- Leroy Breaux -- drums (1978)

- Robert Dabon -- keyboards (1978)

- June Gardner -- drums (1978)

- Albert King (aka Albert Nelson) (RIP 1992) -- vocals,

  guitar

- Leo Noncentelli - guitar (1978)

- George Porter Jr. -- bass (1978)

- Wardell Querzergue -- keybaords (1978)

- Allen Toussaint -- keyboards (1978)

- Charles Williams -- drums (1978)

- Kenneth Williams -- percussion (1978)

- Cropper, Steve (Albert King and Pops Staples

Genre: blues

Rating: *** (3 stars)

Title:  King Albert

Company: Tomato

Catalog: TOM-6002

Year: 1977

Country/State: Indianola, Mississippi

Grade (cover/record): VG+ / VG+

Comments: --

Available: 1

GEMM catalog ID: 5061

Price: $15.00

Cost: $2.00

The mid-1970s were a tough time for soul and rhythm and blues artists.  Seduced by mindless disco madness American audiences simply wanted nothing to do with a national treasure like Albert King.  Against such a backdrop you can begin to understand why an R&B giant like King would cut an album like 1977's "King Albert".  Produced by Don Davis, I guess you can call this a blues album, though a disproportionate number of the songs reflected an obvious attempt to connect with modern audiences ... yes tracks like 'Love' and 'Chump Change' found King embracing dreaded disco and funk moves.  'Course when you've got bills to pay, you do what you gotta do ...  So was there anything here to salvage the album?  Well, at least 'You Upset Me Baby', 'Boot Lace' and 'Good Time Charlie' were decent blues efforts showcasing King's nifty growling voice and his instantly recognizable single string guitar stylings.  Hardly his crowning creative achievement, but then as I said, the man had to pay his bills.  Tomato actually tapped the LP for a  pair of singles:

- 1978's 'Love Shock' b/w 'Call My Job' (Tomato catalog number TM-10001 A /B)

- 1978's 'Chump Change' b/w 'Good Time Charlie' (Tomato catalog number TOM-10002 A /B)

"King Albert" track listing:
(side 1)

1.) Love Shock   (Aaron Willis) - 4:40

2.) You Upset Me Baby   (J. Josea - Maxwell Davis) - 4:15

3.) Chump Change   (Barry Murphy - Eric Morgeson) - 3:40

4.) Let Me Rock You Easy   (Norma Toney) - 4:56

(side 2)
1.) Boot Lace   (William Mueller) - 5:55

2.) Love Mechanic   (Aaron Willis) - 4:01

3.) Call My Job   (Al Perkins) - 4:27

4.) Good Time Charlie   (Willie Schofield) - 4:45

Genre: blues

Rating: ** (2 stars)

Title:  New Orleans Heat

Company: Tomato

Catalog: TOM-7702

Year: 1978

Country/State: Indianola, Mississippi

Grade (cover/record): VG+ / VG+

Comments: --

Available: 1

GEMM catalog ID: 5522

Price: $10.00

In theory a collaboration between Albert King and Allen Toussaint should have been a major pleasure.  Blending King's R&B roots with Toussaint's Crescent City moves should have resulted in some interesting directions.  Sadly, 1978's "New Orleans Heat" was a flat out disappointment. With Toussaint producing, playing keyboards, and contributing a couple of songs to the sessions, there was plenty of talent here, but for some reason the two stars never seemed to click.  Surrounded by shrill female chorus and heavy-handed arrangements, King was frequently all but invisible.  The opener 'Get Out of My Life Woman' was a perfect example of those shortcomings.  King's vocal was weak and his two solos simply didn't generate much heat.  Things didn't get much better with a needless remake of King's best known song -t 'Born Under a Bad Sign'.   A horn arrangement and female backing singers didn't do anything to improve what was a classic slice of R&B.  The original was simply superior in every respect.  To be blunt, the musical cross pollination really only worked on one track - Leo Niocentelli's 'I Got the Blues' managed to meld Kings blues roots with a funky New Orleans base, though stretched out over nine minutes it was way too long.  King also turned in his best solo on that song.  The other track worth hearing was the bluesy 'The Feeling'.   Not to sound snotty, but I'm not sure using the picture of a sweaty guy was the greatest marketing move on Tomato's part ...  For some reason Tomato picked two of the weakest songs as singles:

- 1978's 'The Very Thought of You' b/w 'I Get Evil'  (Tomato catalog number TOM-10004 A /B)

- 1979's 'Born Under a Bad Sign' b/w 'I Got the Blues'  (Tomato catalog number TOM-10012 A /B)

"New Orleans Heat" track listing:
(side 1)

1.) Get Out of My Life Woman   (Allen Toussaint) - 3:40

2.) Born Under a Bad Sign   (Booker T. Jones - William Bell) - 3:27

3.) The Feeling   (Larry Hamilton) - 4:57

4.) We All Wanna Boogie   (Allen Toussaint) - 3:14

5.) The Very Thought of You   (Roy Noble) - 4:15

(side 2)
1.) I Got the Blues   (Leo Niocentelli) - 9:06

2.) I Get Evil   (Albert King) - 3:57

3.) Angel of Mercy   (Homer Banks - Raymond Jackson) - 5:53

4.) Flat Tire   (Albert King) - 2:49

Suffering a massive heart attack, King died December 1992.