Unquestionably one of the greatest guitarists of all time, BB King proved Wednesday night (2/4) that he is one of the greatest entertainers of all time, as well.

A charismatic fireball of a performer, King spent much of his Los Angeles show telling stories, making funny faces, laughing, wincing--looking at times like he may have even been crying. Then he'd turn up the volume on Lucille, his famed black Gibson guitar, and deliver honey sweet blues.

As his enormous, diamond ring sparkled above his guitar pick, King, now 78, riffed through a set of classics, including "Night Life," "Rock Me Baby" and "Downhearted," King’s classic guy-gets-dumped number.

"I’m from the old school," he proclaimed. And he played the crowd like a master. Full of shtick, King regularly teased the audience and talked to his band off-mic (but just loud enough to be heard). At one point he said, "Now can I speak to the men for a minute?" And when the prim crowd hardly uttered a response, King pressed on, "I said, ‘Can I speak to the men for a minute?’" To which he earned a boisterous "Ya’!" from the guys.

Throughout the show, B.B. encouraged his fans to yell as if they were in a shack on a swamp somewhere in Mississippi--a real house of blues. With "Bad Case of Love," he enticed the stiff crowd to join him on the chorus. More animated than a Disney movie, the guitarist raised his right arm and wiggled his hips, dancing to the groove.

Meanwhile, King delivered some of the most heartfelt vocals that any man could ever muster. Indeed, he seems to possess the voice of God; it is that strong, that vivid.

Besides the voice, there is the guitar, and B.B. packed the night with some of the most timeless riffs in rhythm and blues. Lucille continues to deliver with a molasses thick tone; she’s the reason B.B. King [ tickets ] is the only man in show business who can introduce his instrument by name--and get a rousing ovation for it, no less.

Rounding 10 p.m., King whipped out his theme song, "Thrill is Gone," and you knew the night was coming to an end. But the thrill wasn’t gone--not by a long shot. B.B. King and his band play, according to the guitarist himself, "an average of 240/250 one-nighters per year." Incredible. The man is 78. And he is still great--for more reasons than ever before.

King said goodnight with a sincere, "I couldn’t make it without you!" But you had to wonder, "Could we make it without him?"