Bonamassa & Friends
Andy Saphir offers up a blues-rock fest in the style of vintage guitar-wielding blues legend, Joe Bonamassa and his contemporary friends and musical collaborators.
VIDEO & AUDIO http://bit.ly/3zV8vDQ
Joe Bonamassa is surely a household name for most guitar fans. Known for his impeccable guitar skills, great songwriting and vocals in a career that saw him opening for BB King at the age of only 12, he has risen to the level of blues superstar, selling out venues around the world with his amazing live concerts, where his bandmates include legendary musicians such as keyboard and Hammond organ player, Reese Wynans and the late, great Michael Rhodes on bass.
Having an impressive recorded catalogue too, Bonamassa’s influences are numerous, including Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page and Jeff Beck as well as original blues guitar heroes like BB King. These influences come together in a unique and masterful style which can hear Joe play anything from beautifully constructed classic blues solos to hard riffing, driving rock infused tunes containing trademark rapid Pentatonic lines and Eric Johnson-inspired cascades of notes.
This month’s article not only features the playing style of Bonamassa himself, but also six other great blues guitarists with whom he has been associated. These are artists he has toured, played or recorded with, or produced or mentored. There are seven mini pieces to learn in the style of each player (including Joe) which feature some of their kind of approaches to blues-rock guitar soloing.
Player 1: Joe Bonamassa.
Player 2: Josh Smith. Virtuoso guitarist Josh Smith’s style incorporates elements of jazz and country as well as blues. He has recorded and played with Bonamassa many times and is currently in his touring band. Player 3: Kirk Fletcher. Fletcher is another virtuoso exponent of blues guitar. His soulful and ever tasteful playing is always a masterclass in how to play the blues. Again, he has played with Joe and has also toured in his road band.
Player 4: Eric Gales. Gales’ unique, virtuosic style is a tour de force of energy. Like one of his influences, the legendary Albert King, Gales plays a right-handed guitar, but left-handed and upside down, with the first string uppermost. Gales and Bonamassa have played live together and along with Josh Smith, Joe produced Gales’ stunning 2022 album, Crown.
Player 5: Joanna Connor. Another virtuoso player with a high-energy intensity, guitarist and singer Joanna Connor is a veteran of the Chicago blues scene. Aware of her as an artist, Bonamassa and she connected and he (along with Josh Smith) produced her s
