oust ic ▁guitar ▁record ▁which ▁featured ▁long - time ▁friends ▁and ▁ ▁James ▁West ▁on ▁per cussion , ▁T roy ▁Sic otte ▁on ▁bass ▁and ▁Lin h ▁Ren ken ▁on ▁viol ins . ▁Le ▁Ble u ▁was ▁recorded ▁at ▁Peter ▁Gabriel ' s ▁" Real ▁World ▁Studios " ▁just ▁outside ▁Bath , ▁England . ▁ ▁In sp ired ▁by ▁Real ▁World ▁Studios , ▁King ▁returned ▁to ▁the ▁US ▁and ▁began ▁construction ▁on ▁his ▁own ▁studio ▁" Black berry ▁Hill ". ▁The ▁studio ▁took ▁about ▁two ▁years ▁to ▁complete ▁during ▁which ▁time ▁King ▁tou red ▁the ▁country ▁as ▁a ▁solo ▁guitar ist ▁opening ▁for ▁James ▁Taylor , ▁BB ▁King , ▁D iana ▁Kr all , ▁North ▁Mississippi ▁All - St ars , ▁Al ▁Green ▁and ▁others . ▁Just ▁after ▁building ▁Black berry ▁Hill ▁King ▁recorded ▁another ▁instrument al ▁record , ▁" I - X II ", ▁with ▁James ▁West , ▁ren owned ▁bass ist ▁Michael ▁Man ring ▁and ▁European ▁guitar ist ▁Carlos ▁V amos . ▁Short ly ▁after ▁that ▁King ▁started ▁a ▁band ▁with ▁James ▁West ▁( l ater ▁replaced ▁by ▁Nad ir ▁Je e van je e ), ▁T roy ▁Sic otte ▁( l ater ▁replaced ▁by ▁D rew ▁Dres man ), ▁and ▁Ehren ▁E bb age ▁( l ater ▁replaced ▁by ▁Chris ▁Pl ank ). ▁The ▁band ▁tou red ▁the ▁country ▁for ▁about ▁one ▁year ▁before ▁being ▁signed ▁to ▁a ▁major ▁label ▁record ▁deal ▁with ▁Ep ic ▁Records ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 6 . ▁ ▁The ▁band ▁recorded ▁the ▁self -