Well, just got this album in the mail a few days ago, and I've been listening to it. Really enjoy it!! All the artists did a great job doing some BB King tunes. Joe Bonamassa did a great job choosing the artists & songs, and producing it as well. Let me know what you think of this album as well.
I haven't heard the album yet but I know it's good.
While reading about B. B. King I discovered Sylvester Weaver who is claimed by some to have been the first blues player to record a record.
This is New York City on November 1st, 1923!! 103 years ago.
Here is Guitar Rag recorded 4 years later in 1927 by Sylvester Weaver.
I've listened to quite a bit of it. I think it's fine as a tribute, but not something I would ever spin again.
One of the fun things about tribute albums is hearing another artist interpret the song, making it their own, otherwise you're just hearing a very good yet inferior copy of the original. I've always said Joe Bonamassa is the Michael Buble of The Blues - slavish keeper of the torch but brings nothing original. That's not bad, it's just not that interesting and I'd just rather listen to BB King than these slick 2nd generation photocopies of his music.
Don't get me wrong, glad this exists and the music is solid, but I think it would have been more exciting if it was a live concert celebration of BB's music.
I've always said Joe Bonamassa is the Michael Buble of The Blues - slavish keeper of the torch but brings nothing original. That's not bad, it's just not that interesting and I'd just rather listen to BB King than these slick 2nd generation photocopies of his music.
My thoughts as well
How 'bout B. B. himself!!!
BTW twice I've read interviews with Eric Clapton who said " the rest of us players would kill to have a single finger vibrato like B. B. King's"
@robertdee Nothing against Joe Bonamassa ... that hasn't already been stated here. 😉
I'm okay with artists covering other's material, especially in tribute form. Sometimes, the cover is so good that it becomes the song of the aper. Hendrix doing Dylan's, "All Along the Watchtower", the Allman Brother's Band doing "Statesboro Blues" (etc.).
"Making it your own" - I get that, too. But sometimes it seems (to me) that the originator is being second guessed. Most of the old Blues recordings were very primitive. Four tracks, or even just TWO! Because of the expense of studio time - quite often done in one take. But these recordings usually (again - me) just seem to have more SOUL than the newer polished versions.
B.B. King may not have been the greatest Blues guitarist who ever breathed, but he's one of those players you can spot in a single note - especially that vibrato! Joe's a great player, but I think ... NAH! Not gonna go there! 😉
@rusty Joe I find is very good technically. He can do it all professionally and always clean it seems.
And Joe is a great gear head and owns a huge fleet of guitars and amps.
But Joe, to me, doesn't have his own unmistakable style.
I was watching a Warren Haynes interview and he said Dickey was one of the guitar players who developed his own way and style.
If you said to most guitar players to play it like Dickey they would know what you were saying.
And he said over the years he saw Dickey plug in a good number of different guitars into different amps and turn a few knobs and he still sounded like Dickey.
Maybe that's not Joe's thing to fashion his own unique style.
Big Bill Broonzy and his 1941 version of Key To The Highway.
Going back to the first ones is interesting.
@robertdee: Thank You. I had never heard the original version of Key To The Highway. Beyond enlightening!