Posts Tagged ‘Bonamassa’
Jim Suhler and Monkey Beat
DALLAS, TX -
Along with Suhler on guitar and lead vocals, the band includes bassist Calrton Powell, keyboardist Shawn Phares and drummer Jimmy Morgan. Together, they’ve ben terrorizing clubs, theaters and festivals alike with their flamethrower brand of blues/rock. with a major side order of the Texas border mythology added to keep it spicy.
The same take-no-prisoners attitude has prevailed in Jim Suhler’s playing as a guitarist with George Thorogood and the Destroyers, with whom he’s recorded, toured and written songs for over nine years. Suhler has often been included in many of the “Top Ten Guitarists” lists featured in several music publications.
Blasting out Texas blues/rock for over seventeen years, Jim Suhler & Monkey Beat announce the February 17, 2009, release of the band’s new cd, ‘TIJUANA BIBLE’, which will be released in the U.S. on Underworld Records, distributed nationally by Burnside Distribution. Produced by Jim Suhler and Tom Hambridge, ‘TIJUANA BIBLE’ is powered by thirteen original songs, plus unique takes on Elvin Biahop’s “Drunken Hearted Boy” (with Bishop as a special guest on slide guitar), Rory Gallagher’s “I Could’ve Had Religion” and AC/DC’s “Up To My Neck in You”. Additional special guests include Joe Bonamassa on lead guitar (”Deep Water Lullaby”) and Jimmy Hall (Wet Willie) on backing vocals (Po‘ Lightnin’).
“TIJUANA BIBLE’ was recorded at Ocean Way Studios and 1808 Studios in Nasville, as well as Audio Dallas inGarland , Texas. The album takes it’s title from the notorious “Tijuana Bible”, an old time pornographic comic book, typically “starring” famous politicians, film stars and sports heroes of the day. “No one is really sure where they originated, but Tijuana, with it’s creative approach to all things entertaining, is certainly a good place to guess”, says Jim Suhler.
Several of the songs on “TIJUANA BIBLE” are also featured on the 2008 DVD release “REAL TIME: LIVE IN TEXAS”, recorded at Dallas’ Granada Theater, which also includes bonus tracks filmed at the Kwadendamme Blues Festival in the Netherlands and in the historic Deep Ellum section of Dallas.
Joe Bonamassa
Joe Bonamassa on Stage
For Immediate Release:
Contact: Erin Podbereski at 626-585-9575 or erin@jensencom.com
Blues Rock Star Joe Bonamassa to Headline Civic Center Music Hall in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma On March 26th In Support Of His Upcoming Studio Album Black Rock, To Be Released In Early 2010.
Los Angeles, CA, December 2009: Award-winning blues rock star, guitar hero and singer-songwriter Joe Bonamassa and his ace touring band will perform in concert at the Civic Center Music Hall in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma on March 26th. The one-night-only show is in support of his upcoming album Black Rock, to be released on Bonamassa’s J&R Adventures label in early 2010. The tenth full-length solo release and eighth studio album of his career, the disc will mark Bonamassa’s sixth collaboration with Kevin Shirley (Led Zeppelin, Black Crowes, Aerosmith) as producer.
2009 marked a year of milestones for Bonamassa. He kicked it off in February with the release of his ninth solo album, The Ballad of John Henry, which debuted at #1 on the Billboard Blues Charts. Nicky Horne from the UK’s Planet Rock Radio called it “a quantum leap from his previous albums, and they were damn good – if he keeps this up, he is destined to walk alongside the truly greats.”
In May 2009, he played a sold out show at London’s Royal Albert Hall, arguably the most prestigious concert venue in the world and had the added honor of being joined on stage by the legendary Eric Clapton. The Times of London cited Joe’s “searing excellence and showmanship,” and Planet Rock said, “The sight of two of the world’s best guitarists trading solos was more than a little thrilling.” Released Oct. 6, 2009 and debuting at #6 on Billboard’s DVD Chart was Joe Bonamassa – Live From The Royal Albert Hall, a 2-disc live DVD capturing the intensity and excitement of that show which Bonamassa calls “a day 20 years in the making.”
