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Two generations of guitar royalty came together when Joe Bonamassa and George Benson linked up for a conversation with Kyle Meredith, circling around the massive tribute project B.B. King’s Blues Summit 100 (buy it now on CD and vinyl!) and the legacy of the man who connects them both, B.B. King. Bonamassa, who first met King at age 12, and Benson, who earned the icon’s admiration decades earlier, both trace their own histories back to that singular sound and presence. Listen to the episode above or wherever you get your podcasts.
Get B.B. King’s Blues Summit 100 on Vinyl
Bonamassa explains the origin of the sprawling tribute, saying, “It was brought to my attention… that B.B. King would be turning 100… and nobody was planning on doing much. I said we need to do something.” What followed was a nine-month sprint that pulled in names like Eric Clapton, Buddy Guy, and Chaka Khan, eventually ballooning into “40 guests and 32 songs,” which Bonamassa calls “a labor of love.” When it came time to record their contributions, Benson aimed for something deeper than reinterpretation, saying, “I wasn’t trying to give it my own… I was trying to give it the B.B. King swagger,” admitting that capturing that voice and feel was no small task because “there’s only one B.B. King.”
Benson, meanwhile, recalls the first time King sought him out after hearing whispers from bandmates: “They told B.B., ‘Man, we heard this kid,’ and he said, ‘I don’t believe you.’ Then he came down… and from that moment on, I always liked B.B. King.” The conversation drifts into the mechanics of King’s genius, with Benson breaking it down: “He played a little bit, sang a little bit… and there was never any confusion about who he was.” Bonamassa picks up the thread, pointing out how King blurred lines between genres without ever losing his footing, noting how even in blues numbers, “he would throw some jazz riffs in there.”
Listen to Joe Bonamassa and George Benson talk about B.B. King’s Blues Summit 100 and more in the new episode above or by watching the video below. Also check out where King landed on our list of the 100 Best Guitarists of All Time; hint: look towards the top!
Keep up on all the latest episodes by following Kyle Meredith With… on your favorite podcast platform; plus, check out all the series on the Consequence Podcast Network.
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