The American guitarist and singer Joe Bonamassa opened a BB King concert at the age of eight and was a resounding name on the club circuit of hometown Upstate New York at the age of twelve. A determined child who, at the age of four, after hearing a record by Stevie Ray Vaughan, knew what he wanted to do for the rest of his life. The Ballad Of John Henry is the ninth album of this thirties. Although
… deeply rooted in the electric guitar blues, Bonamassa keeps his ears open and dares to take daring steps within the genre. This is surprising in the opener (also title track) with its fat hard rock riff, framed by Eastern violins. Also special are the choices for covers such as Stop (from the British one hit wonder Sam Brown) and the gritty, honky tonk piano-framed Jockey Full Of Bourbon (Tom Waits). Halfway through the recording his girlfriend left him, Bonamassa reports in the liner notes, and that resulted in the heavenly ballad The Great Flood, on which this virtuoso lets his guitar cry endlessly for him. A rich and varied album and that is special in the blues itself. (MR)more