This past year also saw Bonamassa’s twentieth year as a professional musician, an extraordinary timeline for a young artist just into his ‘30s. He was named “Best Blues Guitarist” in Guitar Player’s readers’ choice poll for the third consecutive year and graced their April 2009 cover. The magazine said, “He’s an old soul, and that comes through in his bends, vibrato, singing voice, and note choices, which – with each passing year – gets more restrained and refined.”
In November ‘09, he headlined Guitar Center’s annual King of the Blues contest in Los Angeles and was awarded the Breakthrough Artist of the Year Award at the U.K.’s prestigious Classic Rock Roll of Honour Awards.
Bonamassa averages 200 shows every year, almost always playing to sold-out and ever-larger houses, and with each gig, he comes more into his own as a virtuoso and a vocalist. The Washington Post’s Mike Joyce cites his, “wicked guitar thrills” and British journalist Pete Feenstra wrote of a BBC Live performance, that, “he is both as eloquent and learned about the music he plays as he is technically brilliant.” Guitar icon Ted Nugent has said, “This kid deserves to be in the same class with Stevie Ray F*&cking Vaughan and Jimi Hendrix and Jeff Beck.”
A child prodigy, Bonamassa opened shows at age 12 for blues legend B.B. King, who said after first seeing him play, “This kid’s potential is unbelievable…He’s one of a kind.” Bonamassa’s recording career began in the early ’90s with Bloodlines, a rock-blues group also featuring Robby Krieger’s son Waylon and Miles Davis’ son Erin. His solo debut was in 2000 with the Tom Dowd-produced A New Day Yesterday, named for the Jethro Tull hit that Bonamassa delivers with what allmusic.com calls, “a jaw-dropping performance.”
Joe’s appearance at the Civic Center Music Hall on March 26th is the culmination of efforts by local business man turned promoter Jim Moody. Moody and Bonamassa have forged a relationship that began in 2002 in Tulsa Oklahoma. Jim Moody Route 66 Blues Project/79th Street Sound Stage happened to witness this performance and was so moved he began promoting Joe in Oklahoma. In late 2003 Joe’s first Oklahoma City show was at the Will Rogers Theatre. Since then his popularity steadily increased with an appearance in 2008 at Rose State Theatre for the Performing Arts. Jim Moody was quoted saying “I have just witnessed the next guitar legend. I haven’t experienced anything similar to this since I saw Jimmy Page in 1970 and later Stevie Ray Vaughan. Joe Bonamassa is going to influence the next generation of guitar players and change the direction modern popular music is headed. Not just a return to its blues roots but how you experience the live performance. Joe will be the high water mark that other acts will emulate and seek to replicate his ability to connect with his audience, through his emotional expression both instrumentally and vocally. ”
Tickets are $45.00 and available at the Civic Center Box Office 201 N Walker Ave. 405-297-2264 and all outlets. Also online at www.myticketoffice.com or by calling 1-800-364-7111
For more information and updated tour schedule, visit www.jbonamassa.com
The Road To The Royal Albert Hall Part 5
I remeber his first trip to Europe and how well he did. The Rockpalast appearance latter released on DVD. The feeling that he was really going to break there first. Something about American Blues Based artists being better received much better there than here. I don’t know all the pieces of the puzzle that came together to make not only the date possible but to sell it out in 6 days. I only know that it was a much deserved that Joe made every lucky break he recieved. My friend Mike Williams has a saying about the harder I work the luckier I get. Well that my friends is Joe.
The Road To The Royal Albert Hall Part 4
Aubry Harris contacted me because he knew I was a fan in OKC 90 mile to the north of Ardmore. He had booked Joe to play an after party at the Tivoli Theatre in downtown Ardmore. He was selling VIP tables and I was more than happy to buy one. During our conversation he said while talking to Joe’s manager my name had come up and he encouraged me to pursue booking Joe in OKC again. Something he probably later regretted but that is a whole other story.
The Road To The Royal Albert Hall Part 3
The few shows I attended during this time I would arrive early and have a chance to talk to Kenny Joe’s drummer at the time and Roscoe his tourmanager. I never really wanted to bother Joe who was alway cordial but I would say warry of this new fixture at their shows. He was a little perplexed that someone would travel distances to see him and possibly wondered at the state of my sanity. I gave him his space because I wasn’t in to guitars which is a common language he speaks I just dug the band.