Fifty years after the performance, the world finally gets to hear it. ‘Feeling Alright: The Complete 1975 Nancy Jazz Pulsation Concerts’ is out now on Elemental Music, a limited-edition 3-LP set documenting Freddie King live before more than 50,000 fans at France’s Nancy Jazz Pulsations Festival in October 1975, the final full year of his life.
The recordings sat unreleased in ORTF (Office de radiodiffusion-télévision française) archives until now. Restored and mixed by Marc Doutrepont at EQuuS and mastered by Matthew Lutthans at The Mastering Lab, the 180-gram vinyl set was produced by Zev Feldman, the award-winning reissue producer known for landmark archival discoveries across blues and jazz. CD and digital editions are also out now.
Sixteen performances across six sides of vinyl document King moving through the full range of his catalog. Classic instrumentals like “Sen-Sa-Shun” sit alongside signature vocal performances including “Have You Ever Loved a Woman” and blues standards like “Sweet Home Chicago,” “Got My Mojo Working,” and “Stormy Monday.” King also delivers rock staples that had become part of his live repertoire, Dave Mason’s “Feelin’ Alright” and Don Nix’s “Goin’ Down,” reflecting the genre-bridging vision that made him a direct influence on Eric Clapton and Stevie Ray Vaughan.
Lewis Stephens, who played keyboards in King’s band during those overseas dates, recalls a “blistering” five or six-week run through France. “Freddie had truly hit his stride as a blues-rock star in Europe and the U.S.,” he reflects.
Billy F. Gibbons of ZZ Top contributes an appreciation to the package, writing that at Nancy, “the Texas Cannonball poured it on in a big way.” Reissue producer Feldman frames the significance plainly: “These recordings capture a moment when he was transcending audiences and influencing players around the world. These performances present him at his very best, and they’re thrilling to hear.”
The deluxe package also includes liner notes by music journalist and historian Cary Baker, comments from Feldman, and an appreciation from King’s daughter and estate administrator Wanda King. It’s a release built with the same care the music deserves.