Joe Bonamassa receives 24th #1 on Billboard Blues chart; #5 Top Current Albums, #41 Top 200

JOE BONAMASSA TOPS THE BILLBOARD CHARTS WITH CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED NEW STUDIO ALBUM ‘ROYAL TEA’
GUITAR HERO BREAKS HIS OWN RECORD WITH 24TH #1 BLUES ALBUM, MORE THAN ANY OTHER ARTIST
#5 TOP CURRENT ALBUMS
#6 TOP ALBUMS
#6 INDEPENDENT ALBUMS
#7 ROCK
#41 BILLBOARD TOP 200
#48 TOP ARTIST 100
RECORDED AT LEGENDARY ABBEY ROAD STUDIOS, GUITAR HERO NODS TO HIS BRITISH INSPIRATIONS JEFF BECK, LED ZEPPELIN, JOHN MAYALL, ERIC CLAPTON, AND CREAM
Photo credit: Jim Herrington
“One of the top blues artists of the modern era… his latest projects have one foot in the past while showcasing his talents in the here and now.”
American Songwriter 4/5
“Bonamassa is reaching back to his influences, but, as he does with everything, is doing it on his own terms.”
American Blues Scene
“Even with the world in a tangle, Bonamassa is moving steadily forward…[’Royal Tea’] features ten originals full of amazing guitar tones and arrangements full of dazzling sonic textures.”
Blues Blast Magazine
“Joe Bonamassa proves his worth every time he hits a guitar string or belts out a note, but there is so much more to the man…Keeping the blues alive, one record at a time.”
Elmore Magazine
“All [the tracks on ‘Royal Tea’] feature the guitar god at the top of his game, as a musical artist and as a songwriter.”
Glide Magazine
“This is a strong album, and Bonamassa fans will love it.”
Blues In Britain
“Joe Bonamassa hits the bullseye with Royal Tea. Stunning”
Blues Matters
“If Royal Tea is tipping his trucker’s cap to Eric Clapton and John Mayall, some of its best moments, including Savannah’s rolling, tumbling Lynyrd Skynyrd-style grooves, are steeped in ‘70s Americana.”
Mojo Magazine
“Royal Tea feels modern and vibrant.”
Rock Candy Magazine
“The best thing about Royal Tea is that every track could easily drop into Bonamassa’s live show… back on track in every sense.”
Classic Rock 8/10
“On ‘Royal Tea’, Blues rock maestro Joe Bonamassa plays a battery of guitars, including a vintage Telecaster he’s coveted since he was a teenager. The man from Nerdville is also showing his love for progressive rock.”
Total Guitar Magazine
STREAM / BUY ROYAL TEA:
Wednesday, Nov 4, 2020 – Joe Bonamassa’s highly-anticipated new solo studio album Royal Tea hit the Billboard charts this week with record-breaking numbers, as the blues-rock titan landed his 24th #1 album on the Blues Chart; an incredible feat and more than any other artist in the history of the chart! The critically-acclaimed new album reigned over a slew charts this week, also hitting #5 – Top Current Albums, #6 – Top Albums, #6 Independent Albums, #7 Rock, #41 for the Billboard Top 200 and #48 on the Top Artist 100 Chart!
Royal Tea is available now online and in stores from Bonamassa’s own label J&R Adventures! Recorded at the iconic Abbey Road Studios in London, Royal Tea features honorable nods to his British heroes Jeff Beck, John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers, Eric Clapton, Led Zeppelin and Cream.
Joe Bonamassa has snatched a career-best release with Royal Tea, chalking up another chapter for the Abbey Road folklore, and finally delivering the album he’s dreamt of since the start. “The reason I wanted to come to Abbey Road was for myself, the band and the fans,” Bonamassa says. “The P.T. Barnum in me was going, ‘Hey, this would be a cool event’. It was a risk coming over here, and this album has fought us to get here. But I think we’ve pulled it off…”
Bonamassa is known for taking risks and venturing into uncharted territory throughout his wide-ranging career but now he has found a new way to surprise his fans and music lovers. Since his 2000 debut, A New Day Yesterday, that founding influence has stayed close to the surface of Bonamassa’s astounding solo album catalogue. Yet he’s always let his choice of studio infuse his work, whether stirring the vibe of the Greek island of Santorini into 2010’s Black Rock, placing his bets on Sin City for 2014’s Vegas-tracked Different Shades Of Blue, or working with the cream of Nashville on 2016’s Blues Of Desperation. “Where you record an album leaves a fingerprint on the music,” he points out. “This album is a snapshot, too.”
These ten original tracks were co-written by Joe and a cast of homegrown notables including former Whitesnake guitarist Bernie Marsden, ex-Cream lyricist Pete Brown and national-treasure piano man Jools Holland. “Writing this record in London has done its job,” reflects Bonamassa. “It really does sound inherently British. Bernie and I, we finish each other’s sentences. We’re cut from the same cloth.” Bonamassa’s long-standing producer Kevin Shirley and regular touring band flew in for the recording sessions, which included Anton Fig (drums), Michael Rhodes (bass) and Reese Wynans (keys).
JOE BONAMASSA – ROYAL TEA TRACKLIST:
 1. When One Door Opens
 2. Royal Tea
 3. Why Does It Take So Long To Say Goodbye
 4. Lookout Man!
 5. High Class Girl
 6. A Conversation With Alice
 7. I Didn’t Think She Would Do it
 8. Beyond The Silence
 9. Lonely Boy
10. Savannah
ABOUT JOE BONAMASSA:
As a professional musician for over 30 years, Joe Bonamassa continues to blaze a remarkably versatile artistic trail, and amass an authentic, innovative, and soulful body of work. Bonamassa’s career began onstage opening for B.B. King in 1989 when he was only 12 years old. Today, he is hailed worldwide as one of the greatest guitar players of his generation and is an ever-evolving singer-songwriter with over 40 albums to date all under his own label, J&R Adventures. He founded and oversees the non-profit Keeping The Blues Alive Foundation. Joe’s new studio album ROYAL TEA  recorded at the legendary Abbey Road Studios was released October 23rd and continues to garner accolades from fans and critics alike. Bonamassa has received two GRAMMY® nominations, and achieved his 24th #1 Billboard Blues Albums (more than any other artist) with the release of Royal Tea! While touring is on hiatus, Bonamassa has been staying busy with a brand-new video interview series on Facebook called “Live From Nerdville” and promoting his Fueling Musicians Program to aid touring artists affected by COVID-19. To date, he’s raised $350,000 distributed to over 200 artists. More info at: Jbonamassa.com
CONNECT:
Instagram: @joebonamassa
Keeping the Blues Alive Foundation: