B. B. King tour follows release of new album

B. B. King might not be playing 250-plus shows a year anymore, but he seems to tour endlessly. After a summer filled with shows, he is still active, though the annual B. B. King Blues Festival was retired for 2008. King picks up his touring itinerary on September 6 in Laughlin, NV, with dates set through December 1 in Hagerstown, MD. The 31-date tour will take King through Mid-West, Southern, and East Coast states. No West Coast performances have been announced yet.

The King of the Blues will be touring in support of his new album, “One Kind Favor,” set to release on August 26. The record features covers of old blues songs from his early influences. With production by T-Bone Burnett, the set revisits the music that influenced King in the 1950s, the beginning of an extraordinary professional journey that changed the texture of modern blues.

On September 13, King will take a brief break from the road to preside at the opening of the B. B. King Museum and Delta Interpretive Center in Indianola, MS. Besides telling the story of King’s life and rise to fame, the museum hopes to put the spotlight on the Mississippi Delta region. According to the Web site, the museum will “celebrate the rich cultural heritage of the Mississippi Delta” and “promote pride, hope and understanding through exhibitions and educational programs.”

B. B. King itinerary:
(Dates subject to change.)