Joe Bonamassa: Fargo BluesFest Headliner

Next weekend, the Fargo Blues Fest will host a very special headliner. Boston-bred Joe Bonamassa will bring his own brand of blues rock to the Neuman Outdoor Field, along with Magic Slim and the Teardrops, Ana Popvic, Lil’ Brian and the Travelers, Tab Benoit, and Fargo’s Shannon Curfman.

A guitar prodigy, Bonamassa, who first held a guitar at age four, has been playing professionally since he was 12. His first band as an adult opened for B.B. King, earning Bonamassa an invite to join him on stage for a tune. He toured with blues and rock greats, opening for Buddy Guy, Foreigner, George Thorogood, Robert Cray, Stephen Stills, Joe Cocker, and Gregg Allman.
Bonamassa’s recording debut in 1995 (when he was 18) was with Bloodline, a band that consisted of sons of famous musicians (Erin Davis, son of Miles Davis; Waylon Drieger, son of Doors guitarist Robbie Krieger; and Berry Oakley, Jr. son of a founding member of the Allman Brothers.) For this album, Bonamassa tried his hand at songwriting.

His first album on his own, released in 2000, was “A New Day Yesterday” and showcased his late-formed but rich vocal talent. “So, It’s Like That” followed in 2002.

His “Blues Delux” (2003), “was a tribute record to the influences I had back when I was four and five when I’d just started playing. Over the years, I’ve been able to sit in and play with a bunch of legendary blues guys. People like Buddy Guy, B. B. King, John Lee Hooker, and Albert Collins.” The album honored the music of these legends, played as only Joe Bonamassa could.
In 2007, he released “Sloe Gin” and just this year a two-disc live album, “from nowhere in particular.” “The live show album is pretty much a synopsis of things that I’ve done over the years,” Bonamassa said this week. “What we wanted to do with the album was just capture the essence of the band live.”

All of Bonamassa’s recordings since 2000 have been on his own label, J&R Adventures. “Every record that I’ve ever done has been by my own label, even the ones we had for EPIC and BMI,” he said. “It’s been a great way to get your music out there, but it’s also a good way to make actually some money as a business. It’s just very, very difficult to make any kind of money if you’re signed to a label. If you’re lucky enough like me where you’ve actually sold more records on your own than when you did when you were with a major, then it actually works out very well.”

Currently, Bonamassa’s label, J&R Adventures, has opened its recording arms wide to embrace a new talent. Crosby Loggins, son of Kenny Loggins, the first artist signed to the label. “He has a different style of music,” Bonamassa said.

“It’s good to try and branch out and give some young people a shot at the glorious life of getting up and touring every day.” It seems odd that Bonamassa, who is just 31, talks of “young people.” But when you realize that he has already spent twenty years in the business, Bonamassa is a road-worn veteran.

Besides having a good head for business, Bonamassa continues to turn heads musically. His guitar work goes well beyond heart-rending, blazing blues, and even beyond shredding rock solos that would have Hendrix raising an eyebrow. His early classical training shows often in the complexities of his arrangements and his blend of pick and finger styles.

His new four-piece touring band is top-notch. It’s almost a given that they would need to be able to keep up with Bonamassa’s versatility and virtuosity. His keyboard player, Rick Melick, is exceptional, able to traverse organ, piano, and synthesizer. Carmine Rojas plays bass and Bogie Bowles, drums.

“The whole band is very good,” Bonamassa said. “I’m very, very lucky to have found these guys and have them be my tour band for the last couple of years. It’s also helpful when it comes down to having the same band in the studio.”

Make sure you get a place up front to see Joe Bonamass at the Fargo Blues Fest this year. You’ll be glad you did.

If You Go

What: Joe Bonamassa,
Where: Neuman Field, NDSU
When: Fri, Aug 15, 9 pm
Info: http://www.fargobluesfest.com