Radio City Music Hall

I HAVE A LARGE NUMBER OF THIS GREAT,GREAT GUITARISTS WORKS, WHETHER CD,DVD OR,MAINLY BLU RAY,AND HE NEVER EVER FAILS TO DELIVER A FANTASTIC SET.ALTHOUGH HE'S KNOWN AS A TERRIFIC BLUES' ARTIST,ONE OF HIS GREATEST ASSETS,IN MY OPINION ,IS THE ABILITY TO WORK EFFORTLESSLY WITH MUSICIANS OF MANY GENRE'S ,OFTEN VERY DIVORCED FROM A BLUES/JAZZ SETTING.THERS NO NEED TO SAY THAT THE PICTURE AND SOUND ARE ABSOLUTELY TOP NOTCH,AND I CAN'T WAIT FOR A BLU RAY OF JOES LIVE IN SYDNEY CONCERT

What I like is that he keeps updating his live set rather than banging out version after version of the same stuff. This is real light and shade stuff with some that seems bordering on jazz and then some trad blues. He is sounding very slick these days - a far cry from the rough and ready blues man. Bur hey, you need to adapt and this is evidence that Joe Bonamassa has. Packaging this with the DVD for a really keen price and decent sound quality makes it a good package - but I think he is a great guitarist so IO have to admit to a degree of bias here

What can i say yet another live concert/dvd bluray at this particular time this i think his 11th rock concert filmed! Acoustic & his traditional blues. The great thing too we get to see a lot of material the last couple of albums and only a couple from his early days which is a great move. His latest oneLive At The Greek Theatre which is an ode to his Kings which i will purchase the next couple of days, and even better we get to see him next week.Tour number 5! Should be incredible can't wait.

Yet another great live DVD from Joe. The last two live releases in particular - this one and the Red Rocks DVD have been superb, but have offered a different angle than some of the previous offerings. The introduction of the acoustic set really works - with in my view stand out tracks being "Trouble town" and "Happier Days". All in all, the music is beautifully played, filmed and recorded. Bonamassa is getting better and better - through the sheer amount of work he gets through. Highly recommended

