Joe Bonamassa – ‘Beacon Theatre * Live From New york’ DVD Review

As those who caught Joe Bonamassa on his recent tour will attest, one of the many things that makes his shows so special is the sense of intimacy he generates even when playing in a giant arena full of screaming fans. The wide nature of Joes appeal stems from his ability to not only play the blues but his ability to interpret, build upon and integrate all manner of other styles and genres whilst always making it feel like he’s playing it for you. This sense of intimacy is perfectly highlighted on Joe’s new DVD, ‘Beacon Theatre * Live from New York’, a stunningly filmed set that captures Joe on stage, not only with his quite excellent band (featuring Carmine Rojas on bass, Tal Bergman on drums and Rick Melick on keyboards), but also with special guests Beth Heart and Paul Rodgers performing a blinding show that was undoubtedly an unforgettable night for the audience who were actually there.

A two DVD set, place the first DVD in your player and you’ll be greeted by ‘Mountain Time’ and a menu that simply offers song and audio selection. If you have the wherewithal, then the 5.1 surround option is a must as producer Kevin Shirley has crafted a fantastic mix that allows all the instruments to shine with depth and clarity via the clever use of panning to separate out the various tracks. It’s one of the best live surround audio mixes out there allowing you to truly appreciate the music within. Hit start and you’ll be treated to the rather surprising sight of Joe busking at the Subway on 72^nd Street (a performance from which Joe assures us in the liner notes that he made not a single dollar) before we fade into the perfect set opener of ‘slow train’, Joes soulful voice backed by slow, ground out blues, his guitar the perfect balance between rock and roll grit on the verse and searing clarity through the fluid solo. The camera work, meanwhile, is well paced with the editing slow enough to allow you to get a good look around but energetic enough to capture the air of excitement of the night. Joe, for obvious reasons, is the focus but each of the band members gets ample time in the spotlight as befits their skills. And that’s it – there are no annoying special effects, no faux-grainy black and white shots or epilepsy-inducing cuts – just great music filmed with admirable restraint and clarity making the DVD a joy to watch.

As the slow train leaves the station, Joe unveils the riff to Rory Gallagher’s evergreen ‘cradle rock’. It fits so perfectly into Joe’s set that, like so many of the covers Joe and his band perform, you’d be forgiven for thinking that he wrote it so utterly has he imbued it with his own personality. Upping the tempo still further, ‘When the fire hits the sea’ marries honky-tonk piano and pile-driving riffs to great effect; Joe’s guitar burning up the stage whilst Carmine Rojas looks like he’s having the time of his life throughout, his superb bass lines providing the groove and the power to a song that rocks like a beast from the get go. Having blasted the audience with the three blinding opening tracks, Joe decides it’s time to slow things down and does so with the melodic beauty of Gary Moore’s epic ‘midnight blues’, of which he provides an impeccable rendition that highlights Joe’s remarkable sensitivity as a lead player, his deft touch never faltering for a second as his trademark Les Paul sings out the notes with passion and precision. Next we’re into the show-stopping highlight that is ‘dust bowl’ with its gloriously memorable chorus and atmospheric guitar on the verse. A highlight of the album of the same name, and a highlight here ,it showcases that even when matched up to classics such as ‘Midnight blues’, Joe’s material more than holds its own and the blistering solo on the bridge has to be seen to be believed. Things briefly take a more classic turn with ‘the river’, another Bonamassa original, that features some truly amazing slide work at the outset before plunging headlong into a Led Zeppelin styled riff that nods towards that band’s reworking of  ‘when the Levee breaks’ with its hypnotic tempo and heroic riffs.

