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In Session [Deluxe Edition CD/DVD]
 
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In Session [Deluxe Edition CD/DVD]

Albert King, Stevie Ray VaughanAudio CD
4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (81 customer reviews)

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  • This item: In Session [Deluxe Edition CD/DVD]

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Product Details

  • Audio CD (November 9, 2010)
  • Original Release Date: 2010
  • Number of Discs: 2
  • Label: Stax
  • ASIN: B00377V6J2
  • Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (81 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #665 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Disc: 1
1. Call It Stormy Monday
2. Old Times
3. Pride and Joy
4. Ask Me No Questions
5. Pep Talk
6. Blues At Sunrise
7. Turn It Over
8. Overall Junction
9. Match Box Blues
10. Who Is Stevie?
See all 11 tracks on this disc
Disc: 2
1. Introduction
2. Texas Flood
3. Call It Stormy Monday
4. Matchbox Blues
5. Pep Talk
6. Don't Lie To Me
7. Who Is Stevie?
8. Pride and Joy
9. I'm Gonna Move To The Outskirts of Town
10. Outro

Editorial Reviews

On December 6, 1983, legendary blues guitarist Albert King joined his disciple Stevie Ray Vaughan on a Canadian sound stage for the live music television series In Session. Magic happened. The highly sought after video footage from that one-time renowned summit becomes available for the first time ever with the release of Stax Records' deluxe two-disc CD/DVD In Session.

The DVD contains three classic performances unavailable on the previously issued audio disc: "Born Under a Bad Sign," the landmark title track from Albert King's biggest Stax release written by William Bell and Booker T. Jones; Stevie Ray's "Texas Flood," the Larry Davis-penned title track of Vaughan's immortal debut album; and "I'm Gonna Move to the Outskirts of Town," made famous by Louis Jordan and later, Ray Charles.

"It was evident from the first choruses," writes liner notes author/musicologist Samuel Charters, "that they were playing for each other. And that was the best audience either of them could ever have. The music never lost its intensity, its quality of something very important being handed back and forth and there was time for Stevie and Albert to see where their ideas took them."

Accolades have showered upon this momentous encounter. "As a document of what was probably one of the greatest nights in the musical life of SRV, this belongs in the collection of every true fan," said the Austin American-Statesman. Sonic Boomers added, "Both men are gone now, but rare recordings like In Session remind us of a time when blues giants still walked the earth side by side." Elmore magazine called it "an indispensible part of any blues fan's collection." And BluesWax noted, "thank goodness, this disc lives on and on."

Now this previously unavilable visual document featuring two giants of American blues can be enjoyed by audiences the world over. Sadly, King and Vaughan would not share a stage together ever again. Vaughan, 31 years King's junior, died in a helicopter crash in the fog on the way back from a concert in 1990. King outlived him by two years, dying of a heart attack in 1992. They didn't meet often, and their careers took different paths. But we can all be grateful for that one long day in a television studio when sparks flew and this timeless performance was forever captured.

Customer Reviews

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
191 of 193 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
This Albert King-Stevie Ray Vaughan combo CD/DVD package is worth the price a thousand times over for anyone with even a remote interest, let alone a love of electric blues. I have been an electric blues fanatic for over a quarter of a century and probably twenty-five-per-cent of my free time is spent listening to electric blues... researching electric blues... and spreading the gospel to age groups and races of all kinds. My all-time favorite electric blues CD is Albert and Stevie on the "original" **IN SESSION** which was created from a TV program in Canada on **DECEMBER 6, 1983** a date that will definitely live on for eternity as a sacred day in the history of **ELECTRIC BLUES**. The original *IN SESSION** CD was released in 1999. It is no exaggeration to say that I have played this CD close to a thousand times. Being that two types of people will probably be reading this review: 1) Someone who already has the original CD and is wondering if it's worth it to lay out what I believe is a steal of a price for the DVD... and 2) Someone who doesn't own the original CD and wonders if they should make the purchase at all... even with the priceless inclusion of this newly released DVD.

I obviously, as stated above have the original CD, but I've been searching and hoping and praying for eleven years for a DVD version, because, besides the unmatchable, otherworldly, electrical blues magic these two titanic icons of *STRING-BENDING* *ELECTRIC-BLUES* invented together on that day when all the blues planets aligned just perfectly... is much more than the music itself. Albert King was Stevie's idol... and the vocal interactions between... and during the songs... were so touching and awe inspiring... that the thousand times I listened to the original CD I used to try to imagine what the expressions were on their faces. There were also times when I didn't know for sure who was bending the lead and who was following. You will know it all on this super-stupendous DVD.

One fact a potential buyer should be aware of is that the classic "BLUES AT SUNRISE" though on the CD is not on the DVD. Now that of course is a shame. BUT... BUT... BUT...

