Freddie King was an original, the most gifted electric blues guitarist of the post-Chicago southside blues sound… In contrast to his peers he was the consummate musician. Freddie had an awesome stage presence. No one walked away disappointed from his larger than life performances. He was the triple threat – the musician, the composer, the singer.

This album, originally released in 1971, contains 10 tracks including “Same Old Blues” and “Dust My Broom”.

Freddie King is easily one of the most influential blues guitarists of his or any generation. Any blues enthusiast or guitar aficionado would have him ranked high on their list of all-time greats. He was a guitar hero before there was “Guitar Hero”.

Getting Ready… was King’s first of three releases for Shelter Records, Leon Russell’s Tulsa-based label. In fact, when Russell first formed Shelter, he reportedly did so partly to play out his vision of recording one of his favorites, Freddie King.

Recorded in October 1970 at the TER-MAR Chess Studios in Chicago and released in 1971, Getting Ready… is proof positive that King was the man and that Shelter Records was one cool label. The record includes a cover of Jimmy Rogers’ classic “Walking By Myself” and King references Rogers also in the lyrics of another track on the record, “Living On The Highway”. Rogers was the first artist to record for APO Records label and the first to appear in concert at Blue Heaven Studios.

More APO and Blue Heaven tie-ins to Freddie King include Jimmie Lee Robinson, who while living was the veritable soul of APO and Blue Heaven. When King moved from Texas to Southside Chicago around 1950, he formed his first ever band, The Every Hour Blues Boys, with Robinson.

The backing band for Getting Ready… includes the stud cast of Leon Russell on piano and guitars, Duck Dunn on bass, Don Preston on guitar, Jon Gallie on organ, Chuck Blackwell on drums and Charles Myers on drums.

Features:
• 180 Gram Vinyl
• Pressed at Quality Record Pressings

Musicians:
Freddie King, vocals, guitar
Chuck Blackwell, drums
Joey Cooper, backing vocals
Donald “Duck” Dunn, bass
John Gallie, organ, keyboards
Claudia Lennear, backing vocals
Kathi McDonald, backing vocals
Charles Myers, drums
Aaron Preston, guitar
Don Preston, guitar, vocals
Leon Russell, piano, guitar