B.B. King is hailed as the reigning king of the blues. The Mississippi-born King notched an incredible 74 entries on Billboard"s R&B charts between 1951 and 1985, and he was one of the few full-fledged blues artists to score a major pop hit when his 1970 record The Thrill Is Gone crossed over to mainstream success. Starting out with a radio appearance on Sonny Boy Williamson"s King Biscuit Time, it is now more than 45 years since Bill Graham introduced him on the stage of the Fillmore West in San Francisco where he got a standing ovation before he"d played a single note. It has been said B.B."s penetration of blues into the musical mainstream can be compared to the contributions of Duke Ellington and Louis Armstrong in their spheres. B.B. King And His Orchestra Live includes the hit track The Thrill Is Gone and B.B. stalwarts Why I Sing The Blues and Darling, You Know I Love You. It captures King accompanied by one of the best bands of his entire career in 1983 when this performance was taped in Cannes, France during the annual Midem Festival. Under the leadership of trumpeter Calvin Owens, his band"s tight, concise playing supports B.B."s stinging guitar and vocals to exceptional effect. These workouts on many of his greatest hits are the perfect introduction to the King of the Blues. Highly regarded UK label Acrobat Music is launching its US operations with this as well as other re-issues that offer high quality and excellent value on October 21st 2008. All of the Premier Collection titles are showcased in deluxe packages with unique, consistent packaging, which include o-cards, extensive liner notes and either a large number of tracks or lengthy play time. Acrobat will be establishing its presence as the premier independent re-issue label in the US through its distribution deal with TVT Distribution.