Joe Bonamassa will perform two special acoustic concerts at Carnegie Hall on January 21 and 22. He will be joined by a variety of world-class musicians from different backgrounds playing a variety of instruments. Bonamassa sees the concerts as a unique opportunity and challenge to perform without amplification at one of the most prestigious venues in America. He hopes to surprise audiences with unexpected musical collaborations.

1. The blues is alive and well, thanks to Joe Bonamassa. The seasoned guitarist and blues musician plays not one but two nights at the
Stern Auditorium's Perelman Stage at Carnegie Hall on January 21 and 22 for a special acoustic set with world-renowned musicians
from a variety of musical backgrounds. Bonamassa hails originally from New Hartford, NY upstate and the Grammy-nominated artist
makes his debut at Carnegie Hall after playing two nights last year at Radio City Music Hall. Joe Bonamassa's show generally features
a variety of musicians, with lots of horns and brass, though this special performance which will be recorded, will include a cellist and
erhuist [musician who plays instrument commonly known as a “Chinese violin”] as well as a composer/percussionist. A child prodigy,
Bonamassa performed at the young age of 12 opening for B.B. King in 1989 and has released 17 solo albums over the last fifteen years.
Bonamassa spoke with New York City Monthly during his warm-up for his recent Wilmington, D.E. show, cleverly answering questions
and multitasking his answers while checking chords and making sure the strings on his guitars were good to go...
New York City Monthly: You have gone from playing two nights at Radio City Music Hall to two at Carnegie Hall in one year, can you
believe this?
Joe Bonamassa: Well you know, Radio City is a bigger venue, but Carnegie is one of my bucket list gigs to do. Carnegie will be really fun - I
will be very excited to play there. We're doing it acoustically, so it's a different gig than we normally do. I've been warned that electric music
can sound very bad there. I'm going as an acoustic outfit, with a world-class band. Everyone's coming from a different place. Last year we
decided to do more of a horn band….I have switched gears a lot in the past 12 months. It's about challenging the listener and yourself.
NYCM: Your all-acoustic performance at Carnegie Hall on January 21 and 22 will be filmed and turned into a DVD and aired on Public
Television and Palladia. Will there be any added pressure to this since it's basically going to be available to the world? Do you anticipate
any surprises happening that maybe wouldn't occur during other live dates?
JB: Well, as far as guests that are coming, that I haven't even gotten my head around yet. As far as the band itself, the band is going to be
a surprise, it's a group of musicians who have never played together. As far as added pressure, I've made more DVDs than I care to admit,
so I know how these things work. It'll be a fun show. We've always aimed long and went for the "Hail Mary," we always seem to pull it off.
NYCM: At Carnegie Hall, you will be joined by an all-star group of world-class musicians such as Chinese cellist and erhuist Tina Guo
(who has done everything from classical to heavy metal) and Egyptian percussionist and composer Hossam Ramzy, who has worked on
many film soundtracks and records, not to mention percussion for Jimmy Page and Robert Plant. What does it mean to you to be joining
perhaps the most prestigious stage in America with folks who are at the top of their game in their own instruments?
JB: It worked in Vienna at the Vienna Opera House. We're talking about people, a nyckelharpa [“keyed fiddle”] is not exactly a blues
instrument, neither is an Irish fiddle. At the end of the day it's a universal language. Once you start amalgamating [combining] it becomes
a lot of fun.
NYCM: Why should someone who has never seen or heard of Joe Bonamassa come to your show in January?
JB: At the end of the day – I guess what it is, I don't know why they come. I think there's a catalog of songs that people go back and forth
and people enjoy those songs and the new songs I make. It's a little bit different, it's not the same. It's not a high production value, there's
no track. It's walking the high wire without the net.
