Crossroads Guitar Festival Q&A with Joe Bonamassa

With Jason Henke

As Joe Bonamassa grows his reputation as one of the world's greatest guitar players, he is also evolving into a charismatic blues-rock star and singer-songwriter of stylistic depth and emotional resonance. His ability to connect with live concert audiences is transformational, and his new album, Black Rock, brings that energy to his recorded music more powerfully than ever before. The tenth solo album and eighth studio release of his career – as well as his fifth consecutive with producer Kevin Shirley (Led Zeppelin, Black Crowes) – the disc adds an enlivening dose of 'world' vibes to Bonamassa's virtuoso mix of '60s-era British blues-rock (à la Beck and Clapton) and roots-influenced Delta sounds. Named Guitar World's Best Overall Guitarist and Best Blues Guitarist in 2010, Joe recently spoke with Jason Henke via phone about life in the fast lane and performing at his first Crossroads Guitar Festival, where one of Joe's guitars – a gold-sparkled Fender Strat – will be auctioned off to benefit Crossroads Centre Antiqua.

JH: I've read that you've cited your influences to be British and Irish blues acts – more so than American players – and that Eric Clapton has always been a major influence for you. Who are your guitar heroes?

JB: Well, Clapton is huge. He is basically my favorite singer/songwriter and guitar player. I'm not just saying that for the interview. You can Google the answer and it comes up the same every time... Clapton, Peter Green, Paul Kossoff and a pletheora of other guys. That's always kind of been my claim to fame. You know, I'm the American guy doing the English blues. It's the kind of thing I grew up with. I loved it, and I still do. It's the kind of stuff I listen to all the time.

JH: What was it about Clapton and other British players that drew you in to their playing?

JB: Sometimes the subtleties of Muddy Waters and things get lost on a young child, but when I heard Clapton, the Bluesbreakers, Cream, Jeff Beck and all of these guys, all of a sudden, it was loud and exciting. They were using Les Paul guitars and Marshall amps in lieu of the small Fenders and teles and stuff like that. I thought, 'man, I know what I want to be'.

JH: In November 2008, tickets for your May 4, 2009 show at the famed Royal Albert Hall in London went on sale and sold out in less than a week. How did that accomplishment make you feel?

JB: It was great. I don't believe one gig defines your whole life, but it was certainly something that helped me. At the end of the day, it was one of those situations where I felt really honored to do it. The main reason I wanted to play there so much was the history of what Eric has been able to do in that building, going back to the farewell Cream concert and to a lot of these things where it’s totally what I was all about. The fact that Mr. Clapton found time and came down and had a jam with us was just so awesome. It was really one of the thrills of my life.

JH: ...And playing the first song you ever learned to play  – "Further On Up The Road" – there with Eric Clapton, one of your guitar heroes,.. describe that moment.

JB: "Further On Up The Road" was the very first electric Blues song I ever learned. That was it. To me, when we were thinking about songs to do, that immediately came to mind because it was certainly aprapo that here we were on stage 28 years after I first started playing. "Further On Up the Road" is a great song. We did kind of a amalgamation of Bobby Bland's version and Eric Clapton's interpretation of it, and it came out great. I still play the arrangement we did at Royal Albert Hall live in my set. I think I'm actually doing it at Crossroads. All of the sudden, "Further On Up The Road" has become like my new rallying cry. It's great.

JH: Knowing that Clapton and Cream have been heavy influences on you, what does it mean for you to play at Crossroads for a cause that is so dear to Eric's heart?

JB: I can never repay Eric for coming to Royal Albert Hall and taking time out of his schedule. It was certainly a life-changing experience, and it helped me in ways I'm still figuring out. Besides stating the obvious, the fact that we were able to pull something like that off - that it was such a cool concert and he came - really felt good so it feels good for me to support Crossroads. I encourage anybody with an extra dollar to basically give as much as they can to it. It really is a good cause. It's helped so many other artists and people. It's a wonderful thing he does. You know, the fact that he auctioned off his guitar collection for it really says something.

JH: Have you enjoyed getting to know Eric?

JB: I really have. I’ve only known him probably about two years but it's been great. For me, it is strange to be friends with the man who fundamentally influenced me on guitar. I mean, I would be a much different player if it wasn't for Eric Clapton. I listen to his music all the time... and different eras. I don't have a favorite era of Eric Clapton. Some people say, "I love the stuff he did in the 60's" or "I love what he does now," but not me. I just dig his whole approach to it. It's been kind of a surreal association I've had with him.

JH: Are you looking forward to Crossroads 2010? How do you feel about performing with this illustrious group of artists?

JB: I'm just honored to be there. I think it will be a fun time. It's one of those kinds of things that you look back on fondly. You have the experience under your belt. I'm just happy to be a part of it.

JH: You've graciously donated one of your guitars to the Crossroads Guitar Festival auction to raise funds for Crossroads Centre Antiqua. What's the scoop?

JB: It's a gold-sparkled Fender Strat that I played a lot in my earlier years – it's probably my most noticeable guitar from that time. I had a lot of pictures taken with it. That guitar had been sitting in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for two years, and I decided it was time to close that chapter on my life with that guitar and let somebody else have it for a hell of a cause. As long as it goes to a good home and somebody enjoys it, I'm good with it. I just hope it doesn't hang on a wall to look at. Play the thing. That's what it was made for.

