I've been saying it for about a decade, and I'll say it again: Joe Bonamassa has good taste. Just consider his gear choices, his note choices and the fact that he hangs and records with Stevie Ray Vaughan's former bandmates (Tommy Shannon, Chris Layton and Reese Wynans).
He's also a man who truly appreciates the "big three" of blues-based British rock—Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton and Jimmy Page. In fact, on his latest live album/DVD, British Blues Explosion Live, Bonamassa breathes a bit of fire into a slew of classic tunes originally recorded by the mighty three.
For instance, check out his just-posted performance of "Let Me Love You Baby," a bruising, blues-ing tune that originally appeared on Jeff Beck's debut solo album, Truth, which was released in the summer of 1968. The song, not to be confused with the Buddy Guy tune of the same name, was originally sung by Rod Stewart and features a particularly catchy guitar hook—at least for a I-IV-V album track. You can hear Beck's original version of the song (which he wrote) at the bottom of this story.
The performance was shot and recorded during Bonamassa's July 7, 2016, show at Greenwich Music Time at the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich, London, part of his "British blues explosion" tour of the U.K.
"If it weren't for certain British musicians of the early Sixties, the blues may very well never have exploded into rock music as we know it today, and indeed may have passed into history," Bonamassa said in a press release.
British Blues Explosion Live will be released May 18 via J&R Adventures. For more information, head here or visit jbonamassa.com.
British Blues Explosion Live Track List (and the original guitarist): 1. Beck's Bolero/Rice Pudding (Beck) 2. Mainline Florida (Clapton) 3. Boogie with Stu (Page) 4. Let Me Love You Baby (Beck) 5. Plynth (Water Down the Drain) (Beck) 6. Spanish Boots (Beck) 7. Double Crossing Time (Clapton) 8. Motherless Children (Clapton) 9. SWLABR (Clapton) 10. Tea for One/I Can't Quit You Baby (Page) 11. Little Girl (Clapton) 12. Pretending (Clapton) 13. Black Winter/Django (Page tribute) 14. How Many More Times (Page)
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Damian is Editor-in-Chief of Guitar World magazine. In past lives, he was GW’s managing editor and online managing editor. He's written liner notes for major-label releases, including Stevie Ray Vaughan's 'The Complete Epic Recordings Collection' (Sony Legacy) and has interviewed everyone from Yngwie Malmsteen to Kevin Bacon (with a few memorable Eric Clapton chats thrown into the mix). Damian, a former member of Brooklyn's The Gas House Gorillas, was the sole guitarist in Mister Neutron, a trio that toured the U.S. and released three albums. He now plays in two NYC-area bands.
