Joe Bonamassa

• Date: December 16th 2014
• Venue: Dr Phillips Center For The Preforming Arts
• Orlando, Florida  

I can distinctly remember reading about young Smokin' Joe Bonamassa when he was twelve years old, opening for BB King. At the time I thought, here is yet another "flash in the pan" . . . a kid guitar savant, a SRV wanna be. That was 25 years ago.  No less than 15 solo albums have been released by Joe Bonamassa in the last 13 years. Eleven of those albums have reached #1 on the Billboard Blues Charts. He has toured and played with the best musicians in the world. He is now 37 year old, and selling out shows across the world. So, to many, it may seem as if Joe Bonamassa is an overnight sensation, but to those of us who have followed the blues, we realize he has come of age and paid his dues.  Of course Bonamassa appreciates and is an avid student of Roots Music, paying respect to the American Masters. However it was the British Blues Invasion that lit a fire in him as a young man. John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers with Eric Clapton, Irishman Rory Gallagher and Cream were among his biggest influences. The current world tour included a whirlwind visit to the state of Florida and I was anticipating a date in Orlando even though on a weeknight. The Dr. Phillips Center was recently dedicated and opened just earlier in November. The beautiful Walt Disney Theater holds 2,500 and it seemed every seat in the house was filled that Monday night. The 2.5 hour show was presented in two parts: one acoustic and the other half electric. Initially Joe sat in the middle of a plethora of  acoustic guitars. He was surrounded by various musicians playing a variety of instruments with some amazing sounds off of the 2013 Vienna Opera House Live recording. After a short break, the guitar hero delivered a non-stop set of hot, electric riffs and lightning progressions that have to be seen live to be fully appreciated. Joe B can bring it . . . hard, fast and clean.  I obtained a photo pass that night and captured some images to accompany the blog article. The sky is the limit for Joe Bonamassa as he holds true to the blues. I wonder what the next 25 years will bring.                                                                                                    

      

Bradenton Blues Festival

Date: December 6, 2014
Riverwalk Park /Bradenton Florida

This one -day event was filled with sunshine, blues, beer, great food and the people who love Roots Music to the bone! Bradenton is a cozy coastal town on the Gulf side of Florida just a short drive from Sarasota and Tampa. The planners of this venue do their homework and have all their ducks in order, which equates to a good time for everyone involved. The festival actually encompasses three days, and highlights the city's love of the blues. The downtown businesses, restaurants and watering holes also get involved which in turn, stimulates the economy in their neck of the woods. However, the headliners are on stage Saturday from morning until late that night. The lineup was exceptional and rivaled bigger Festivals held in the U.S.
Doug Deming and the Jewel Tones launched things off with a splendid set of Texas Swing, Rock and Blues, standards and originals. A crowd favorite, they appreciated the enthusiasm and musicianship of a local guy who plays and sings his heart out. County-flavored Southern fried blues was next on the agenda as EG Knight took the stage. Outstanding vocals, guitar and a knack to entertain are EG's trademarks. After a short break, the growing crowd was excited to see and hear the young lady from Kansas City rock the blues -Samantha Fish. High -energy fret-work on a plethora of guitars with vocals to match had everyone wanting more after her hour-long set that covered two albums previously released. Right after Ms Fish, the Chicago-based Little Ed & The Blues Imperials took to the stage. Little Ed is a blues legend and rightly so, based on his body of work (8 albums with the Imperials and a couple on his own). He is a veteran musician and an top showman delivering stellar slide guitar and vocals. Other headliners included Jimmy Thackery and Marcia Ball whom I will devote another article to in the near future. With a media pass and Nikon in tow, I was able to capture a few photographs. Can't wait until next years Festival!