Can Joe Bonamassa become one of...

[Jimi75]

...these historically acknowledged great Les Paul Players, such as Jimmy Page, Peter Green, Duane Allman etc.

I'd say he is already one of the best players around, his music becomes better and better, but at the moment he still lacks a bit of that magic and mojo you need if you wanna become a member of the club of the a.m. gentleman. I think maybe some 10 more years...still the diamond Bonamassa is too polished maybe, but he will make it, I'm sure. I think nowadays he's already known for playing LP, but still only in the minds of guitarists. The a.m. guys have that overall global image that everybody and his neighbour has of them, playing their LP.

I've voted yes. :

What do you think? And why?

[snarph]

If and when he gets the air play exposure that the a fore mention players get that should not be a problem he has the talent and is getting very well seasoned

but still lacks the media hype to pull it off

I personally thin he plays better then most of the legends as is so he has my vote

[sunvalleylaw]

Sure, I think he has the chance. I think he has the chops and can develop that sparkle/special something given some more life experience I bet. He also has a chance of remaining mainly a musician's musician, know and respected mostly by those that try to do what he does. And I suppose the two are not mutually exclusive. But I voted yes. : :

[mrmudcat]

voted yes .......but no one beats Duane.......... brother Jimi .......

[Robert****]

Absolutely. He's got style, technique and taste. What else do you need? Age, I guess...

[marnold***]

What else do you need? Age, I guess...

Probably to die, since that seems to be when real fame kicks in.

I'm definitely going to vote yes, even though he's only been playing Les Pauls for a short time. I like his Paul tone much better than his Strat tone on the earlier albums.

[duhvoodooman***]

Yes (of course!)

Technically, he's already there. His tone is to die for. And his showmanship and song-writing skills continue to grow. I think he's finally getting the exposure necessary to achieve the recognition he deserves--the RAH appearance was a big boost for him. And he remains absolutely devoted to his craft, which I think is the most important factor.

[piebaldpython***]

Yes, he's a great player of anything, not just LP's.......that being said (I have 4 Bonamassa CD's; A New Day Yesterday; So It's Like That; Blues Deluxe and Had To Cry Today), I think he's at a point (how to say this ??? ) where he has to either go for a distinctive tone or to be a king of pyrotechnic guitar playing. This isn't a knock on JB, he can flat out play.....but to me he doesn't have a signature tone that screams JB.

As to LP players, like Duane and Leslie West, or non-LP players like Albert King, Bonnie Raitt or Santana....you hear a tune and say to yourself, well if it isn't them, it sure sounds like their playing. I don't see Joe that way YET. Maybe he needs a DVM pedal or 3 to put him over the top. :

However, as a technician, who can flat out burn the strings; ala Vai or Satriani; he's up in that league. :

[duhvoodooman***]

....I think he's at a point (how to say this ??? ) where he has to either go for a distinctive tone or to be a king of pyrotechnic guitar playing. This isn't a knock on JB, he can flat out play.....but to me he doesn't have a signature tone that screams JB.

Check out his latest albums and I think you'll find that he's developing exactly that kind of signature tone, using Les Pauls. Comes through particularly strongly on the Live from Nowhere in Particular double live CD and his latest, The Ballad of John Henry.

[piebaldpython***]

OK, I'll have to check out those CD's. That's why I listed the CD's I have....as a reference point.

[Kazz]

voted yes .......but no one beats Duane.......... brother Jimi .......

Muddy...it is not often that I disagree my friend...and not really disagreeing here...Duane was the man....but Derek Trucks is pretty spectacular too. And Warren Haynes just blows me away.

[mrmudcat]

Oh ive been a govt mule fan ,and have articles when derek was a boy playing around florida. In fact ive got a bunch of professional pictures of warren and derek gregg etc etc the last time they came to the beacon.(allman bros.)They are indeed some favorites of mine ...but duane and dickey.........no one compares in my book atleast!!!:

[oldguy]

Yes, I think he has the chance. He'll have his own sound no matter what he plays, I think he's developing his own signature style also.

My thoughts on the Gov't Mule/Derek Trucks/Warren Haynes thing............
those guys are both killer players. They do a fantastic job on Duane and Dickey's songs. But I graduated high school in '72 at 17 yrs. old, and no one will ever take Duane and Dickey's place, ever. The stuff they laid down was so melodic and so tight, even if someone else copies it to a tee.........they're still copying it, and not the cats that wrote it.

[TS808]

I saw Joe Bonamassa two years ago (front row seats too). By far the best concert I've been to. Not only is he out of this world on guitar, but he has some seriously mean vocal abilities too.

I saw SRV, Buddy Guy, Joe Satriani, Eric Johnson, and Gov't Mule live, and in all seriousness, I think Bonamassa smokes them all, and that is no small feat.

[just strum]

Voted yes and for many of the reasons already listed. I do not know all of his music or familiar with his catalog of releases, but I just enjoy him when I listen to him.