With the audience, by this point, in a frenzy, Joe takes the opportunity to wheel out his first guest, the sultry Beth Heart with whom Joe produced an album of soul music. She lends her smoky, soulful, sensuous voice to two songs – ‘I’ll take care of you’ and ‘sinner’s prayer’ – the latter of which in particular showcases her stunning versatility and for a moment we’re transported to some dimly lit bar, deep in the heart of New Orleans, where the only drink is bourbon and the only sound is the pouring of liquor and the shattering of dreams. Back to Joe, and he unleashes his wah pedal for a massive, stomping blues number in the form of ‘you better watch yourself’ which is classic blues played with a hard rock attitude and your foot had better be tapping throughout or you are seriously watching the wrong DVD! ‘Steal your heart away’ sees things take a whimsical turn for the classic Bobby Parker cover originally featured on Joe Bonamassa’s ‘black Rock’ and sounding even better here in the flesh with unconventional tempo and blistering solos. Leonard Cohen’s ‘bird on a wire’ gets an oh-so-gentle airing next which proves to be the perfect moment for Joe to then introduce his next guest – the gravel throated John Hiatt whose magical performance of ‘down around my place’ is another showstopper – his deep voice the perfect counterfoil for the electric mid-section which sees emotions run high as the band weave a beautiful backdrop to a beautiful song. It is a brilliant moment, and one of those when you get goose bumps just listening to the music, particularly when Joe joins him for some vocal harmonies as the guitars howl in unison. What a song – it’s an epic, wonderful piece of music and a fine performance indeed. ‘I know a place’, also with John Hiatt, is also brilliant song-writing, but in a much more traditional blues mould, which sees Joe and John trading vocals over a riff-heavy backdrop that gives Joe plenty of opportunities to unleash his mellifluous solos.

With John Hiatt having left the stage, Joe peels out the stark, desert themed intro to ‘blue and evil’, a mighty, Led Zeppelin themed beast that recalls nothing so much as the majestic might of Kashmir with its stair-stepping chords and Eastern feel. It is one of Joe Bonamassa’s finest songs – the perfect marriage of traditional blues skill and hard rock passion and it leaves you gasping and breathless with its intensity. After such a burst of hard rock fury, it is the perfect time to unveil the mighty Paul Rodgers – one of rock’s greatest singers – who performs a brilliant rendition of ‘walk in my shadow’, complete with Rodger’s leading the audience in an impromptu call and response session, and yet this classic somehow still pales in comparison to ‘fire and water’, the epic groove of which is rarely matched by any band, whilst Paul’s voice is simply a peerless delight that has, if anything, somehow improved with age.  It highlights again how versatile Joe and his band are, with Joe then turning his hand to the ethereal ‘mountain time’, a song that has a stunning, atmospheric opening that gets the spine tingling before a note is sung. That just leaves the final song – ‘young man blues’ to round out the set and to leave you utterly in thrall to a musician who is arguably this generation’s Clapton – a prodigious talent on the guitar, a blazing rocker with a taste for les Paul’s and Marshall amplification and an artist with impeccable taste when it comes to covers and collaborators.

If that was all there was to this DVD it would be rated an essential purchase for all serious fans of the blues and hard rock. However, in a generous gesture the DVD is rounded out with a bonus disc featuring extra songs in the form of ‘if heartaches were nickels’ and ‘woke up dreaming’ (both from the Beacon show but which presumably slowed the pace of the film) and, a true highlight, the feature mysteriously entitled ‘a friend stops by’. It seems unfair to spoil the surprise so you’ll just have to watch the DVD to find out who the friend is and what song you get to see him teaching Joe, suffice it to say that it’s a rare, magical extra feature that will have classic rock fans in rapture. Next is ‘a busker’s tale’ – a short selection of film from Joe’s trip onto 72^nd Street subway narrated by Joe on stage at the Beacon theatre. It’s a humorous look at the plight of a famous busker, unrecognised by the crowds on the platform who plays like a demon and still fails to make an impression upon the assorted travellers passing by. The final feature is a photo gallery with ‘you better watch yourself’ playing over the slideshow and it provides a suitable epitaph to proceedings.

So there you have it – Joe Bonamassa ‘Beacon Theatre * Live from New York’ is a generously apportioned, beautifully filmed concert that will grace the collection of any serious fan of music. You’ll laugh at the busker’s tale, wipe away tears during the mind-blowingly beautiful ‘all around my place’ and tap your feet till blisters form during such classics as ‘dust bowl’, ‘fire and water’ and ‘blue and evil’, but you will never, not once mind, be bored throughout this remarkable set. This is how all music DVDs should be done – perfect.

Amazing Joe Bonamassa live photography courtesy of Arnie Goodman