Joe Bonamassa just completed an epic 2-night show at the Beacon Theater in New York City.
As if seeing JB himself is not worth the price of admission…fans at these concerts were treated to guest spots from John Hiatt, Beth Hart and Bad Company’s very own Paul Rodgers.
Until the DVD it is released, you can peruse YouTube for video clips. Here is one of the better ones with Joe and Paul belting out versions of “Fire & Water” and “Walk in my Shadows”.
I sent out a tweet last night that said: “Think Joe Bonamassa is just a blues guitarist? Think Rock-n-Roll!”
Black Country Communion, the English-American rock supergroup featuring the talents of bassist/vocalist Glenn Hughes (Deep Purple, Trapeze, Black Sabbath), blues rock guitarist/vocalist Joe Bonamassa, drummer Jason Bonham (Led Zeppelin), and keyboardist Derek Sherinian (Dream Theater) will release their first live concert DVD on 10/10/11 and I just received my review copy last week.
I must say that listening to “Song of Yesterday” is a like religious experience.
For those who can’t wait, I have embedded the YouTube video that was posted with the live audio overdub. This is not the video from the DVD, but it is the actual audio.
The 2-DVD live set was filmed with 14 HD cameras and 5.1 surround sound during the band’s debut tour in the summer of 2011. Over three nights, playing to packed venues in the German cities of Hamburg, Munich and Berlin, the 18-song set list (17 originals and 1 cover) hits on both of BCC’s albums – 2010’s debut and 2011’s sophomore release 2, whichThe Sunday Mercury praised, “This is classic rock goes large, an album that lives up to its heritage. It may not be bettered this year.” Live Over Europe highlights include the songs “Black Country,” “One Last Soul,” “Save Me,” “Man In The Middle,” “Cold,” and “Song of Yesterday.” Bonus features include an exclusive 28-page collector’s booklet and DVD with a 20-minute “behind the scenes” featurette and photo collection.
“We saw that this live act could be an awesome force of nature to behold; one that promised legendary performances like those of our heroes of Classic Rock. The plan was to get them out there for the entire world to hear. Records allow a certain musical finesse, but live performance promises so much in the very transient nature of a gig; chances are taken, boundaries are crossed and the most exciting performances explode. Two studio albums built a repertoire big enough for a full concert which allowed us to unleash the monster for the rest of the world to see and feel.” - Producer Kevin Shirley
BCC recently completed their debut tour, visiting a select number of cities in North America and Europe. On June 10, the band played to a near sold-out crowd in Anaheim, CA where The Orange County Register exclaimed, “The four members of BCC truly recast the heavy rock of the ’60s and ’70s and yank it into the 21st century as well as anyone in recent memory.” At the Wolverhampton Civic Hall, The Birmingham Mail called their performance “rip-roaring” and “breath-taking.”
Buckle up before you hit the play button on this video!
Joe Bonamassa jams guitar with Michael Casswell from Guitar Interactive.
iGuitar met up with Joe Bonamassa and interviewed him while he was in the UK. This video is the guitar performance before Michael Casswell began asking Bonamassa about this Gibson Les Paul ’59, songwriting and the new Black Country Communion Album.
A few weeks back, I posted 2 video tributes from YouTube that were played live and in concert honoring the late Gary Moore.
One was from Eric Clapton and the other was from Joe Bonamassa. Both were stellar ovations of the blues legend.
Shortly after they were posted, a comment was added to each by user “Damian”. The comments were both very well stated and worthy of re-publishing for those who do not follow TheGuitarBuzz comments.
While I am sure that these comments were not intended to stir up a lot of heated controversy, they did included enough direct commentary to ruffle a few E-strings. Lets agree to take them in the spirit of how they were written…full of passion, emotion, sincerity and from the heart of a guitar player still struggling with the loss of Gary Moore. We all know that he was taken from us way too soon…
I suspect he played it acoustically because he couldn’t pay it justice electrically. I’m kinda pleased that at long last Clapton has acknowledged Gary, but it’s too little too late. It’s angered me for years that he never said a word about him when he was alive, never invited him on stage, (despite playing with every other blues player imaginable), never invited him to the Crossroads festival, and never even uttered his name in interview. He obviously had a problem with Gary, a man who only ever paid due reverance to Clapton, and constantly sang his praises and acknowedged his influence. Perhaps he felt Gary had “stolen his thunder” when “Still Got the blues” went stellar. Perhaps he felt Gary wasn’t “authentic” enough, as he’d been playing Rock for 2 decades. Perhaps he felt Gary had “humiliated” BB and the 2 Alberts by “blasting them off stage”, (despite the fact all three of them expressed their love for Gary’s playing). Perhaps he simply knew what we all did…that Gary was better than him at playing the style of blues he made famous. Whatever the reason, I’ll resent Clapton for the fact for the rest of my days, and this little tribute smacks to me of a guilty conscience. Gary would’ve been overjoyed had Clapton done this while he was alive. No point now! - Comment by Damian, 6-11-11
So pleased that Joe did this. He has always acknowledged Gary as an influence and it was great to hear that they were beginning to forge a friendship, though they only had an opportunity to meet 2 or 3 times. Gary is my all time favourite, and Joe has become second in line in the last 5 years, so this really touches me, though it is obviously tinged with sadness and regret that we will never get to see the 2 of them share a stage together, which I feel sure would have happened at some point. How GREAT would that have been!? - Comment by Damian, 6-11-11
The best way for me to end this post is to include yet another tribute video – this one from the legendary bass player Jack Bruce, joined by Joe Bonamassa.
