It’s fair to say that anyone who has played blues guitar in the past sixty years has been influenced by the late B.B. King. Jack Semple certainly has, and ever since buying King’s records at 10 years old he’s idolized the performer. Semple’s tribute to the guitar legend will be in Yorkton on September 18 as part of the Stars for Saskatchewan series.
Semple had decided to put together a tribute to King before his death on May 14, 2015, deciding that since King was his favorite guitarist he wanted to do a tribute to his work. When King died as he was putting his finishing touches on the show, Semple’s desire to pay tribute got more intense.
“I think it’s even more appropriate that I should pay tribute and keep the music alive now that he’s gone. He was idolized by every great rock guitar player and blues guitar that was out there, particularly Eric Clapton... I think it’s really important that people continue to hear his music.”
While blues is a relatively simple form, deriving from folk music in the Mississippi Delta, the way King played made the music stand out, and made King a legend in the genre.
“I think of B.B. King’s blues guitar playing as on the same level as Da Vinci or Van Gough or the Beatles’ songwriting. It’s the highest form of blues expression.”
Semple’s devotion to getting it right has meant intensely studying King’s playing style, and he’ll be playing a Gibson ES-355, a gift from his wife which is also the same model as King’s famous Lucille. The set list will be drawn from Semple’s favorite King songs, with highlights like “The Thrill is Gone” and “Caledonia.”
Naturally, taking on a giant like King is a challenge, as the guitarist did things nobody else did and had a technical ability that Semple says was in a class of its own. He notes that when King bent a string to change the tone, for example, it’s not only hard to do but also painful for the guitarist, and as a result King played licks that nobody else would, and very few people could.
“When he played his guitar, he might as well have been talking, it was such a lyrical content and a great way of communicating emotional ideas to the listener. That’s so rare to have that ability and skill.”
While the old saying goes that you should never meet your heroes, Semple did meet King when he played in Regina, and treasures the memories. King signed Semple’s Fender Stratocaster, spoke to every single person at a backstage event and spent hours getting to know people who came to see him.
“I really respected that and I thought it was a good lesson for me as a musician. Always care for your fans, and always be respectful of the commitment they made to listen to your music.”
Semple is also glad to be back in Yorkton, saying the Anne Portnuff Theatre is a favorite venue for him to play.
“I love the seating, I love the way it sounds there. It’s a wonderful venue, it’s really one of the best concert venues in the province, for sure.”
Jack Semple will be performing his tribute to B.B. King at the Anne Portnuff Theatre as part of the Stars for Saskatchewan series. Tickets are available from the Yorkton Arts Council at yorktonarts.ca.
