His thirteenth studio album "Redemption" is not an easy one for Joe Bonamassa. The blues rock star has experienced many a difficult phase in recent years, so that he has used the blues in all its shades more than ever as a valve. His "Never Ending Tour" recently gave him a working rhythm that the 41-year-old New Yorker needs to breathe like the air. At the same time he thinks about how long he wants to stay on stage.
When I tell a colleague that I just talked to a totally relaxed Joe Bonamassa about his new album, he says to me: "He brings out way too much, one album after the other! The American's omnipresence is not only explained by his releases - thirteen studio albums in eighteen years is a relatively normal workload -, the Los Angeles-based musician visits Germany at least twice a year and also follows special events such as the "British Blues Explosion" tour, where he paid tribute to Yardbirds guitarists Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page. Bonamassa puts the result of these productions in between as live releases. He's also playing with Glenn Hughes and Jason Bonham in a heavy blues rock outfit called Black Country Communion. Or he's doing soulful cover versions with Beth Hart. A lot of work, but certainly no oversupply of own songs.
eclipsed: Do you already have enough distance to "Redemption" to judge for yourself which of your new songbabies could survive the time?
Joe Bonamassa: Isn't that your job to judge? I honestly don't want to judge that. Every song that came up with this and the other albums made sense at least during the recording process. And before a tour I look together with the musicians and my producer Kevin Shirley, which of the new songs you can put in a live setlist.
eclipsed: Some lyrics suggest that your life in the last two and a half years, since "Blues Of Desperation", hasn't always been easy.
Bonamassa: Now I am not the one who peddles his difficult phases. But, yes, not everything went smoothly, and you can hear that here and there from the lyrics. On the other hand, it was never so difficult that I couldn't go on tour. On the contrary, I need this.
eclipsed: Will you be on stage as long as your idols Muddy Waters and Buddy Guy?
Bonamassa: I am now forty-one, and I have the firm intention to stop touring at sixty at the latest.
