As Joe Bonamassa grows his reputation as one of the world’s greatest guitar players, he is also evolving into a charismatic blues-rock star and singer-songwriter of stylistic depth and emotional resonance. His ability to connect with live concert audiences is transformational, and his new album, The Ballad Of John Henry, brings that energy to his recorded music more powerfully than ever before. The ninth solo album and seventh studio release of his career – as well as his fourth consecutive with producer Kevin Shirley (Led Zeppelin, Black Crowes, etc.) – the disc adds a heavy dose of “swamp” to Bonamassa’s virtuoso mix of ‘60s-era British blues-rock (à la Beck and Clapton) and roots-influenced Delta sounds. It shows off Bonamassa’s vocal range as much as his instrumental voodoo, and the artist says, “I feel this is my strongest work to date.”

The album’s title track honors the mythic American figure that Bonamassa calls, “the ultimate working class hero.” He was inspired to write “The Ballad Of John Henry” – a song that drives as hard as its legendary namesake did pounding railroad spikes into the ground – while crossing the U.S. on a tour bus and observing the country changing in unsettling ways. “It used to be,” says Bonamassa, “there was dignity to being a middle-class worker, making an honest living. It was a certain mentality that was uniquely American. Now kids say, ‘I want to be rich, and I don’t care how I get there.’ To me, my mom and my dad are my heroes, working their whole life at meaningful jobs that add to society. We need more of those heroes these days. That’s what this song means to me.” Kevin Shirley adds, “I feel like Joe accessed the magic of the old blues guys and the spirit of the freed slaves. It’s an amazing track, and it’s awesome that he used this legend.”

Like that of John Henry, Bonamassa’s story has its fair share of legend, grit and endurance. Remarkably, the 2009 release of The Ballad Of John Henry coincides with his twentieth year as a professional musician, an extraordinary timeline for a young artist just into his ’30s. A child prodigy, Bonamassa was finessing Stevie Ray Vaughan licks when he was seven and by the time he was ten, had caught B.B. King’s ear. After first hearing him play, King said, “This kid's potential is unbelievable. He hasn't even begun to scratch the surface. He's one of a kind.” By age 12, Bonamassa was opening shows for the blues icon (something he also did recently as the opener on King’s 80th birthday tour), and went on to tour with venerable acts including Buddy Guy, Foreigner, Robert Cray, Stephen Stills, Joe Cocker and Gregg Allman.