NYCM: Lastly, do you think blues music is only for a high-brow audience or could it break more mainstream again like Eric Clapton, as an
NYC CONCERT SPOTLIGHT
The blues is alive and well, thanks to Joe
Bonamassa. The seasoned guitarist and blues
musician plays not one but two nights at the Stern
Auditorium's Perelman Stage at Carnegie Hall on
January 21 and 22 for a special acoustic set with
world-renowned musicians from a variety of musical
backgrounds. Bonamassa hails originally from New
Hartford, NY upstate and the Grammy-nominated
artist makes his debut at Carnegie Hall after playing
two nights last year at Radio City Music Hall. Joe
Bonamassa's show generally features a variety of
musicians, with lots of horns and brass, though this
special performance which will be recorded, will
include a cellist and erhuist [musician who plays
instrument commonly known as a “Chinese violin”]
as well as a composer/percussionist. A child prodigy,
Bonamassa performed at the young age of 12
opening for B.B. King in 1989 and has released 17
solo albums over the last fifteen years. Bonamassa
spoke with New York City Monthly during his
warm-up for his recent Wilmington, D.E. show,
cleverly answering questions and multitasking his
answers while checking chords and making sure
the strings on his guitars were good to go...
You have gone from playing two nights at
Radio City Music Hall to two at Carnegie Hall
in one year, can you believe this?
Well you know, Radio City is a bigger venue, but
Carnegie is one of my bucket list gigs to do. Carnegie
will be really fun - I will be very excited to play there.
We're doing it acoustically, so it's a different gig
than we normally do. I've been warned that electric
music can sound very bad there. I'm going as an
acoustic outfit, with a world-class band. Everyone's
coming from a different place. Last year we decided
to do more of a horn band….I have switched gears a
lot in the past 12 months. It's about challenging the
listener and yourself.
Your all-acoustic performance at Carnegie
Hall on January 21 and 22 will be filmed
and turned into a DVD and aired on Public
Television and Palladia. Will there be any
added pressure to this since it's basically going
to be available to the world? Do you anticipate
any surprises happening that maybe wouldn't
occur during other live dates?
Well, as far as guests that are coming, that I haven't
even gotten my head around yet. As far as the band
itself, the band is going to be a surprise, it's a group
of musicians who have never played together. As
far as added pressure, I've made more DVDs than I
care to admit, so I know how these things work. It'll
be a fun show. We've always aimed long and went
for the "Hail Mary," we always seem to pull it off.
At Carnegie Hall, you will be joined by an all-
star group of world-class musicians such as
Chinese cellist and erhuist Tina Guo (who has
done everything from classical to heavy metal)
and Egyptian percussionist and composer
Hossam Ramzy, who has worked on many
film soundtracks and records, not to mention
percussion for Jimmy Page and Robert Plant.
What does it mean to you to be joining perhaps
the most prestigious stage in America with
folks who are at the top of their game in their
own instruments?
It worked in Vienna at the Vienna Opera House.
We're talking about people, a nyckelharpa [“keyed
fiddle”] is not exactly a blues instrument, neither
is an Irish fiddle. At the end of the day it's a
universal language. Once you start amalgamating
[combining] it becomes a lot of fun.
Why should someone who has never seen or
heard of Joe Bonamassa come to your show in
January?
At the end of the day – I guess what it is, I don't
know why they come. I think there's a catalog of
songs that people go back and forth and people
enjoy those songs and the new songs I make. It's a
little bit different, it's not the same. It's not a high
production value, there's no track. It's walking the
high wire without the net.
Lastly, do you think blues music is only for a
high-brow audience or could it break more
mainstream again like Eric Clapton, as an
example?
I don't think it's high-brow – mainstream is what it
is. Eric Clapton had both pop hits and always was
footing the blues. He's the high-water mark, one of
my absolute guitar heroes and musical guide. The
Black Keys and Jack White, they dress up the blues
for college kids in a way that they aren't listening
to the blues. I like it. I think it's fantastic, I think
it's pretty extraordinary. They're the only people
that are taking it to the mainstream. The Black
Keys record is a blues record, and it was basically
a modernized version of Electric Mud, kind of a
psychedelic record, like Howlin' Wolf and Muddy
Waters.
JOE
BONAMASSADEBUTS AT
CARNEGIE HALL
Written by Michael Menachem
PhotobyChristieGoodwin
38 NYCMONTHLY .COM