Two Guitar Greats Come to York

Two Guitar Greats Come to York —
B.B. King and Tim Reynolds Take On the Strand
by Lisa Hummel

Called “the reigning king of the blues,” B.B. King is making a return appearance to York’s Strand Capitol Performing Arts Center on April 16. His fourth visit, the performance is to be highlighted with hits from the legendary guitarist’s career, one that has spanned more than half a century.

Easily counted among the greatest guitarists of the late 20th century, King’s sound and style was highly influential to a number of modern musicians who followed him, from Eric Clapton to Jimi Hendrix and Buddy Guy. Recording since 1949, King has released upwards of 50 albums, from the blues classic, 1965’s Live at the Regal to his most recent works, last year’s solo effort Makin’ Love Is Good for You and Riding with the Kings, a collaboration with the aforementioned Clapton.

In 1951, King found success with his first radio hit, “Three O’Clock Blues,” a tune that stayed at number one for 15 weeks. From that year to 1985, King had 74 entries on the Billboard R&B charts, including his crossover song, “The Thrill Is Gone.” Released in 1969, “Gone” cemented King’s place with mainstream audiences and widened his scope, moving him from small night clubs to packed rock venues and television programs, including “The Tonight Show” and “The Ed Sullivan Show.” In 1988, U2 convinced King to collaborate with them on “When Love Comes to Town,” a track on their Rattle and Hum release.

Known as much for his music as he is his trademark guitar, Lucille, King has been elected to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Blues Foundation Hall of Fame, and has collected 18 Grammy Awards, including the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.

Modern guitar icon Tim Reynolds is making a stop at the Strand Capitol Performing Arts Center in April, as well. On April 27, Reynolds will perform a solo acoustic benefit concert, “Students for a Free Tibet.” Widely heralded for his mastery of nearly every guitar technique and his fondness for improvisation, Reynolds is perhaps best known for his role as the long-time collaborator of the Dave Matthews Band, appearing on each release, including February’s Everyday. In 1999, Reynolds and Matthews released a double disc, Live at Luther College.

A self-taught musician, Reynolds is skilled on jazz guitar, bass, piano, sitar, mandolin, and violin, as well as a number of percussion instruments. He is also a prolific songwriter and composer and is showcasing his neoclassical/jazz-folk-industrial instrumental pieces during his current “Nomadic Wavelength” tour. As a solo artist, Reynolds has released a number of albums, including his debut effort, Stream and 2000’s See Into Your Soul. Reynolds latest release, Nomadic Wavelength is scheduled for release this month.

Proceeds from the Strand performance will benefit the International Organization “Students For a Free Tibet.”

B.B. King and Tim Reynolds will be at the Strand Capitol Performing Arts Center on April 16 and April 27, respectively. For tickets and information, call the Box Office at 846-1111 or check the website, strandcapitol.org.