Watch Jason Isbell Cover B.B. King’s “The Thrill Is Gone”

Watch Jason Isbell Cover B.B. King’s “The Thrill Is Gone”

Because he’s been through the wringer himself, Jason Isbell is one of the few country singers right now who could manage to give us a decent approximation of B.B. King’s “The Thrill Is Gone.” And because he’s an incredible guitarist with enormous respect for a massive talent like King, Isbell made it a point to honor the legend with his own rendition of the song. Following the blues icon’s death on Friday, Isbell performed what has grown to be one King’s signature hits during his show in Orlando, Florida. A visibly emotional Isbell described the performance as “a chance to play the music we grew up on” before launching into guitar solos so long, fierce, and sinuous they completely take the song’s focus off heartache and turn it into a defiant, blazing eulogy. Between this and Isbell’s newly-released new single “24 Frames” I absolutely cannot wait to see what he does over the course of this year. For now, watch his seriously powerful tribute below.

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