Blues Kings reign on stage

With a whole lot of soul and a touch of rock-and-roll, the Kansas City Blues Kings know a thing or two about playing the moody blues and jazzy tunes.

Friday night at The Daily Limit, an Irish Pub and Café, they gave a performance to write home to your momma about.

Made up of three friends who have been on the Kansas City music scene for years and years, the Blues Kings aren't spring chickens but, luckily for us, they've got a whole lot of playing left in them.

These boys know their instruments and they know their blues.

The opening set featured some well known favorites including Robert Johnson's "Crossroads," a classic blues song and "Don't You Lie to Me," a good song for any blues band to have in its repertoire.

The band has drawn inspiration from well-knowns such as B.B. King, Albert King and Booker T., making their style very palpable to those with even the slightest inclination toward the blues.

Jamming at its best, the electric guitarist, Doug, played with King Alex and the Untouchables for 20 years and knows how to lay down a riff. Electric and acoustic guitarist, Chris Immele, was born with vocal chords of gold singing lead on a good bulk of their sets and playing his favorite guitar like there would be no tomorrow, and Charlie B. has a knack for the organ and his sweet vocals bring a unique flavor to the music.

A friend of the band's, Joe Athon, joined in on the sax during the end of the first set and played with them throughout the night. The mellow, yet crisp tones Athon added to the mix kicked the sweetness of the musical experience up a notch.

Talk about loving to jam and doing it tirelessly, these guys played from 8 to 12 p.m. That equates to four hours of musical pleasure for their fans. However, their enthusiasm and passion about playing never waned - at least visibly.

Later in the night, other greats such as "Good Lovin'," "Doctor Blues," "Popa's Got a Brand New Bag" and "Spider in My Stew" kept things fun.

Occasional calls for cocktails helped maintain the lighthearted spirit the event was intended to have.

Favorite highlights include Doug stealing the show with solos on his Gibson Flying V electric guitar and Chris taking a few songs home on Maxine (his affectionately-named guitar).

This band is worth a listen for all music lovers. After all, everyone needs a little blues in their lives.

The Daily Limit, located at 523 E. Red Bridge, features live music on Friday nights.

The Kansas City Blues Kings next gig is Nov. 22 at the KC Juke House, 1700 E. 18th Street (in the 18th and Vine Jazz District).

alang@unews.com