On the DVD are a couple of songs that I personally have never heard Albert and Stevie do together... especially in such length... and of course not visually. On the DVD they perform **TEXAS FLOOD** together and I mean it when I say that in my blues dominated adult life... I have never seen nor heard such an ethereal heavenly electric blues performance. The entire DVD is *ONE-HOUR-TWENTY-SEVEN-MINUTES-LONG* and not one minute of it is below sensational. *TEXAS FLOOD* is approximately fifteen-minutes long and the string bending from each of these virtuosos has not and CANNOT be duplicated by anyone else on this planet. Another mind-blowing addition to the DVD is Albert's anthem *BORN UNDER A BAD SIGN*... if you're a blues fan who has seen Albert play this... hold on to your seat... as Stevie helps bring it to another level. Another showstopper on the DVD but not previously on the CD is *I'M GONNA MOVE TO THE OUTSKIRTS OF TOWN*. If you've been away from true-true electric blues for too long, and aren't sure what the true definition really is... watch and listen to this... there WILL BE NO DOUBT! This is what it can be... but unfortunately may never be again.

Another question a potential buyer might have is... this was filmed twenty-seven-years-ago... is it clean and clear? Hell yes! It is crystal clear in color and sound. What else might be important along with the previous items? Emotion... soul... affection for each other... respect... for each other and the blues. You can't miss it. They chit-chat... they exchange glances... they wink at each other... (All the things I could only dream about the last eleven years that I listened to the original CD.)... they sit while they play... they jump up and bend their bodies when they become one with the music... one with their guitar... one with each other. I got goose bumps and actually had tears in my eyes a couple of times. At times they were so fired up that they leaned toward each other and gave each other a soul handshake. There are also a couple of shots of the few technicians off to the side of the stage... and I guarantee you that the expressions on their faces were self-evident... that they knew they were in the presence of electric-blues-genius... and a day like this may never be seen again.

Albert King who stood 6-foot-five-inches-tall and weighed at least two-hundred-fifty-pounds cast a mighty big shadow as compared to the diminutive by comparison Stevie Ray... but all size was equalized by the purity of the string-bending-blues that reigned supreme that glorious day. A true electric blues aficionado should also note that the left-handed King "played with his guitar held upside-down, treble strings up, causing him to bend his strings down, among other idiosyncratic techniques." Albert's massive hands look like twin XMAS hams adorned with pinkie rings that glittered like Super Bowl rings... but like Stevie he could move them with lightning speed.

As of this writing I have published four-hundred-sixty-seven-reviews on Amazon and this is the one I am recommending with the most heartfelt passion. With Albert and Stevie in heaven, I can only hope that when my day comes, if I qualify for heaven... that I'm greeted with their string bending guitars instead of an angel's harp!
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51 of 53 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
This 1983 live performance summit meeting between a legend and a soon-to-be legend has been reissued a few times on CD, including a hybrid SACD in 2003 and a remastered CD edition in July 2010. This latest version augments the original eleven audio tracks with video of seven performances, adding "Born Under a Bad Sign," "Texas Flood" and "I'm Gonna Move to the Outskirts of Town" to the song list. At the time this pair met in a Canadian TV studio, Vaughan was blazing a trail into the blues world with his debut album, Texas Flood. King was long since a legend, and though he apparently didn't recognize the name "Vaughan," he immediately recognized the young guitarist who'd sat in with him whenever he played in Austin.

The video dimension turns this session into a master class for both Vaughan and the viewer. Vaughan is seen soaking up lessons from King's guitar playing, stage manner and the verbal notes he provides between songs. What was previously a musical conversation now becomes a visual one as well. King is often seen marveling - almost in surprise - at Vaughan's playing, and Vaughan's expressions capture the joy he feels in so clearly making the grade. Without a live audience, the two bluesmen play for each other and for the blues. The ease of King's play, the naturalness with which the guitar forms an extension to his soul is awe inspiring. The snippets of dialogue between the CD's tracks have always shown the personal bond that complemented the guitar slingers' artistic connection, but the visuals shed new light on the deep affection they clearly have for one another.

King and Vaughan are backed by the former's tack sharp road band, and run through a set drawn mostly from King's catalog. You can hear what was on the horizon, though, as Vaughan rips into his own "Pride and Joy" with monster tone and a gutsy vocal. Throughout the session the players trade licks and prod each other with solos that quote all the great players from whom they learned. King's influence is clear in Vaughan's playing, but hearing them side-by-side gives listeners an opportunity to hear how the same fundamentals change as they filter through different fingers and hardware. As Samuel Charters points out in one of the three sets of liner notes, Albert King fans will particularly savor the rare opportunity to hear and see him play rhythm guitar. The audio does a nice job of keeping their guitars separated slightly left and right, and the video lets you see exactly who's playing what.

