Joe Bonamassa In The Wall Street Journal

Ok, so it is just a part of the website of the Wall Street Journal, called Market Watch, but it still features Joe Bonamassa. Joe is quietly becoming on of the great blues guitarists. One of the reasons I think he has such a great fan base is his work with blues in schools, and workshops. One of which is the topic of the Market Watch webpage. (click here) Joe is appearing at the Guitar Institute of Technology in Hollywood. Yup, not sure how accredited they are as a place of higher learning, but if you want to play guitar professionally, why not:-) Of course most of us went to the school of hard knocks. Living in vans, playing for gas money, and begging for food:-) I think one of the greatest gigs that I ever had was with John Paul Drum, and Mark St. James. They had a band called lonesome and Dangerous. We played at a place called the Cajin Bistro in Kansas City every Tuesday night, that offered us free food, and whatever came through the door. Most nights we were lucky to get five bucks, but boy did we eat good that summer!

Joe Bonamassa Blues In Schools

Joe Bonamassa who was a child prodigy in the blues, continues to help out kids with his blues in schools program. I have posted about Joe and his program HERE and HERE

Click here for another great article about Joe and his blues in schools program. This time reported by the Green Bay Press Gazette.
I think one of the best ways to keep the blues alive is having great blues artists like Joe going into the school so the kids can hear the music. I have found that administrators, teachers, and students love the blues. I think there has always been the misconception that the music is sad, but when people hear all the variety of blues it changes their mind about the music, and they realize that the blues really can chase the blues away.

Joe Bonamassa: You Upset Me Baby

Might Joe Bonamassa playing some hot guitar.

Joe Bonamassa BITS

Another cool article about Blues in the Schools. This time it is an interview with Bluesman Joe Bonamassa, who was a child prodigy himself. For the complete article from the Round Up, a student publication of New Mexico State Click HERE.

Joe Bonamassa: Bridge To Better Days

Nice clip from Dutch TV of Joe Bonamassa doing Bridge To Better Days.

Blogcritic: Joe Bonamassa, Sloe Gin

Sometimes I wonder just what the reviewers are smoking, when I wade through their reviews! This review from blogcritic (click here) is 80% about the reviewer, blogcritic, and the BC podcast. Oh yeah, and then two paragraphs about Joe's CD. Boy, I bet Joe is happy about that review:-) I haven't heard the disc, so I can't help you with any details. However, as I always say if you are a fan of Joe's buy the CD!!! Blues cats are having hard times right now. Think about how to make a living when gas is 3-4 dollars a gallon!!!! Add on top of that people that download your music for free! Personally I don't mind if you download my original music, since I need the exposure, but guys who have press already need the money. SO QUIT STEALING THEIR MUSIC!!! Steal mine instead:-)

More Blues In Schools

I am a fan of blues in Schools. I also am a fan of strange reporting. Here is a blues in school report from the Courier News, in Elgin Illionios. Joe Bonamassa a feature performer at Boatload of Blues played a blues in school gig in Elgin. Check out this quote about Joe's influences:

He said his jazz music is influenced by artists ranging from the 1980s heavy metal band Def Leppard to guitarist and singer Jimi Hendrix to blues legend King to singer/guitarist Eric Clapton.

Okay, I think he is a blues player, so where did the jazz reference come from, and hey, I think we all loved the jazz stylings of DEF LEPPARD! I am sure Joe knew what he was talking about, but I wonder if the reporter had a clue. I think not, because then the reporter asked one of the kids for his artistic critique of the show:

One sixth-grader and aspiring musician at Willard, Zeke Miller, gave Bonamassa a hesitant two-thumbs-up.

"He was all right," said Miller, who has been playing the guitar and singing since he was 8. "I was impressed by how fast his fingers moved and the tunes of the guitar."

When Miller was asked how he would rate Bonamassa on a scale of 1 to 10, Miller said, "he was a nine. It was good but, his voice was too loud; I thought he could bring it down a little."