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JOE BONAMASSA
www.jbonamassa.com
Joe Bonamassa's meteoric rise to prominence as hegemonist of a new generation of blues musicians is undeniable. And he has the talent, credentials, and canon of work to justify his accession to hegemony within the genre. The guitarist, singer and songwriter has been incessantly wowing audiences at arena shows during the past few years and is back with his follow-up to 2014's solo outing, 'Different Shade of Blue'. The ambiguously titled 'Blues of Desperation' is a record loaded with accomplished musicianship and songwriting, which proves and consolidates Bonamassa's long-established position within the scene as an all-round class act.

So, then, that title - 'Blues of Desperation'. Ambiguous? Well, not in an autonomous sense, as it implies melancholic promise within the music; perhaps embracing the genre's age-old roots, with narratives of personal and worldly woes, expressed through maudlin-infused compositions. The title of track number seven, 'You Left Me Nothin' But the Bill And the Blues', would seem concurrent with such expectations... however, this proves to be one of the album's most bouncy and buoyant numbers. And it seems Bonamassa has set out to confound expectations in terms of general conceptions of what it should mean to be a blues musician, as songs tread a varied path. Take, for example, the up-tempo, chugging-rhythmic mimicry of the album opener's namesake, 'This Train'; the stirring Americana sways of mid-tempo number 'Drive'; or the down-tempo, quasi-sleaze flavours of bluesy balladic closer 'What I've Known for a Very Long Time'. I can only presume, in that case, that the 'Blues of Desperation' title is meant to be loaded with a dose of cheeky irony in the context of the album in its entirety.

A bold statement in press blurb claims that this album "sees the maverick superstar guitarist, singer and songwriter tossing away the rule book as he continues to reinvent and redefine the blues-rock genre like no other artist working today." I guess that's partly true as Bonamassa draws from a sonic palette that encompasses a degree of stylistic heterogeneity. And, while his vocals adhere to a blues-driven tonality, and his fretboard work might often convey blues-rooted idioms, he also diverges from tried-and-tested modes and scales. However, Bonamassa's supposed modus operandi of "reinventing" and "redefining" the blues-rock genre is, ultimately, a fallacy. Sure, there is some stylistic heterogeneity on 'Blues of Desperation', but it's a long way from any kind of radical overhaul of blues-rock paradigms, as he still gravitates towards a fair number of clichés; the music's undeniably underpinned by the genre's long established motifs. You want to experience genuine progression with tenable reinvention? Go check out Wilson T. King.

My advice? Forget any claims of genre iconoclasm and enjoy 'Blues of Desperation' for precisely what it is: a solid blues-rock album, with a great production at the hand of the legendary Kevin Shirley, that incorporates traits from a few other genres, but in an unchallenging, non-radical way. As such, Bonamassa might very well wow those who are blues purists with claims of reinvention; to others, this will be more about mild diversification. Overall, though, this latest offering from Bonamassa is another solid album that's certain to please his ever-growing fanbase.
LABEL:
FORMAT:
Provogue Records
Album
BLUES OF DESPERATION
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Review by Mark Holmes
RUNNING TIME:
61:29
RELEASE DATE:
25th March 2016
TRACK LISTING
1) This Train
2) Mountain Climbing
3) Drive
4) No Good Place For The Lonely
5) Blues Of Desperation
6) The Valley Runs Low
7) You Left Me Nothin' But The Bill And The Blues
8) Distant Lonesome Train
9) How Deep This River Runs
10) Livin' Easy
11) What I've Known For A Very Long Time
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN:
USA
"Forget any claims of genre iconoclasm and enjoy 'Blues of Desparation' for precisely what it is: a solid blues-rock album... that incorporates traits from a few other genres, but in an unchallenging, non-radical way."
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JOE BONAMASSA IN CONCERT: A SALUTE TO THE BRITISH BLUES EXPLOSION
HOGHTON TOWER - SATURDAY 2nd JULY 2016
Tickets: www.ticketmaster.co.uk
www.jbonamassa.com/tour-dates
24 Hour Box Office: 0844 844 0444
Venue Number: 01254 852986
North Preston, Lancashire, PR5 0SH
www.hoghtontower.co.uk
GLASGOW CLYDE AUDITORIUM - SUNDAY 3rd JULY 2016
Tickets: www.ticketmaster.co.uk
www.jbonamassa.com/tour-dates
24 Hour Box Office: 0844 844 0444
Venue Box Office: 0844 395 4000
Glasgow, G3 8YW
www.secc.co.uk
Joe Bonamassa pays homage to the music of Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page
24 Hour Ticket Hotline:
0844 844 0444
BRISTOL COLSTON HALL - TUESDAY 5th JULY 2016
Tickets: www.ticketmaster.co.uk
www.jbonamassa.com/tour-dates
24 Hour Box Office: 0844 844 0444
24 Hour Venue Box Office: 0844 887 1500
Colston Street, Bristol, BS1 5AR
www.colstonhall.org
LONDON GREENWICH MUSIC TIME FESTIVAL - THURSDAY 7th JULY 2016
Tickets: www.ticketmaster.co.uk
www.jbonamassa.com/tour-dates
www.greenwichmusictime.co.uk/book-tickets
24 Hour Box Office: 0844 844 0444
Old Royal Naval College, King William Walk, London, SE10 9NN
www.greenwichmusictime.co.uk
NEWARK CASTLE - FRIDAY 8th JULY 2016
Tickets: www.ticketmaster.co.uk
www.jbonamassa.com/tour-dates
24 Hour Box Office: 0844 844 0444
Venue Number: 01636 655765
Newark Castle, Riverside Park, Tolney Lane, Newark, Nottinghamshire NG24 1BZ
www.newark-sherwooddc.gov.uk/newarkcastle