Recorded in December 1983,
In Session captures an in-concert jam between
Albert King and
Stevie Ray Vaughan, the latter of whom had become the hot blues guitarist of the year thanks to his debut
Texas Flood, as well as his work on
David Bowie's hit
Let's Dance.
Vaughan may have been the new news, but
King was not suffering, either. He had a world-class supporting band and was playing as well as he ever had. In other words, the stage was set for a fiery, exciting concert and that's exactly what they delivered.
Vaughan was clearly influenced by
King -- there are
King licks all over his first two recorded efforts, and it was an influence that stayed with him to the end -- and he was unafraid to go toe-to-toe with his idol.
King must have been impressed, since In Session never devolves into a mere cutting contest. Instead, each musicians spurs the other to greater heights. For aficionados of either guitarist, that means the album isn't just worth a listen -- it means that it's a record that sounds as exciting on each subsequent listen as does the first time through. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine