Earlier this fall, Blues stalwart Joe Bonamassa released Blues Deluxe Vol. 2, his 16th solo studio album, through J&R Adventures. Joe is on tour, and he recently appeared at The Lyric Baltimore!

Steve Satzberg was on hand to photograph the man who holds the title of the world’s biggest living blues guitarist.

The following article was adapted from press releases.

Having just earned a remarkable 26th No. 1 on the Billboard Blues Chart for his sprawling and extensive live concert film and album Tales Of Time, Bonamassa’s new album Blues Deluxe Vol. 2 finds him returning to his roots and giving new life to the classic tracks that have formed his own artistry.

Coming 20 years after the release of his best-selling album Blues Deluxe, which celebrated what the US government had declared “the year of the blues” with a mix of originals and reinterpretations of classic songs, the new album finds the superstar taking stock of how far he and the genre have come with two new originals and eight new covers spanning some of the most important names in the blues — from Bobby “Blue” Bland and Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac to Albert King.

“If you had told me 20 years ago my career would last long enough to see the 20th anniversary of this little record called ‘Blues Deluxe,’ I’m sure I would have laughed,” Bonamassa said. “Blues Deluxe was my last shot after being dropped by two major record labels and my booking agent. It was then that my manager, Roy Weisman, had his first ‘all in’ moment. We would go back into the studio and record. A record that would hopefully define the direction of whatever future career I might have.”

Watch the official music video for Guitar Slim’s “Well, I Done Got Over It” as rendered by Joe Bonamassa on YouTube:

Cited by Guitar World as “arguably the world’s biggest blues guitarist,” Bonamassa is known for taking risks and venturing into uncharted territory throughout his wide-ranging career. His last recent full-length Time Clocks marked his most raw, rocking studio album yet, with American Songwriter sharing, “Bonamassa pushes into fresh territory while staying within a blues-based framework,” and “there is more than enough proof in this sprawling set that Bonamassa doesn’t intend to rest on his laurels or take his star status in the blues-rock genre for granted.”

Hailed as “a near spiritual experience” by Classic Rock Magazine and featuring songs from his latest No. 1 studio album, Time Clocks, Bonamassa’s latest live concert release Tales Of Time, captures a stratospheric performance by the blues-rock titan at Red Rocks Amphitheatre, which found his virtuoso guitar style and unique technique and flair elevating the evening to an almost heavenly high. The project was produced by long-time collaborator and producer Kevin Shirley (Led Zeppelin, Iron Maiden, Journey).

Here are some photos of Joe Bonamassa and his band performing at The Lyric Baltimore on Nov. 25, 2023. All pictures copyright and courtesy of Steve Satzberg.