Hard to believe, but it really has been five years since ‘See Saw’, the Hart/Bonamassa collaboration that saw the duo take Tina Turner’s anthem ‘Nutbush City Limits’ and instil it with a fire that, until then, had eluded all but its original author. Since then, a live album (recorded in Amsterdam) notwithstanding, the pair have been busy working on their own solo careers (both with considerable success) but it is high time to revisit the successful and organic a collaboration that earned them a Grammy nomination and near-universal acclaim. Once again teamed up with long-time Bonamassa team-mate Kevin ‘Caveman’ Shirley, the duo dig deep into their record collections to deliver covers by an array of artists including Edgar Winter, Ray Charles, Etta James and Peggy Lee. For the album, which was recorded in a mere five days, Joe bought along his backing band of 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). Given that this particular group of musicians now have a bond that is almost psychic, it should come as no surprise that the chemistry on this album is effortless and a joy to behold.
Joy is exactly the word. As soon the horn-infused swing of Edgar Winters’ ‘Give it everything you’ve got’ emerges, you know this is going to be a record that will leave you with a huge, beaming smile upon your face. It’s impossible to ignore music played with such soul and passion, and ‘give it everything you’ve got’ pretty much has everything you could want from a collaboration such as this – stinging guitar, glorious, soulful backing vocals and, up front and centre, the wonderful Beth Hart, singing for her life. This is music from a time long before the need to pigeonhole everything to death, where musicians simply came together to play because it felt right. Nothing here feels cynical or calculated – this is the sound of a number of exceptional talents coming together to celebrate the power of music free from ego and it sounds absolutely glorious. ‘Damn your eyes’ slows the pace a touch as the band take on Etta James to deliver a smoky gem that gives Reese Wynans plenty of opportunity to shine on the keys, whilst Joe’s soloing is exquisite. Album title track ‘Black coffee’ (originally by Ike & Tina Turner, but here rather closer to the Humble Pie version) is pretty much a distillation of everything that makes the album great with the gargantuan riff that opens it giving way to Beth’s astonishing vocal on the verse. The dynamic arrangement perfectly underscores the spirit of reciprocity that hangs over the album, and when both riff and vocal do collide, it’s pretty much out of this world. ‘Lullaby of the leaves’ (Ella Fitzgerald), finds Beth lying atop a grand piano, draped in blue light and melancholy, with Joe holding back his fire until near the very end when it has the most impact. The first half of the record concludes with the delightful jazzy stomp of ‘why don’t you do right’, perfectly bought to life by Lee Thornburg’s horn arrangements. Slinky and sexy, ‘why don’t you do right’ ends the first half of the album on an unassailable high.
Kicking off side two, we get a take on Lieber and Stoller’s ‘saved’ with its wild-eyed gospel proclamations ramped up to eleven with Joe’s countrified riffing reminiscent of the car-crushing antics of the Blues Brothers. Once again, however, it is Beth who really brings this song to life, her performance just treading on the line of ecstatic evangelist without slipping into parody, and there’s a wide-eyed sense of adventure that is utterly beguiling – you can imagine the smiles in the studio as they cut this one. A rather more familiar track, ‘sittin’ on top of the world’ is probably the weakest track on offer here, only on account of the fact that its impact is somewhat dulled by familiarity, although Joe’s soloing remains exceptional. However, the band soon turn the heat way back up with the aptly-titled ‘joy’, a taut blues stomp that is an easy album highlight thanks, in no small part, to Beth’s unaffected shout of “joy” on the chorus. With the album heading towards its close, the arrangement of ‘soul on fire’ with its warm brass and restrained guitar work feels like the goodbye before the encore and it remains only for the reggae-fied ‘addicted’ to see the audience out with Michael Rhodes laying down a monstrous bass line over which the band daub their colours sparingly. It’s a surprising, yet effective closer to yet another fantastic collaboration.
Joe Bonamassa and Beth Hart may have their names on the billboard, but ‘Black Coffee’ is very much a whole band show, with each of the musicians involved bringing their own exceptional talent to the mix. The backing vocals are excellent throughout, Lee Thornburg’s horn arrangements a huge boost and Anton Fig can do no wrong. In short, this is the sort of show that is just begging to go out on the road. As it is, the album is beautifully sequenced with peaks and troughs forming as the musicians deftly move through different facets of blues, soul and jazz. Highlights abound, but if I were to pick some, then album closer ‘addicted’ (for being so refreshingly different), ‘joy’ and the title track all deserve special mention. However, it is within the context of the album that they are most effective, and this is arguably the most impressive Hart / Bonamassa collaboration yet. 9
