

Drummer Max Malcomb and guitarist J.D. Brooks play rock, R&B and blues as The Suaves.

Karp is a gifted singer-songwriter, guitarist, pianist and American troubadour. Engaging audiences, spinning tales part New Jersey, part Alabama.

Singer-songwriter and guitarist Dudley Taft is a tour de force in the blues world.

JANIVA MAGNESS Talking on the phone with Janiva Magness from her home in Los Angeles is kind of like having a conversation with a firecracker, or a flash of beautiful, strong lightning.

Maceo Parker leads his funk band on the Miller Stage at the Waterfront Blues Festival on July 5, 2014.

Mississippi, the 20th state to join the union, reflects much of the American South's journey over the past several centuries.

"B. B. King: The Life of Riley" : Fellow Mississippian and blues lover Morgan Freeman narrates this warm film on the life of the great B.B. King.

Even though politicians from both parties have admitted the Iraq War probably wasn't a great idea, regret is not in the wheelhouse of Donald Rumsfeld, who sits down with filmmaker Errol Morris to answers questions about his stint as George W. Bush's secretary of defense.

This Independence Day column kicks off with my review of a new album by New Orleans' Rebirth Brass Band, who are scheduled to play at Biloxi's Kress Live on July 5. Following that are my opinions on Willie Nelson's new album and a biographical DVD feature about B.B. King.

Blues at the Beach at Indian Ranch just got bigger. The show featuring B.B. King with Robert Randolph and The Family Band and Shemekia Copeland on Sunday, July 13 has added three regional blues bands to the lineup.

JANIVA MAGNESS Talking on the phone with Janiva Magness from her home in Los Angeles is kind of like having a conversation with a firecracker, or a flash of beautiful, strong lightning.

Donald Rumsfeld's performance in The Unknown Known , master interrogator Errol Morris' new political documentary, is just as terrifying for Morris' camera as it was from behind the White House dais.

GuitarControl.com has recently made public a video guitar lesson from master instructor, Jon MacLennan.

The final push is on in earnest at Kress Live, a regional music and entertainment venue set to open Thursday for a VIP party and Friday to the public.