Joe Bonamassa has moved far past his initial incarnation as a kid guitar wiz with a Stevie Ray Vaughan fascination, and has developed into an elegantly reverent guitarist and a fine singer as well, bringing a little R&B blue-eyed soul to the blues…
Joe Bonamassa designed his Red Rocks tribute concert to Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf as a fund-raiser for his Keeping the Blues Alive foundation, so it makes sense that the accompanying live album begins with a capsule history of the Mississippi Delta blues, and also has interview excerpts from Waters and Wolf peppered throughout. Bonamassa wanted this particular show to be instructive in addition to being entertaining, so he needs to explain the subjects of his tribute, even if they are two of the biggest blues figures of the 20th century…
In 2015, guitar hero Joe Bonamassa set out on what he called the "Three Kings" tour, in which he paid homage to three of his favorite guitarists: B.B. King, Albert King, and Freddie King. The tour concluded with a show at the venerable Los Angeles venue the Greek Theatre, in which Bonamassa and his band treated the audience to a night of classic blues standards. A mobile recording studio and a camera crew were on hand to capture the performance, and Live at the Greek Theatre (released on CD, LP, DVD, and Blu-ray) documents the event, in which one of the 21st century's top guitarists demonstrates how much he learned from the masters. Bonamassa is backed by a stellar band of blues musicians including Anton Fig (drums), Michael Rhodes (bass), Reese Wynans (Keys), Lee Thornburg (trumpet), Paulie Cerra (saxophone), Ron Dziubla (saxophone), Kirk Fletcher (Guitar), Mahalia Barnes, Jade MaCrae and Juanita Tippins (Vocals).
Despite its hardscrabble title – a sentiment mirrored by the deeply etched black & white cover art – 2016's Blues of Desperation is very much a continuation of the bright, varied blues-rock heard on Different Shades of Blue. On that 2014 album, Joe Bonamassa made a conscious decision to pair with a bunch of Nashville songsmiths to help sharpen his original material, and he brings most of them back for Blues of Desperation, too…
'Now Serving: Royal Tea - Live From The Ryman' is an incredible live concert, Bonamassa's final show of 2020, at the legendary Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee. The special show includes tracks from his critically acclaimed 2020 album, 'Royal Tea'.
In an unparalleled blend of blues, rock, and orchestral majesty, Joe Bonamassa is set to release Live At The Hollywood Bowl With Orchestra on June 21 via J&R Adventures. This monumental CD/Blu-ray, also available in CD/DVD, 2 LP Vinyl (180-gram 'Blue Eclipse'), and digital formats, immortalizes Joe's first-ever performance at the iconic Hollywood Bowl in August 2023. Accompanied by an impressive ensemble of 40 orchestra members, Bonamassa delivered a performance that will now be forever encapsulated in this eagerly awaited release.