Electrifying powerhouse blues/rock guitarist Joe Bonamassa is hitting the road in support of his brand new solo album, “Driving Towards The Daylight”, as well as the recently released DVD/Blu-ray, Joe Bonamassa: Beacon Theatre: Live from New York.
“Driving Towards The Daylight”, Bonamassa’s “lucky” 13th album, is a balanced back-to-basics album that highlights Bonamassa’s signature style of roots blues with rock-and-roll guts, while honoring the traditions of the original blues musicians. It features special guests including Aerosmith guitarist Brad Whitford.
Also recently released, the DVD/ Blu-ray Joe Bonamassa: Beacon Theatre: Live from New York showcases his stunning sold-out two-night performance with special guests Paul Rodgers, John Hiatt and Beth Hart. The two-disc DVD set includes a bonus disc of special features with two extra songs, behind-the-scenes footage and a photo gallery. PBS and Palladia HD began airing the show nationwide in March 2012.
Joe Bonamassa is regarded as one of the world’s greatest guitar players. The charismatic musician and singer-songwriter has been honored as 2011’s “Guitarist of the Year” by Guitar International, is a staple on Guitar Player magazine’s Annual Readers’ Choice Awards, having won “Best Blues Guitarist” five consecutive years and “Best Overall Guitarist” in 2010, and was named Billboard’s #1 Blues Artist in 2010.
A child prodigy, Joe Bonamassa was finessing Stevie Ray Vaughan licks when he was seven and by the time he was 10, had caught B.B. King’s ear. By age 12, Bonamassa was opening shows for the blues icon and went on to tour with venerable acts including Buddy Guy, Foreigner, Robert Cray, Stephen Stills, Joe Cocker and Gregg Allman.
Bonamassa’s career launched in the early ’90s with Bloodline, a rock-blues group also featuring Robby Krieger’s son, Waylon, and Miles Davis’ son, Erin. Bonamassa’s 2000 lauded solo debut “A New Day Yesterday”, was followed by releases including “So, It’s Like That” (2002), “Blues Deluxe” (2003), “Had to Cry Today” (2003) and “You & Me” (2007).
The blockbuster “Sloe Gin” (2007) debuted at #1 on Billboard’s blues chart and received a 2008 nod for Album of the Year from the Classic Rock Roll Of Honour Awards. It was followed by “Shepherds Bush Empire” (2007) and “The Ballad of John Henry” (2009) which debuted at #1 on the Billboard blues chart and stayed there for six months. At the end of the 2009, he was awarded the Breakthrough Artist of the Year Award at the U.K.’s prestigious Classic Rock Roll of Honour Awards.
“Black Rock” (2010) debuted at #1 on the Billboard Blues Chart and cracked the U.S. Top 40. Later that year he released “Joe Bonamassa: Live At The Royal Albert Hall” - a live CD of his epic performance. “Dust Bowl” (2011), debuted at #1 on the Billboard Blues Chart and #37 on Billboard’s Top 200 Chart, making it Bonamassa’s highest-selling and chart-ranking US debut to date.
Besides his solo work, Bonamassa has kept himself busy with multiple side projects. He formed hard rock band Black Country Communion (BCC) with Glenn Hughes (Deep Purple), Jason Bonham (Led Zeppelin, Foreigner) and Derek Sherinian (Dream Theater, Billy Idol); releasing two albums – 2010’s self-titled debut and 2011’s sophomore album, “2” – and a two-disc DVD Live Over Europe during the span of twelve months.
VH1 Classic’s That Metal Show just named BCC the “Best New Band of the Last 10 Years.” He also recently collaborated with singer-songwriter Beth Hart on the new soul covers album “Don’t Explain” that features scorching versions of 10 classic songs first made famous by artists including Billie Holiday, Etta James, Tom Waits, Ray Charles, Delaney & Bonnie, Bill Withers and Aretha Franklin.
Joe Bonamassa will be at the Seminole Hard Rock Live in Hollywood, Florida on Thursday December 13, 2012.
