Beth Hart & Joe Bonamassa Release New Record 'Black Coffee'
By: Caryn Robbins Jan. 26, 2018
Today, Grammy-nominated powerhouse Beth Hart and guitar hero Joe Bonamassa, release their new collaborative album Black Coffee. The duo's previous album, Seesaw, was critically acclaimed, Grammy nominated, and hit #1 on the Billboard Blues Top Albums chart. Since then, the two have been on fire, riding creative tidal waves both in the studio and live. Now they've reunited for a collection of scorching interpretations of 10 soul gems that perfectly combine Hart's breath-taking vocals along with Joe's masterfully expressive guitar playing that make Black Coffee a fresh and captivating listen. The album is available now on their website www.HartAndBonamassa.com and available among many online retailers here.
The official music video for the title track "Black Coffee" can be viewed here:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cy_9NaR9P6Y
With producer extraordinaire Kevin 'The Caveman' Shirley (Joe Bonamassa, Led Zeppelin, Black Crowes, Aerosmith, Iron Maiden, Rush) back at the helm, the result is the stunning rollercoaster that digs deep into the soul catalogue where they honour but re-imagine songs from Edgar Winter, Etta, James, Ike & Tina Turner/Steve Marriot, Ella Fitzgerald, Lil' Green, LaVern Baker, Howlin' Wolf, Lucinda Williams and Waldeck. Each one having the majestic heart and soul that Beth and Joe bleed on each record.
Recorded in five days at Studio at the Palms, Las Vegas with some of the finest musicians around, they have once again recalled some familiar names in Anton Fig (Drums/Percussion), Ron Dziubla(Saxophone), and Lee Thornburg (Horn Arrangements/Trumpet/Trombone) and welcomed in Reese Wynans (Keyboards), Michael Rhodes (Bass), Rob McNelley (Rhythm Guitar), Paulie Cerra(Saxophone), Mahalia Barnes (Backing Vocals), Jade Macrae (Backing Vocals) and Juanita Tippins (Backing Vocals).
Talking about the sessions behind Black Coffee, Seesaw (2013), Don't Explain (2011)and Live in Amsterdam (2014), Shirley gives some insight of what they are looking to achieve; "We're trying not to dig into a playbook that's been done many times which is the old soul classics. We try and find a different spin on it, originally it was about trying to find some songs that people didn't know at all and bring them back to people's attention."
"For me I'm able to explore the kind of music I have always admired from afar," reveals Bonamassa. "But you don't want to hear me singing Ella Fitzgerald..." he explained as Beth joins in. "I would never do Ella Fitzgerald without being with Joe, the things I get to do with you are things I think I grew up always wanting to do, but never believed I could."
"It's really predicated on the vocals," Bonamassa explains. "We can't cut these tunes without Beth singing and once she starts singing, it's the glue that inspires us to get the extra 10% out of the playing. If we just cut them and sang later, the magic wouldn't be there."
"That's something the two of us stopped doing many, many years ago" agrees Hart. "There was all this layering and layering and then it's time for you to sing and it's like you're not even making music any more. There's nothing like being able to sit there live and see Joe, seeing the drums, seeing the bass, being able to see Kevin. I can feel the vibrations, it changes the whole thing."
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