Joe Bonamassa
Subscribe
X

Get the latest from Beat

Joe Bonamassa

joebonamassa02.jpg

“There is none of that woe-is-me and oh-my-girl-broke-my-heart kind of nonsense,” states Bonamassa. “I got tired of that on the last album. I’m pretty much over the typical bellyaching stuff about past relationships and things that happened to me in 2008! It’s time to move on. I’ve just found that I’ve got way better stories to tell as I get older.

“It’s actually more fun to talk about deeper issues,” he adds. “It definitely makes for more interesting stories. This is probably the deepest album I’ve ever made on a lyrical level as well as a musical level.”

Also featuring country legend Vince Gill and fellow guitarist John Hiatt, Dust Bowl makes for Bonamassa’s sixth collaboration with producer and “best friend” Kevin Shirley (Black Crowes, Led Zeppelin, Aerosmith). Despite the record being his eighth effort, however, Bonamassa claims he’s still got a long way to go to match the guitar greats…

“John told me that I’ve got a way to go as far as writing lyrics goes, and Vince taught me that I’ve got a long way to go in terms of my musicianship,” says Bonamassa. “Kevin is my musical partner, though. He has been a part of everything that I do forever now, and he produces my records in a way that I couldn’t possibly describe any better to him. He is also my best friend, so it’s almost unnecessary to explain to him what I’m after, he just instinctively knows at this point. The music just comes kicking and screaming out and Kevin knows exactly what to do with it.”

Along the way, it’s safe to say that Bonamassa has earned himself some powerful, not to mention iconic, friends and teachers over the last two decades. Citing B.B. King as his ultimate idol, Bonamassa adds that he’s also had the privilege to work alongside the blues legend and pick up a helpful tip or two…”He’s been my mentor for 22 years now and he is the guy that I have always looked up to since my career started,” says the guitarist.

“His musicianship aside, the way that the man runs the business – it’s really inspirational. I don’t just consider him my mentor as a guitarist, I also look up to him in the way that he’s built his career. He is such a great guy, he is such a warm guy. The best way to describe him is as a ‘gracious host’,” Bonamassa grins.

“I look at the way he treats his fans at every show and the way he makes a connection with people. There is no doubt he is the king of the blues. There’s a lot of cocky and arrogant musicians out there, but if anybody has ever had an excuse or a reason to be egotistical, it’s B.B. King… But he is the opposite of that! He appreciates everything people have done for him.”

Because, as Bonamassa adds, such talent is not a birthright, it’s a privilege. As is the fame and the perks that often accompany the talent – if you are lucky, that is. “Having some kind of business sense is going to get you further than most,” explains Bonamassa. “But you’ve got to be careful that it doesn’t become all about the business.

“The truth is that most musicians are not business-minded at all, which can be an obstacle for them. Nothing should ever be taken for granted though: thank god that you can at least tour and pull, like, 30 people to a show – a lot of people don’t even get that far. I think you’re born with a slightly natural propensity to hear or have a feel for music in your head, but then the trick is to be able to conjure that up and express it physically through the guitar. If you can make it entertaining on top of that, you’re onto a winner.”

It’s useful advice too, especially considering the success Bonamassa has personally experienced in his own career since his first solo album A New Day Yesterday (2000). More recently, Bonamassa claims it was in fact last year that proved to be his biggest and most successful yet, having been named Billboard’s No.1 Blues Artist thanks to 2010’s release Black Rock. In addition, Bonamassa was also named a Blues Rock Titan by Guitar World last year, as well as honored twice in Guitar Player Magazine’s 2010 Readers’ Choice Awards for Best Overall Guitarist… And he’s only 33 years old.

Dust Bowl’ is a metaphor for the way my life has turned out recently,” he says. “It was written over a time when I was touring a lot and just doing absolutely nothing else but playing shows. It’s another way of saying that you’re living in a bubble, or in a windstorm.

“It’s easy to get caught up in the whirlwind of your own little world,” he muses. “Your whole life revolves around promoting a cause or a band, and as much as it is fun, it’s a surreal way to live when you think about it.”