Johnny DeFrancesco - Tribute To B. B. King's: Live At The Regal (Feat. Duke Jethro) (2017)

Work on this album began in 2015 – 50 years after the original was released. For many guitar players, this album is one of the Holy Grails of music. This live recording showcased B.B’s style, passion and energy that came through with every gig – as a player and a singer.
The Regal’s Hammond organ fell into disrepair the previous night, and it couldn’t be repaired or replaced in time for B.B.’s show. B.B.’s organ player – Duke Jethro - was relegated to playing piano on this gig. Duke - while being an excellent musician – wasn’t a piano player, he was thrust into the piano role. As Duke said to B.B. – “but I don’t play piano” to which B.B. replied “Do what you always do – pretend.”

Duke stopped playing around 1970 and threw himself fulltime into his engineering career. Many people during that time had no idea of his “previous life” as a touring musician with one of the best blues acts in the country. Then around 1991, he met John DeFrancesco and became interested in playing again. The two played some gigs together and Duke continued to play through 2005. Then – another ten-year break....
In 2015, John DeFrancesco, who is a great blues guitar player and singer in his own right, was in Oakland, CA, for a Hammond organ event and he ran into Duke. The passing of B.B. and the 50th anniversary of the Regal recording resonated with John and he convinced Duke that they should record a tribute album to honor B.B. and that now famous Regal recording. And Johnny said "This time the organ will be in tip-top shape!

The ten tracks are presented in the same order as the original recording. This time, the listener gets to hear the addition of the Hammond B-3 that was noticeably missing on the original. This offering is not meant to “compete” with the original; it was produced out of respect for the music, the band and its world famous leader – B.B. King.