Joe Bonamassa: The Ballad Of John Henry Die Version auf CD in Standard- Auflage. Diese besondere Auflage wurde veröffentlicht in Europa im Verlag Provogue In Zusammenarbeit mit J&R Adventures am 22. Februar 2009.

He emerged like a supernova in the blues sky - but unlike the brilliance of this short-lived star, the work of American blues rocker Joe Bonamassa has proven to be an enduring phenomenon. The now thirty-one-year-old musician is considered the most important newcomer to the blues-rock scene in recent years, and with his new album, "The Ballad Of John Henry," he has definitively placed himself in the top league of the genre. Bonamassa's musical tribute to the "working class hero" - as he calls the title track of the new CD - goes hand in hand with his twentieth year as a professional musician. Finally, there is another difference from the brief flash of supernova: Joe Bonamassa appeared in late 2005, at least in Europe, seemingly out of nowhere, but even then the son of a guitar shop owner from Utica, New York State, USA, could point to a long musical career. "My father gave me a Chiquita guitar with a short neck, but at the age of seven I switched to a normal instrument." At the age of twelve he was playing as an opening act for B. B. King, who immediately took him under his wing as a mentor. "After our first show together in Rochester, he took me on tour and I did twenty shows with him - he was the reason I first broke through then," Bonamassa recalls nearly two decades later. Since then, Joe Bonamassa has released nine solo albums; "The Ballad Of John Henry" is his seventh studio album. In addition, he can refer to the CD "Bloodline," which he released with his eponymous band in 1994 and on which he played with Waylon Krieger (son of Doors guitarist Robby Krieger), Erin Davis (a Miles Davis descendant) and Berry Oakley Jr. (son of an Allman Brothers member). Two singles, "Stone Cold Hearted" and "Dixie Peach", were released from the album, which reached the lower regions of the US charts. Years of touring as a solo artist paid off in 2000 when his solo debut "A New Day Yesterday", produced by Tom Dowd, was released in the US. It was released in Europe, along with all subsequent albums, in early 2006 when Bonamassa burst into Europe via the renowned Dutch blues label Provogue/Mascot, introduced himself to European blues audiences with "You And Me" and documented his appearance on the cult German TV show "Rockpalast" on DVD that same year. Since then it's been more than just one success after another in terms of album releases and tours. Bonamassa, who is rather inconspicuous offstage but explodes his guitar all the more fiercely on stage, has convinced audiences and critics alike: The respected online magazine "Blues Wax" named him "Artist of the Year" in early 2008, the renowned American trade magazine "Guitarist" named him "The New King of the Blues" and voted him "Best Blue Guitarist"; not exactly unknown colleague Ted Nugent recently said of him after a joint jam session: "This guy is in the same class as Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jimi Hendrix and Jeff Beck!" The recognition he has received in the professional world has been reflected in the fact that the famous guitar manufacturer Gibson has produced its own "Inspired By Joe Bonamassa" model of its famous Les Paul Goldtop in a limited edition of 300. Fans saw it the same way, flocking to his concerts on this side of the Atlantic and the other, and his latest studio effort, "Sloe Gin," not only made it into the top ten of the Billboard blues chart like all his previous recordings, but debuted there at number one. Now - after the live recording "From Nowhere In Particular" - it is seamlessly followed by "The Ballad Of John Henry". Bonamassa demonstrates not only his songwriting talent, but also his taste and flair for selecting material from the outside: in the studio, he has given his own stamp to songs by Tony Joe White ("As The Crow Flies"), Tom Waits ("Jockey Full Of Bourbon"), Ailene Bullock ("Funkier Than A Mosquito's Tweeter"), Sam Brown ("Stop!") and Anthony Newley/Leslie Bricusse ("Feelin' Good"). "When I recorded the first half of the album, I was the happiest person - happier than I've ever been in my life. When I got into the second half, it was the exact opposite." That didn't stop Bonamassa from capturing his strongest work to date on CD, both in terms of songwriting and his explosive and intricate guitar playing. "I wrote the song 'Happier Times' when I was up in the basement - it's probably the best and most honest song I've ever written," reveals the thirty-one-year-old singer. The fact that he's been through a lot in the recent past is reflected in several songs that revolve around relationships. For example, "Last Kiss," which is about a failed relationship. Or in "The Great Flood", which is something of an apology letter to a former partner with whom he now maintains a good friendly relationship. "I felt that we carry too much unspoken inside us that we should sometimes put into words," he sums up. Joe Bonamassa recorded "The Ballad Of John Henry" again with such aces as Carmine Rojas (bass), Anton Fig and Bogie Bowles (both drums) and Rick Melick (keyboards) and Blondie Chaplin (rhythm guitar). For the first time in his long career, he worked with brass players: Lee Thornburg and David Woodford provided additional sonic color under the new direction of veteran Kevin Shirley (Led Zeppelin, Aerosmith, Black Crowes). But Bonamassa wouldn't be himself if he didn't look beyond making music: He participates in the Blues Foundation's Blues In The Schools Program, works as a columnist for the trade magazine Guitarist and - when he's not on tour - hosts his weekday quarter-hour series "Daily Cup Of Joe" on the Sirius satellite radio station. And every Tuesday you can hear him on his own show on the British radio station Planet Rock. Joe Bonamassa is unstoppable and on the cusp of ascending to the blues-rock throne. He manages to balance between following in the footsteps of his mentors like B. B. King, while being innovative and building bridges to intelligent rock.

Album Genres übergreifend Rock, Hard Rock und Blues-Rock.