![]() It was also obvious that each song was hand-picked by virtue of either a soaring melody, infectious rhythm or a well-constructed tale.īernie Marsden and Bonamassa teamed up to write ‘Why Does It Take So Long to Say Goodbye?’ and ‘A Conversation with Alice.’ The backup singers did a great job supplying nuance and Wynans played a dynamite melodic solo. Also, his pumped-up attitude came through the lyrics loud and clear. In fact, his delivery has never sounded better. With the utmost confidence, he shimmied from falsetto to a deep grumble when the story commanded it. Throughout the show, Bonamassa’s vocal risks dearly paid off. Bonamassa engaged with the bassist and conducted a call and response with the blues harp. Bonamassa, Shirley, Brown and Mike McCully co-wrote the effusive ‘Lookout Man!,’ which was a virtual show stopper, with generous use of the whammy bar, and a low-humming bass line. Title song, ‘Royal Tea’ (Bonamassa, James House, Shirley) was about a “high-class girl” with “low-class ways,” Bonamassa’s rich vocals clued us in to the subject’s shortcomings. Co-written by Bonamassa, producer Kevin Shirley and Pete Brown, this song makes excellent use of the entire ensemble, with its expanding range of dynamics. ‘When One Door Opens’ was an excellent starting point. Blues harpist Jimmy Hall volleyed back and forth as a dynamic lead instrumentalist as well as rhythm maker, and no concert would be complete without the enthuse and straight-ahead riffery of organist/keyboardist Reese Wynans. His lines helped build tension in all the right places. Bassist Michael Rhodes was irreplaceable. The two backing singers, Australian Jade Mac Rae and Dannielle De Andrea kept the back beat moving with their endless energy and choreographed gestures. Rob McNelly served as a dynamic rhythm and second guitarist. The evening began with a narrative by American actor Jeff Daniels, who called the event, “a tribute to the English blues.” Drummer Anton Fig, who had broken his ankle, was replaced by talented Greg Morrow. Bonamassa incorporated another national treasure into the mix: the production was recorded and mixed at the iconic Abbey Road Studio in London. ‘Now Serving: Royal Tea Live From The Ryman’ is available as a CD, DVD, Blu-Ray and Double LP. ![]() The featured songs which were drawn from ‘A New Day Now’ and his latest album. Of course, performing in front of cardboard cutouts couldn’t replace the excitement of a live crowd, or lead to standing ovations, but the players concentrated heavily on the task-at-hand and created their own onstage excitement. He added: “As this show was being filmed live, almost 100,000 eyes were on us in various forms around the world in front of TVs and computers alike.” “I love this place as it is a national treasure and selfishly close to my house,” Joe exclaimed on a press release. The legendary venue, famous for its “Opry” history, means a lot to the award-winning electric guitarist, as his band has played their multiple times over this last decade, and many country and rock stars have considered the burnished brick building their second home. By pulling most of his crew together for a “one-night-only” live stream direct from Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium, he and his acolytes successfully reconnected. ![]() Although the Covid-19 pandemic led to a shutdown of live performance last year, it didn’t keep Joe Bonamassa from engaging with and entertaining his world-wide fans.
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