Joe Bonamassa has shared Ball Peen Hammer, the compelling new live single from his Live At The Hollywood Bowl With Orchestra album and film set for release on 21 June 2024. Bonamassa also plays The Anvil in Basingstoke on Saturday, 15 June, the day after his exclusive UK festival performance at The Black Deer Festival.
Ball Peen Hammer was written by the underappreciated genius Chris Whitley. The the song appeared on Bonamassa’s 2007 album Sloe Gin, and its powerful interpretation by Joe Bonamassa introduced it to a broader audience.
The song is a poignant tale of resilience and hope amid hardship, and this live version captures the raw emotional essence of the song, further enriched by the lush dynamics of the orchestra.
“Chris Whitley doesn’t get a lot of credit,” Bonamassa says, “but he’s one of the great songwriters and guitarists that I ever have run across. My tribute to Chris Whitley is deeply rooted.”
Bonamassa opened for Whitley in 2002. “Chris was the most devastating solo performer I have ever seen,” Joe says. “I based my song on the sheer volume of the performance of the song Woke Up Dreaming on that night. Gone too soon and not known nor appreciated in his own lifetime. Plus, a very nice and humble man to top it off.”
The new single follows The Last Matador Of Bayonne, which has amassed nearly 600,000 views on YouTube to date and growing.
Each song on Live At The Hollywood Bowl has been carefully selected to showcase the depth and breadth of Bonamassa’s musical influences and his ability to fuse blues, rock, and orchestral elements into a compelling narrative soundscape.
“Very few gigs represent my journey in music more than the Hollywood Bowl,” Joe says. “I moved to Los Angeles in 2003 in search of opportunity and cheaper rent than New York City. My first gig at The Mint was attended by five of my friends, and that’s all.
“We have played The Greek Theatre many times since, but the Bowl has always been a dream. The orchestra and the sheer scale of the event and venue are something I will never forget.
“I am so grateful that we filmed this special event in my life.”
