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…

The first was in response to the Eric Clapton Tribute Video:

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

The second was in response to the Joe Bonamassa Tribute Video:

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.

CLICK HERE TO PRE-ORDER THE NEW JOE BONAMASSA CD “DUST BOWL”!

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

Here is a fun video that takes you “up close and personal” to watch JoeB’s hands in action on an acoustic guitar.

This was filmed at the Hard Rock in Hollywood,FL with a Go Pro Camera on Joe’s Guitar.

Watch more on Joe’s “JB TV” Channel on YouTube.

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.

“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.”

Mark your calendars!

A new Guitar Center Sessions will feature Joe Bonamassa. These sessions are on Direct TV, station 101. It looks like Carmine was there with Joe, while keys and drums were filled by other musicians. It is scheduled to air on January 1st. Guitar Center posted up a preview on YouTube and full video of Woke Up Dreaming.

CREDIT: Guitar Center Sessions.

GUITAR CENTER PROMO:

WOKE UP DREAMING:

At 33:56, this is a rather long video… but that’s like saying Bonamassa concerts are too long. NOT! As for me, I am craving for more!

The Making Of “The Ballad Of John Henry” A Producer’s Perspective is a look behind the scenes that explores the creation of the CD through the eyes of producer Kevin Shirley.

I found myself glued to the screen for…you guessed it…33 minutes and 56 seconds!

Joe Bonamassa – The Making Of “The Ballad Of John Henry” A Producer’s Perspective from CGFilm on Vimeo.

The headline graphic on Joe Bonamassa’s web site is “Always on the Road”.

It’s been seven months since the release of Joe Bonamassa’s last solo album, Black Rock. While that’s not a long time for most artists…it is for Joe.

Let’s not forget that during this “downtime” he has toured many shows around the world as well as recording and releasing a full album with his new band Black Country Communion.

Does this guy ever take a break?

Keeping his pace, Joe has returned to Santorini, Greece to work on solo release #11.

“It was just yesterday that I was doing my homework and then opening for BB King.” -Joe Bonamassa.

He is accompanied in the studio by his dear friend and producer Kevin Shirley, bassist Carmine Rojas, keyboardist Rick Melick, legendary drummer Anton Fig and some special guests. Joe has pulled all the stops for this new album with louder,stronger and faster guitar licks.

Now check this out! It looks like one of the new tracks slipped into Joe’s LIVE set! Here is a video of “Slow Train” performed at the Cambridge Corn Exchange in Cambridge, England just a few days ago.