B.B. King readies duets album, tackles more touring

B.B. King, who next month celebrates his 80th birthday, will mark the occasion with the release of a new duets album that pairs the legendary bluesman with Eric Clapton, Elton John, Sheryl Crow, John Mayer and others.

Titled "B.B. King & Friends: 80," the set is due in stores Sept. 13, and also features Van Morrison, Gloria Estefan, Roger Daltrey, Glenn Frey, Mark Knopfler, Billy Gibbons, Bobby Bland and Daryl Hall. The set is King's first new studio set since 2003's "Reflections."

For "B.B. King & Friends: 80," King and company recorded "a dozen of the most significant standards of the blues," according to a press release. Cuts include King and Clapton delivering a new take on King's 1970 Grammy-winner, "The Thrill is Gone"; King and Daltrey on "Never Make Your Move Too Soon"; and King and Mayer on the Leon Russell-penned "Hummingbird."

King also teams with Estefan on the Grammy-winning Doc Pomus/Dr. John cut "There Must Be a Better World Somewhere"; Crow on Little Willie John's "Need Your Love So Bad"; Hall on "Ain't Nobody Home"; Van Morrison on "Early in the Morning"; Bland on "Funny How Time Slips Away"; Gibbons on King's "Tired of Your Jive"; Knopfler on "All Over Again"; Frey on Junior Parker's "Drivin' Wheel"; and John on the finale, Jimmy Rogers' "Rock This House."

Three days after "B.B. King & Friends: 80" arrives in stores, King will celebrate his 80th birthday. Despite his age, King shows no signs of slowing; he's currently in the midst of a North American roadtrip for which dates are scattered into early next year.

King, who joined the ranks of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987, has released more than 50 albums over the course of his recording career. His most recent, "The Ultimate Collection," surfaced in Marchand features 21 tracks King originally released between 1951 and 2000.