It would, perhaps, be easy to be cynical about yet another Joe Bonamassa live album. The man has, after all, released more live discs than studio albums to date and, of these, he’s managed a remarkable eight since 2012 (and that’s not including the live albums cut with Beth Hart and Rock Candy Funk Party). The thing is, however, that each Joe Bonamassa show is a unique and unforgettable experience as familiar songs get reinterpreted and different tracks are thrown into the mix to keep things always fresh; Joe Bonamassa has never been one to simply drag the same set list around with him (as the four-disc, four-night ‘Tour-de-force’ set ably demonstrated); and so, on this new release, it should come as no surprise that nine of the tracks haven’t appeared in live form before (many from the blistering ‘different shades of blue’ album) and that the set manages to offer something new even to the most avid Bonamassa collector. Just to put the icing on the cake, there are even two newly recorded songs on the included CD alongside a cut-back version of the live set presented on the DVD/Blu ray. Throw in a forty-five minute documentary about Joe’s experiences in playing the most prestigious venue in his home town of New York and a handsome forty-page booklet packed with photos and you have a generously apportioned set that will not only have Bonamassa fans foaming at the mouth but which also proves the perfect primer for the guitarist’s October UK tour (dates below).Despite having played a number of amazing venues (the Royal Albert Hall, Red Rocks, the Hammersmith Apollo to name but few), Joe Bonamassa was particularly excited to play Radio City Music Hall, the legendary venue that has seen the likes of B.B. King, Tony Bennett, Dream Theater, and Stevie Wonder grace its boards, so, as a native New Yorker, it was something of a career-defining moment for Joe to play there for two consecutive, sold-out nights. As a result, Joe and his two bands (the acoustic Huckleberries and his electric touring band) are on fearsome form, delivering a memorable set of timeless tunes with all the charisma and skill that we have come to expect. As with previous releases the set starts with a short prologue tune (‘bite the big apple’) before Joe and his Huckleberries arrive on stage for a beautiful, acoustic rendition of perennial favourite ‘dust bowl’ followed by a funky version of ‘trouble town’ which is powered by Lenny Castro’s sweeping percussion and Reese Wynans’ breezy piano. The acoustic performance perfectly fits the new tracks, particularly a stunning rendition of ‘different shades of blue’ which takes on a whole new feel from its recorded counterpart and which might actually prove to be the definitive version of that poignant track. Also of note is Joe’s heartfelt introduction of the acoustic band in which he gives each of his talented musicians a moment in the spotlight in recognition of their amazing time together (two laps around the globe over a year and a half) and it’s a reminder that no matter how large the billboards with his name on them get, Joe Bonamassa is a musician who still keeps his feet very much on the ground. From there we get a couple more acoustic tracks (the amazing ‘black lung heartache’ and ‘happier times’) before Mats Wester plays a beautifully-phrased segue that marks the arrival of Joe’s mighty electric band.And what an arrival! As the lights on Mats drop, the band is revealed with Joe front and centre ripping away at the heroic introductory solo to ‘never give all your heart’ with a fire that blazes from his fingertips and illuminates the entire stage. It’s a powerful entrance and the performance does not slow down once from there with Joe leading his band into the horn-driven swing of ‘Hidden charms’. It’s yet another reminder that few modern artists capture the life-affirming, celebratory atmosphere of the many facets of the blues with quite the skill that Joe does and, as you watch the band, you’re transported out of the mundane reality of every-day life to some swinging ball room where you dance until you drop to music that is as timeless as it is exciting. The groove doesn’t stop either. ‘Living on the moon’ is delivered with smooth, buttery brass and Lenny Castro augmenting Tal Bergman’s taut beat and it’s a wonder that any member of the audience is left seated by the track’s conclusion. Outwardly Joe maintains that sense of professional calm that travels with him everywhere, but his excitement comes through perfectly in the blistering solos that he tears into periodically, and this frequently proves to one of the most intense performances Joe has yet filmed.In terms of filming, I was initially skeptical of the frequent split-screen effects that litter the performance, but as I settled into the concert I realized that the director had found the best way to show as much of the onstage action as possible, capturing an intimate view of all those involved rather than focusing too much on any one musician. This is something clearly seen on the funky ‘I can’t be satisfied’ in which the screen splits to show both Joe’s solo and Reese Wynans’ electric piano work, which is far more satisfying than flipping from one to the other (or ignoring one all together). The quality is pristine HD, to the point that it could easily become a reference disc for many with its bright, popping colours and rich, creamy blacks. Every detail is crisp and clear from the individual hairs on Joe’s head to the grain of the piano – it really is a beautiful looking concert and a pleasure to watch. The audio meanwhile, well, the audio is courtesy of long-time Bonamassa collaborator Kevin Shirley and it is clear that Kevin has lost none of his deft touch. Every instrument is captured with perfect clarity whether you opt for the DTS 5.1 or the stereo track and if you pump it loud it’s only just shy of actually being there. In short this is yet another blinder of a concert disc that shows just what can be done with appropriate time and care.

As far as I'm concerned, the man can do no wrong. Joe Bonamassa can release as many live CD's/DVD's as he likes, because that's when he is at his best, on stage. I like the fact that he doesn't just play his own music, but plays homage to the old blues master as well. If you are a fan of Joe's previous stuff then there's no reason why you shouldn't like this CD/DVD combo.

This is my first Bonamassa dvd/cd and it's gonna cost me a fortune cuz after listening to the cd and watching the dvd I'm hooked and will be buying everything this genius of a musician has done.

Simply great, Joe in his best form. Many songs from the album Different Shades of Blue which is really one of his best. Fantastic concert, absolutely worth the money.

The great king of the guitar.

Great live Bonamassa Album

Comprato perché mi mancava!Joe Bonamassa ha un'ampia discografia "Live" che in alcuni frangenti può risultare ripetitiva,ma per chi come me ama i dischi del vivo è una vera manna!Questo LP uscito nel 2015 propone due brani inediti "One Less Cross" To Bear" e "Still Water" e altri sette mai eseguiti dal vivo.Il concerto si divide ii session elettriche ed acustiche, accompagnato da grandi musicisti come Reese Wynans (Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble, John Mayall e Buddy Guy) e Lee Thorburg (Supertramp) ma anche Lenny Castro, Carmine Rojas, Tal Bergman, Gerry O’Connor, Mats Wester, Nick Lane, Paulie Cerra.Come in tutti i dischi dal vivo di Bonamassa all'interno della cover viene riportata la strumentazione usata dal chitarrista.La mia copia è arrivata senza Download card, cosa che non mi preoccupa più di tanto visto che non ascolto musica in MP3!Comunque se amate il rock ed il blues qui andate sul sicuro!

good quality

This is my fourth Bonamassa album. I generally don't get live albums, but this record is excellent. Then again this is Joe.