As free as both guitarists play, the band, the catalog, and the deference Vaughan shows King all tipped in favor of the latter setting the tempos, leading with his guitar and providing lessons and advice between songs. In any other venue Vaughan would be the master, but here he plays the role of apprentice. How many chances do you get to play with someone who can introduce "Blues at Sunrise" with "This is that thing, uh, I recorded with Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin out there at the Fillmore West"? It was a good time to be the apprentice, and the addition of songs originally cut from the broadcast (to make room for commercials) notches this package up to five stars. Anyone who loves King, Vaughan or great blues guitar should catch this. [©2010 hyperbolium dot com]
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36 of 40 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
By 'Rebel' Rod Ames

Albert King with Stevie Ray Vaughan - In Session (Stax Records) is sort of a re-release of the 1983 audio disc. However, the DVD includes three performances previously unavailable - "Born Under a Bad Sign", the landmark title track from Albert King's biggest Stax release, written by William Bell and Booker T. Jones; Stevie Ray's "Texas Flood", the Davis penned title track of Vaughan's immortal debut album; and "I'm Gonna Move to the Outskirts of Town", made famous by Louis Jordan and later, Ray Charles.

The entire event was taken from the Canadian series In Session. The magic occurred on December 6, 1983 and man-oh- man is it ever an unbelievable experience. Not only do we get to see two masters bend strings and literally sweat the blues, we get to see and hear them banter back and forth. There was a mutual respect for sure, but on Stevie's part, it was pure unadulterated idolization. This is the man he had placed upon the highest possible pedestal, and here he is, performing with him upon that very same pedestal.

I'm sure, by the time they finished the session, there was an absolute mutual adoration. At one point Mr. King tells Stevie after they finish playing "Stormy Monday", they reminisce about the first time they met at the Austin Coliseum in Austin, Texas, Mr. King says after hearing Stevie for the first time, "you got the makings of a good fiddler". Hysterical banter for sure. It was obvious the two masters of blues guitar were enjoying each other's company immensely.

Immediately afterwards, they blast into "Pride and Joy" which is incredibly mesmerizing, for lack of a better word to describe it. Here we have Stevie's throaty vocals and electric guitar, Albert King on electric guitar, with Tony Llorens accompanying on the piano and organ, Bus Thornton playing bass, and Michael Llorens binding it all together with his skillfully rhythmic drums.

Other tunes on the audio CD are "Ask Me No Questions", "Blues at Sunrise", "Overall Junction", "Matchbox Blues", and "Don't Lie to Me". There is conversation between the two before each song throughout the CD, which adds to the recording, making it an extremely intimate experience.

The two never performed together again. Sadly, in 1990 Stevie Ray, after leaving a concert via helicopter, crashed into a foggy hillside. Everyone, including Stevie was killed. Albert King died two years later of a heart attack. The fact that this was a one-time deal makes this recording even more important. It is an amazing piece of musical history.

The DVD that accompanies the audio CD is incredible. Now, not only do you hear it all, we get to see it as well. There is just something about seeing these two masters at their craft. Moreover, seeing these two is truly candy for not only the ears but for the eyes. My eyes are constantly in disbelief at what they are seeing, but the ears prove that it is all very real indeed.

The never before seen video footage here does much more than compliment the package. It completes and enhances it all. The tunes on the DVD, besides the fore mentioned, "Born Under a Bad Sign", "Texas Flood", and "I'm Gonna Move to the Outskirts of Town", are "Stormy Monday", "Don't Lie to Me", and "Pride and Joy".

This package is not to be missed and will be released on Stax Records this coming November 9th.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Awesome music
Awesome music and really a treat to see two legends of the blues guitar perfuming together. The only drawback is that some of the music sounds like it was recorded in my garage. Read more
Published 2 days ago by Charles M. Ashburn
cd blues
My husband and I both love the Blues and this CD is the most wonderful cd I have listen to.I would recommend this cd to anyone who likes the blues.
Published 1 month ago by Fer
Blues magic!
"In session..." is really two masters jamming away in an informal session and creating blues magic. Outstanding performance, and pretty good recording to boot. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Marco Polo
Worth it for the DVD, but the CD suffers from "Loudness Wars"
I've owned the Stax title "Albert King with Stevie Ray Vaughan - In Session" for years, Catalog #SCD-7501. Read more
Published 1 month ago by William Norman
Bargain of the year right here.
There are a couple of these on Amazon and if you're wondering, yes this IS the DVD and CD combo pack. The twenty minute performance of "Texas Flood" is worth the $16 alone.
Published 2 months ago by Steiner Sellers
SRV
I really enjoy this CD/DVD combo. I became an instant fan of SRV when I saw an in session performnce with him and Albert King on PBS, and it happens to be the same DVD I ordered... Read more
Published 3 months ago by Fan
Albert King & Stevie Ray
This is one of the best discs I've purchased in a long time. Listening to this great duet do both Albert King and Stevie Ray songs is exceptional. Read more
Published 3 months ago by grossmon
Great CD
This was a Christmas for a friend and he loved it! It is a very clear recording and good quality.
Published 3 months ago by Sjs91
Great Gift Idea for yourself too!
Sent this CD/DVD to my brother this Christmas and treated myself to a gift as well. We both love this CD! Read more
Published 4 months ago by Elizabeth
Albert King In Session
The best guitar duo/session recorded in the past few years.I would recommend to any blues fan or enthusiast, and the price was reasonable
Published 4 months ago by johnB
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