Words by Charles Patterson
It all started 30 years ago for American blues rocker Joe Bonamassa, opening for B.B. King at 12 years old. From there, his career has seen it all – performing with Eric Clapton and Foreigner, and a Grammy nomination in 2013. Even more impressive is the list of prestigious venues Bonamassa has played, like the Royal Albert Hall and Carnegie Hall. And now comes the latest – Live At The Sydney Opera House.
The venue itself is special, but what makes the album that bit sweeter is that it consists entirely of previously unreleased tracks from the 2016 No. 1 album Blues of Desperation.
Bonamassa is an artist that puts his all into his music and, with not a single track on this album shorter than six minutes long, it should be considered an epic. While albums tend to have a handful of standout tracks intertwined with seven or eight easily forgettable songs, every track on Bonamassa's latest offering is memorable.
If any tracks stand out above the rest, it would be opener This Train and midway point How Deep This River Runs, but Bonamassa's guitar playing is masterful on each and every tune. It would be unfair not to mention the band too, as they all contribute to the brilliance of this album – Reese Wynans on keyboards, Anton Fig on percussion, Michael Rhodes on bass, Lee Thornburg on trumpet, Paulie Cerra on sax, and Mahalia Barnes, Juanita Tippins and Gary Pinto all providing some stunning backing vocals.
The album shows why Joe Bonamassa is up there as one of the world's best blues guitarists, and sets a nice platform ahead of his upcoming tours in the USA and Europe, with tickets already selling fast to see this master in the flesh.
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