Bnois King

Bnois King (born January 21, 1943) (pronounced "buh-noise") was born January 21, 1943, in Delhi, Louisiana, a small town thirty miles east of Monroe, Louisiana. He had seven brothers and two sisters. King started playing guitar at the early age of eight when he found an unused guitar in his grandmother's closet and started picking out notes.

Playing style King was exposed to gospel music at an early age, but leaned more towards the blues and (especially) jazz, which he listened to on the radio while growing up. While the rock-influenced Kubek played in an aggressive style, King had been heavily jazz-influenced and embraced a more relaxed playing style. Other blues artists, such as Sam Myers would sit in with the group for performances.

quote="We're not blues purists. We know that. We can't play pure blues. We can't. There's just too much stuff mixed in me and Joe's got too much stuff mixed in him. We're not pure anything." —Bnois King

Production companies King and Kubek originally signed up with Rounder Select-Bullseye when they published their first joint album in 1991. That relationship worked until the late 1990s, when King started receiving equal billing with Kubek after 1997. The two were signed with Blind Pig Records from 2002 to 2007; and again in 2015. In addition, King has been signed and promoted (as both a solo act and as a duo along with Kubek) to Alligator Records, Delta Groove, and Simitar Records for various past productions.

Album discography

Solo efforts and contributions

The Smokin' Joe Kubek Band, featuring Bnois King Steppin' Out Texas Style (1991), Rounder Select-Bullseye Chain Smokin' Texas Style (1992), Texas Cadillac (1994), Bullseye Blues/Rounder Cryin' for the Moon (1995), Bullseye Blues/Rounder Got My Mind Back (1996), Rounder Select Lone Star Blues (October 1997), EasyDisc/Rounder Take Your Best Shot (1998), Rounder Select Bite Me! (2000), Bullseye Blues/Rounder Served Up Texas Style: The Best of the Smokin' Joe Kubek Band (2005), Bullseye Blues/Rounder

Compilations with Kubek Texas Blues Guitar (June 1997), EasyDisc/Rounder Blues Guitar Duels (August 1998), EasyDisc/Rounder New Blues Classics (2010), Bullseye Blues/Rounder

Duo albums with Smokin' Joe Kubek Axe Man (December 1991), Double Trouble Records Roadhouse Research (2003), Blind Pig Show Me The Money (2004), Blind Pig My Heart's In Texas (2006), Blind Pig; (live recording, from J&J Blues Bar, Ft. Worth, Texas) Blood Brothers (2008), Alligator Records Have Blues, Will Travel (2010), Alligator Records Close to the Bone: Unplugged (2011), Delta Groove Music / Delta Groove Productions / Jazzhaus Road Dog's Life (2013), Delta Groove Music / Delta Groove Productions / Jazzhaus Fat Man's Shine Parlor< (2015), Blind Pig