B.B. King

Even though he's 74, B. B. King still averages 200 nights a year on stage. Still, Father Time is starting to catch up. On his last LP, Let The Good Times Roll: The Music Of Louis Jordan, he sounded old and tired. The good news is that with Makin' Love... he's bounced back a bit. We're not talking the whole Ponce de Leon bit here - nothing approaches Live At The Regal or Completely Well - but the man is still vital and potent. His voice is getting rougher and raspier, but he's learned to make it work. And his guitar has also slowed down a smidgen, but he's still capable of making it cry. His road band backs him and they're tighter than a duck's ass, a bunch of seasoned pros that allow the music to breathe. Just when it was looking like it was time to write him off, the man tears off a dandy little LP. Gotta love that.