colour and shape
I’m glad I heard Joe Bonamassa’s music before I heard he’d been a child prodigy. He’s 30 now, no kid, but his bio says he started playing at 4 and was opening for BB King by the time he was 12. That stuff is always interesting, but often a childhood blaze doesn’t translate into adult depth. That’s not the case with Bonamassa.
Of course, by saying that, I may have spoiled the punch for you. If you like blues/rock, if you like people like SRV, Rory Gallagher, Kenny Wayne Shepard, you might want to add some Bonamassa to your collection. He’s got an interesting voice and is a good interpreter, but it’s the guitar that gives the nuance.
Some straight-up blues, BB King’s “The Thrill is Gone”
Title track from his latest CD, a cover of Tim Curry’s “Sloe Gin”.
For a little comparison, here’s Curry’s version from 1978:
Finally, my favorite cut from Bonamassa’s album. I don’t usually think of India when I think of the blues, but I find this very convincing. It’s all part of the blues diaspora:
India, from Sloe Gin
He’s currently touring Europe:
Myspace page
categories: music
tags: blues, Joe Bonamassa
posted by what at 08:27 am
Nice guitar solos; a strong, clear voice; and an appreciated lyric change in his version of “Sloe Gin.” I liked the “India” video, too. It’s interesting how JB makes the guitar sound Indian – reminded me of Nels Cline’s guitar sounding Japanese in the opening measures of “Impossible Germany, Unlikely Japan.”