Joe Bonamassa pays tribute to Blues legend B.B. King

Joe Bonamassa is an artist who needs no introduction, a prodigy who opened for B.B. King at just 12 years old, he’s spent more than three decades exploring the heart and soul of modern blues music. His decorated career has been built on both endurance and innovation, a blend of virtuoso skill, soul and storytelling that continues to take the genre forward while honouring its deepest roots. With over 40 albums under his own J&R Adventures label and two GRAMMY nominations to his name, Joe has become not only one of the greatest guitarists of his generation, but also one of its most devoted torchbearers.

Alongside his storied recording and touring career, Joe has also committed himself to the preservation of music’s future. His Keeping The Blues Alive Foundation, founded in 2011, has supported music education across the USA, providing vital resources and funding to schools and students. In recent years, his Fueling Musicians Program, launched during the pandemic, has raised over $350,000 to support touring musicians in need.

His achievements speak for themselves; 23 number-one albums on the Billboard Blues Chart, more than any artist in history and a catalogue that continues to expand with creativity and flair. His latest milestone, however, reaches beyond his own legacy to celebrate one of the greatest figures in music history, B.B. King.

With B.B. King’s Blues Summit 100, Vol. III, Joe continues his landmark tribute project paying homage to what would have been King’s centennial year. Released via KTBA Records, the new volume brings together five incredible collaborations that channel the heart, grit and emotional context of King’s music. The tracklist reads like a generational bridge with “Sweet Little Angel” featuring Buddy Guy, “Don’t You Want A Man Like Me” with Larkin Poe, “Heartbreaker” alongside Trombone Shorty and Eric Gales, “Watch Yourself” featuring Jimmie Vaughan and “When It All Comes Down (I’ll Still Be Around)” with Larry McCray.

The release leads with “Sweet Little Angel,” a stunning rendition that captures the crux of blues music. Paired with a poignant video intertwining archival footage of B.B. King and Buddy Guy performing together, the track is both tribute and resurrection. Co-producer Josh Smith calls it “the real deal,” noting that Buddy’s vocal and guitar takes were recorded live, no overdubs, no shine, just pure, old-school blues electricity.

But perhaps the project’s most anticipated moment comes with “The Thrill Is Gone,” featuring Chaka Khan and Eric Clapton, two icons linking up to reimagine one of King’s most timeless songs. Set for release with the full album on February 6th next year, the track marks a historic collaboration that captures the wide appeal and enduring nature of King’s influence.

Produced by Bonamassa and Smith, the full B.B. King’s Blues Summit 100 will unfold in monthly instalments leading up to its February release, 32 tracks in total, with the full blessing of the B.B. King Estate and family. “When B.B. was alive and active, he was the blues — he was the sun which all planets rotated around,” Joe Bonamassa reflects. “You only get one shot to do this correctly. And I think we nailed it.” In both vision and execution, Blues Summit 100 captures the timeless power of connection between generations, between artists and between past and future, offering a continuation of the light that B.B. King left behind.

Watch the music video for Sweet Little Angel below

More from Music

---

Editor Picks

---