JH: If you could choose to jam with anyone dead or alive, who would you choose?

JB: I don't know. You go through life and you find these players that are special to you. I think people have to remember, they're just dudes, too. They're just guys who play. If I ever had a chance dead or alive to jam with Paul Kossoff and pick his brain, I'd probably choose that, but if Jeff Beck asked me to do "Blues Deluxe" with him, I wouldn't turn him down and there are a lot of guys. You know, Clapton at Royal Albert Hall. That was surreal. It was a dream come true really. It was unbelievable.

JH: Congratulations on the #1 blues chart debut of Black Rock... and for debuting in the U.S. Top 40 for the first time in your career. It sounds like it was a recording process that won’t soon be forgotten... recording in Greece with some of the best Greek musicians. How did you decide to go there to record, and what was the experience like?

JB: Yes, top 40 for the first time, and we debuted in the Top 10 or Top 20 all over Europe on the pop charts. It's a culmination of a lot of hard work by a lot of people. I'm just a small part of the cog in the wheel. There are a lot of people who deserve the credit for that. We decided to go to Greece to record because we had the opportunity to. It was a real good change of pace and a really good change of scenery. It was a good, old-fashioned transport recording – you know, transport everybody and everything to Greece to see how it goes. It was a wonderful experience – so much so that we're actually going back there again. I'm really excited about the success of Black Rock and how well it's been received – not to mention the last four or five albums. It's truly an honor for me. The fact that people have been buying my albums over and over, it's a great feeling.

JH: It also has to be a great feeling to win the Best Overall Guitarist for the first time in Guitar Player Magazine's June 2010 Readers' Choice Awards.

JB: I know I play around different genres, but that was a shock, quite frankly. I won Blues guitar player for my fourth year in a row, and that was great since it is fan-driven, but on the overall thing, I was like 'you sure?... do you want to re-tally the votes or what'?

JH: With all of the accolades you receive and the supportive fans you have all over the world (U.S., U.K., Germany, etc.), how do you stay grounded?

JB: The fact is at the end of the day, I am very lucky. That really is the "X factor" that people don't talk about. There are a billion good guitar players and there are a billion guitar players who work harder and have been around longer and are way more deserving than I am. I've just been very lucky... that's what it boils down to. The truth be told, I just have the greatest fans. I know everybody says that about their fans, but they're like an army. They organize themselves – it's nothing that we do. They just do it themselves, and they put you in that position. I'm honored by the support.

JH: You received your first guitar at age 4, and by age 7, you were playing Jimi and Stevie songs note for note. Would you consider yourself a true childhood prodigy? How does that happen?

JB: I don't take "no" for an answer. I'll sit there and I'll fixate on something until I get it correct. I think in some ways it severely curtailed my dating life, but in some ways it helped my guitar playing. I really just love to play, and I love to experiment and create sounds and alter my technique and things like that. I haven't changed very much since I was four years old. Take that and multiply it by almost 30 years next year that I've been playing and you get to that point. I don't believe I'm a prodigy. I don't believe I was – nowhere even close. I believe that I did have an instinctive good work ethic. I appreciate the fact that my parents bought a guitar for me even though money was tight. They didn't have to tell me that. I knew that. I was given a gift... an opportunity.

JH: What sparked the formation of your new band, Black Country Communion?

JB: I was at the House of Blues for Guitar Center. I was up there because I'm involved with the new King of the Blues competition they do every year. Glenn Hughes came down and sang. We did "Medusa" and "Mistreated" – Kevin Shirley was there. We thought, 'man, we should do a group... you know, maybe do a band.'Jason Bonham came in. I've known Jason for five years. He's played on a couple of my records. We phoned Kevin Sheridian up. Our band was called Black Country, which was the original name of the band. Then, long story short – trademark this, other band that, we came up with the name Black Country Communion. We have a record that's completed that I think is very, very good, and I think will do very well. I play this kind of music all the time and sometimes don’t get to go out and play it, so to be in a rock band is very cool.

JH: What can fans expect when they see Black Country Communion perform live in 2011?

JB: I don't know exactly what people can expect to see when we perform live because we've only performed two songs together. I'm sure the live show will be good. The record, I think, people will be very happy with. I'm very proud of it. It's one of the favorite things I've done.

JH: Of all the music greats you've played with – Buddy Guy, Robert Cray, Stephen Stills, Greg Allman, Steve Winwood, Eric Clapton, Paul Jones, Derek Trucks and many others – are there a couple of vivid memories that stand out to you as moments in time you will never forget?

JB: One of the great ones was back in the day sitting in with Paul Rodgers. Another of my favorite moments happened last year when I got to sit in with Steve Winwood. We did "The Low Spark of High-Heeled Boys" and "Crossroads". To be up playing with one of your heroes, man... talk about insane. I've been trying to sing like Steve my whole life, and I've never even come close. He's such a sweet guy and a wonderful, talented man with a voice and a song catalog that is just unrivaled.

JH: What would you like your musical legacy to be? Your life legacy?

JB: I think they both are enter-twined. If I had any hand in inspiring a kid to pick up a Les Paul guitar, plug it into an amp and play, then I've done my job. You pass on the music. My whole thing is if I can do it, anybody can do it. It just takes a lot of hard work and determination.