Joe Bonamassa
The tireless torchbearer who carried British blues-rock into a new century
Joe Bonamassa grew up in upstate New York, where his family ran a guitar shop and his father filled the house with blues and British rock records. He picked up the instrument at around four and progressed so quickly that by the age of twelve he was opening concerts for B.B. King. The late Washington, D.C. virtuoso Danny Gatton took an interest in the prodigy and helped sharpen his technique, exposing him to country, jazz and rockabilly ideas alongside the blues he already loved.
In the early 1990s he joined Bloodline, a young band notable for its lineage: its members included sons of Allman Brothers bassist Berry Oakley, Doors guitarist Robby Krieger and Miles Davis. The group released one album in 1994 before splitting. Bonamassa then launched a solo career with A New Day Yesterday in 2000, and partnered with manager Roy Weisman to build an independent operation that relied on relentless touring rather than radio play. Albums like So, It's Like That and Blues Deluxe steadily widened his audience.
The late 2000s brought his breakthrough. Sloe Gin and The Ballad of John Henry showed a bigger, more cinematic sound, and a 2009 concert at London's Royal Albert Hall, where Eric Clapton joined him on stage, became a landmark release. Around the same time he formed the hard-rock supergroup Black Country Communion with Glenn Hughes, Jason Bonham and Derek Sherinian, and began a fruitful series of soul and blues records with singer Beth Hart, starting with Don't Explain in 2011.
Through the 2010s and beyond he became one of the busiest musicians in the genre, playing four very different London venues for the Tour de Force series, saluting Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf at Red Rocks, and honoring the three Kings at the Greek Theatre. He recorded Royal Tea at Abbey Road with British collaborators, founded the Keeping the Blues Alive Foundation to fund music education, and started a record label that produces albums for other blues artists.
The 10 greatest Joe Bonamassa solos
- 1Joe Bonamassa · solo by Joe Bonamassa · 2007
- 2Joe Bonamassa · solo by Joe Bonamassa · 2009
- 3Joe Bonamassa · solo by Joe Bonamassa · 2002
- 4Joe Bonamassa · solo by Joe Bonamassa · 2003
- 5Black Country Communion · solo by Joe Bonamassa · 2010
- 6Joe Bonamassa · solo by Joe Bonamassa · 2011
- 7Joe Bonamassa · solo by Joe Bonamassa · 2012
- 8Joe Bonamassa · solo by Joe Bonamassa · 2009
- 9Joe Bonamassa · solo by Joe Bonamassa · 2016
- 10Joe Bonamassa · solo by Joe Bonamassa · 2014
The sound
Bonamassa plays with a big, singing humbucker tone that owes much to the late-1960s British school of Clapton, Beck, Page, Kossoff and Gallagher, filtered through the precision of an American technician. He mixes pentatonic blues phrasing with fast, cleanly articulated runs, hybrid picking borrowed from country players, and sudden bursts of legato speed. His vibrato is wide and controlled, and he favors long, dramatic solos that build in intensity. A serious gear collector, he treats tone as part of the composition, switching between vintage Les Pauls, Strats and hollowbodies to suit each song.
- Gibson Les Paul Standard (late-1950s 'Burst' and signature models) (guitar) His signature voice; he owns a celebrated collection of vintage sunburst Les Pauls.
- Fender Stratocaster (guitar) Used for brighter, funkier and more Hendrix-flavored material.
- Gibson ES-335 (guitar) A semi-hollow favorite for smoother blues numbers.
- Gibson Firebird (guitar) Brought out for slide and rawer rock tones.
- Marshall amplifiers (amp) Provide the classic British crunch behind his blues-rock sound.
- Vintage Fender tweed and blackface amps (amp) Part of a large amp collection he uses for cleaner, woodier tones.
- Dunlop Cry Baby wah (signature model) (effect) Dunlop issued a Bonamassa signature wah voiced to his taste.
Covers
- Sloe Gin, originally by Tim Curry He transformed an obscure late-1970s ballad into a signature blues-rock epic.
- Blues Deluxe, originally by Jeff Beck Group A tribute to the British blues boom that gave him room for a long, slow-burning workout.
- A New Day Yesterday, originally by Jethro Tull His debut album's title track toughened Tull's blues-rock stomp with heavier guitar.
- Further On Up the Road, originally by Bobby 'Blue' Bland Performed with Eric Clapton, it became a joyful trade-off between mentor figure and heir.
- I'd Rather Go Blind, originally by Etta James Backing Beth Hart, he kept his playing tasteful and let the soul classic breathe.
- Hoochie Coochie Man, originally by Muddy Waters Part of a full concert honoring Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf, played with gritty reverence.
Timeline
- 1977 Born in New Hartford, New York
- 1989 Opens shows for B.B. King at age twelve
- 1994 Releases the only album by the band Bloodline
- 2000 Solo debut A New Day Yesterday
- 2009 Plays the Royal Albert Hall with guest Eric Clapton
- 2010 Black Country Communion releases its debut album
- 2011 First duo album with Beth Hart, Don't Explain
- 2013 Four-venue Tour de Force residency in London
- 2015 Muddy Wolf tribute concert at Red Rocks
- 2020 Releases Royal Tea, recorded at Abbey Road
Facts
- He began playing guitar at about four years old.
- He was opening for B.B. King while still around twelve years old.
- Rockabilly and jazz-country virtuoso Danny Gatton acted as an early mentor.
- His teenage band Bloodline included the sons of Berry Oakley, Robby Krieger and Miles Davis.
- He built his career largely independently, with manager Roy Weisman, instead of relying on a major label.
- He owns one of the best-known private collections of vintage guitars and amplifiers in the world.
- His Keeping the Blues Alive Foundation funds music education in schools.
- He has hosted blues-themed cruises featuring many other blues artists.
- Royal Tea was recorded at Abbey Road Studios in London as a salute to British blues.
- He runs a record label that produces albums for other blues and roots musicians.