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Review: Joe Bonamassa's Live At The Hollywood Bowl With Orchestra is a momentous release capturing his historic debut at the iconic venue in August 2023. With an ensemble of 40 orchestra members, Bonamassa delivers a breathtaking performance that merges blues and rock with grand orchestral arrangements. Led by orchestrators David Campbell, Trevor Rabin, and Jeff Bova, the live album and film showcase Bonamassa's virtuosity and elevate fan-favorite tracks to new heights. The lead single, a live rendition of Bobby "Blue" Bland's 'Twenty-Four Hour Blues,' exemplifies the magic of Bonamassa's guitar work and the seamless fusion of studio elements with live performance. Producer Kevin Shirley praises the cinematic celebration of Bonamassa's music, underscoring his unparalleled standing in the blues-rock realm. The Hollywood Bowl performance marks a "bucket list" event for Bonamassa who is arguably the leading figure in modern blues-rock. Collaborating with a full orchestra adds depth and scale to his music, offering fans a fresh perspective on his wide ranging catalogue.

Review: Joe Bonamassa cut his teeth playing gigs from the tender age of 12, supporting the likes of B.B. King and sharing band line-ups with the son of Miles Davis amongst others. His solo career kicked off in earnest in 2000, and his third album Blues Deluxe arrived in 2003. It gathers together nine covers of blues standards, covering the likes of John Lee Hooker, Jeff Beck, Buddy Guy and Robert Johnson as well as presenting three of his own original compositions. It's a high-end, polished take on the blues rock sound presented by a lifelong devotee, now remastered and repressed on double vinyl.

Review: Two deacdes after volume one, we finally get Joe Bonamassa's Blues Deluxe follow up. Something of a self-test, with which he wants to judge how far his music has progressed in the past two decades, producer Josh Smith has again been drafted for studio duties, and apparently set out to present fans of this blues rock & roll icon with "a complete natural, relaxed Joe". Few could ask for much more, and nobody could deny that's one of the overriding vibes exuding from these tracks. Which isn't to say Bonamassa has paled or become any less intense and muscular in his approach to songwriting and craft. Fear not, then, there are some epic solos happening all over the place here, invoking the spirit of John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers, or Eric Clapton during the heyday of Cream. Perhaps more an extension than evolution, then, the takeaway point must therefore be that the recipe has and always will work incredibly well.