Music Review // Joe Bonamassa "B.B. King's Blues Summit 100, Vol. IV"

You can tell a blues record is going to be great when you see someone like Slash, who is primarily known for rock n roll, on it.  You can just tell there is going to be a love of guitars.   This is true for the next five songs as part of “B.B. King’s Blues Summit IV” as curated by Joe Bonamassa.   

As the first song, “”When Love Comes To Town” has the guitar work of Slash it also features the vocals of Shemekia Copeland, which are just divine.  This sets the pace for these songs, though the next two feel connected as they are “Don’t Answer The Door” and “Ain’t Nobody Home”.   It’s interesting to think about how a song like “Don’t Answer The Door” might play out now, lyrically, because it mentions to not even answer for the doctor and to just suffer until he gets home.  

You can feel the soul on “Ain’t Nobody Home” and then “Paying The Cost To Be The Boss” has more of a rambling blues style, which is heavy on the guitars.  I say rambling because while it can feel like the sound is on a clear path, it can sort of feel like it’s also straying off but ultimately finds its way back.  “You Upset Me Baby” has a real sort of roadhouse sound to it, something close to The Doors, with the keys and everything as it just feels like there could be a barfight if everyone wasn’t so upset at other things.  

I enjoy what this series is doing not only for B.B. King and his legacy but for blues music on the whole.  It seems so important to preserve this all for all eternity to come.  This is just such a great way of doing so with songs that both casual and diehard fans will recognize.   If nothing else, hearing someone on here that you might already recognize (such as Slash) might bring you into a whole new genre of music, the likes of which could change your life in the best possible way.