Though B.B. King toured with the Rolling Stones on their 1969 American trek, he ditched the company of English rock stars - of which the likes of Howlin' Wolf succumbed on like-minded sessions - for this 1970 set. Instead, he followed the Stones tour and Top 40 success with "The Thrill is Gone" by working with producer Bill Szymczyk's homegrown crew of Carole King, then-James Gang guitarist Joe Walsh, and Leon Russell. The latter contributed the record's biggest number, "Hummingbird," while the entire operation proves that King could thrive in a setting that didn't contradict his overall soulfulness. In fact, the overall brilliance of Indianola no doubt made a few major rock names wish they'd been invited along.