Beth Hart & Joe Bonamassa - Black Coffee

180g Red Vinyl Double LP!
Includes Exclusive Vinyl Only Bonus Track!

Grammy Nominated Artists Beth Hart & Joe Bonamassa release their album ‘Black Coffee’

Featuring songs made famous by Edgar Winter, Ray Charles, Etta James, Steve Marriot, Ella Fitzgerald, Peggy Lee, Lucinda Williams, LaVern Baker & more

The edgy, no-holds-barred soul singer from Los Angeles, Beth Hart, with the top-notch shredding blues guitarist from Upstate New York, Joe Bonamassa, have formed a powerful duo and one of the best in blues-rock music.

Back in 2013, the critically acclaimed, Grammy nominated, and number 1 Billboard Blues album Seesaw was released by singer-songwriter and blues-rock powerhouse Beth Hart and guitar hero Joe Bonamassa. Since then, they have both been on fire, riding creative tidal waves both in the studio and live. So, the time was primed perfectly to reunite for another collection of scorching interpretations of ten soul gems. Hart's breath-taking vocals, that sweep and delve deep into the belly of the song, and Bonamassa's masterfully expressive playing make Black Coffee a captivating listen.

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 5 days at Studio at the Palms, Las Vegas in August 2016 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, 2011's Don’t Explain and 2014's Live in Amsterdam, 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."

One such song, was a Joe suggestion, the album opener Give It Everything You Got taken from 1971s Edgar Winter's White Trash album, with its hard rock meets Stax infused sound, the band deliver a formidable performance. "I don't think that's a song a lot of people know, it's an old soul classic but it's not really amongst the pantheon of the ones you expect," says Shirley. "One of the things Jeff Beck had said to me once that I thought was so wonderful was" explains Hart, "He said, as soon as you get comfortable, and if you stay there, you're just gonna start dying as an artist. And I feel that, one of the gifts that I've got with working with Joe is that I'm always uncomfortable - in a good way."

Shirley adds about the band, "those guys just played live, they just came in and played, it was mind numbingly incredible to be in the studio when that happens, the band were so great."

One of the key aspects of the sessions is to push everyone as much as possible. "They are always out of their comfort zone in the studio, this session especially wasn't a comfortable session," Shirley reveals. "Everyone left feeling challenged. It's intriguing. We go into the studio for 5 days and all of the musicians are challenged, they are all very good musicians, very experienced musicians, top of their field, nothing is easy, this isn't a summer in the grass session, just a couple of chords, this is people digging in deep."

Features:
• Double LP
• 180g Vinyl
• Collectible Red Vinyl
• Gatefold jacket
• Bonus track exclusive to vinyl release
• Limited time download card

Selections:
Side A:
1. Give It Everything You Got
2. Damn Your Eyes
3. Black Coffee
Side B:
1. Lullaby Of The Leaves
2. Why Don't You Do Right
3. Saved
Side C:
1. Sitting On Top Of The World
2. Joy
3. Soul On Fire
Side D:
1. Addicted
2. Come Rain Or Come Shine (Bonus Track - vinyl exclusive)