Check out Joe warming up before a show- and chatting a little bit as well!
As Joe Bonamassa grows his reputation as one of the world’s greatest guitar players, he is also evolving into a charismatic blues-rock star and singer‐songwriter of stylistic depth and emotional resonance. His ability to connect with live concert audiences is transformational.
Joe Bonamassa was born in Utica, New York on May 8, 1977.
He received his first guitar from his father at the age of 4, and by age 7 he was playing Stevie Ray Vaughan and Jimi Hendrix tunes note for note. At the age of 11, he was mentored by Danny Gatton and learned to play country, jazz and heavy rock.
He opened for B. B. King when he was 12.
After first hearing him play, King said, “He hasn’t even begun to scratch the surface. He’s one of a kind.”
B.B.’s analysis of Joe’s ability was right on track.
Today, Joe Bonamassa is known as one of the finest electric blues-rock guitarists on the planet and is a favorite of GuitarDaddy and TheGuitarBuzz.com.
Happy Birthday Joe Bonamassa!
Want to JAM like Joe?CLICK HERE for Joe Bonamassa Backing Tracks!
Here is one from the video vault! Back in 2001, Joe Bonamassa was caught on stage with Mike Farris and the Screamin Cheetah Wheelies!
Special thanks to YouTube member “1016vortex” for this rare and classic video upload!
There is a little more to this story…please read on:
Mike Farris, the lead singer of The Screamin Cheetah Wheelies (gotta love that name!), lived the rock and roll lifestyle to the max. Farris’s parents divorced when he was eleven years old; he began using drugs and alcohol from an early age, and almost died from an overdose before he was 21.
Just a few months after this recording he left the band and had a spiritual conversion.
Farris became a practicing Christian and rejected drugs and alcohol, and released his first solo album in 2002. In 2007 he released his second solo effort, the strongly Southern-influenced Salvation in Lights, on INO/Columbia Records.
-From Wikipedia
Watch this video of Mike Farris today… hard to believe it is the same man!
There are dozens of videos on YouTube of Mike Farris today. Click the link and watch of a few of them. Be sure to read the comments. It is amazing to read how the change in Mike’s life has changed the lives of so many others.
Joe Bonamassa is set to release his 12th full-length solo album, DUST BOWL in the UK on March 21st and in the USA on March 22nd. The album will be promoted on Bonamassa’s forthcoming 2011 Dust Bowl World Tour that will take in America, Canada, Europe, Asia and Australia.
DUST BOWL is Bonamassa’s 9th studio release on Provogue Records in Europe and his J&R Adventures label (which he created with long-time manager Roy Weisman) in the US and his 6th collaboration with Dust Bowl’s producer, Kevin “Caveman” Shirley (Led Zeppelin, Aerosmith, Black Crowes, Black Country Communion).
Shirley most recently produced Bonamassa’s 2010 release, Black Rock, which entered the UK album chart at #14 and 2010′s self-titled debut album from Black Country Communion, the Bonamassa-helmed, British-American rock supergroup with Glenn Hughes (Deep Purple, Black Sabbath), Jason Bonham (Led Zeppelin, Foreigner) and Derek Sherinian (Billy Idol, Dream Theatre).
Recorded in sessions at Black Rock Studios in Santorini, Greece, Ben’s Studio in Nashville, TN, The Cave in Malibu, CA and The Village in Los Angeles, CA, Dust Bowl combines the gritty, blues-based tones of Bonamassa’s first albums with the fluid, genre-defying sounds he’s mastered in the years since, plus a dose of Nashville in duets with legends John Hiatt and Vince Gill
Blues/Rock guitarist Joe Bonamassa will release his 12th full-length solo album titled “Dust Bowl” in the USA on March 22, 2011.
The album will coincide with Bonamassa’s forthcoming “Dust Bowl 2011 World Tour” that will take in cities across America, Canada, Europe, Asia and Australia.
Joe Bonamassa - Dust Bowl
“I think Dust Bowl is the best album we’ve ever done,” says Bonamassa. “I’m finding more inspiration in storytelling in my 30s, in writing songs that are about something more profound than ‘my baby left me.’ I like albums that are made with the right intentions and sound organic and a little rough around the edges, like a great band playing live in the room.”
Dust Bowl is Joe Bonamassa’s sixth collaboration with producer Kevin “The Caveman” Shirley (Led Zeppelin, Black Crowes, Black Country Communion) and features collaborations with Nashville legends Vince Gill and John Hiatt, female vocalist Beth Hart, and Joe’s Black Country Communion band-mate, Glenn Hughes.
Gill lends his signature guitar licks to the John Hiatt/John Porter-penned “Tennessee Plates,” on which Hiatt duets with Bonamassa. Gill also plays on “Sweet Rowena,” a song he composed with frequent writing partner Pete Wasner. Arlan Scheirbaum, Beth Hart and Blondie Chaplin play on the Michael Kamen/Tim Curry track “No Love On The Street,” and Glenn Hughes sings on the Paul Rodgers-penned Free classic “Heartbreaker.”
