Joe Bonamassa’s collaborator, Joanne Shaw Taylor, recently gave an interview to Total Guitar and admitted working with Joe Bonamassa and playing her guitar in front of him was the worst of both worlds.
When she was just 16 years old, Joanne Shaw Taylor was discovered by Eurythmics’ Dave Stewart. She then focused on her solo music career and received critical acclaim as a female blues musician.
Taylor is good friends with Joe Bonamassa, and she often uses a Fender Albert Collins signature model Telecaster, the guitar she received from him as a gift. In 2021, she also released her successful ‘The Blues Album’ via Bonamassa’s Keeping the Blues Alive Records.
For the album, Taylor worked with Joe Bonamassa and Josh Smith. Bonamassa supported her as a producer, and the pair recorded the album at Ocean Way in Nashville and Bonamassa’s Nerdville West. Moreover, ‘The Blues Album’ is Taylor’s first release for KBTA.
In a recent interview with Total Guitar, Taylor revealed that the solos she played in the album were easy, but her biggest challenge was playing in front of Bonamassa. She admitted getting nervous while playing in front of people she knew, so it was the worst of both worlds.
In the interview, Total Guitar asked Joanne Shaw Taylor the following:
“Guitar-wise, which tracks or solos are you most proud of?”
As a response, Taylor said:
“All of them! The fun thing about this was that the solos were easy. We barely did many takes. The biggest challenge, which sounds stupid, was that I was quite scared of playing in front of Joe.
Two of the best guitar players in the world produced this album, Bonamassa and Josh Smith, who I hugely admire. But also, I get quite nervous playing in front of people I know. Joe and I are very good friends, so it was the worst of both worlds!”
You can listen to Joanne Shaw Taylor’s ‘The Blues Album’ below.
