He appeared in the blues sky like a supernova - but in contrast to the shining of the short-lived star, the work of the American blues rocker Joe Bonamassa turned out to be a lasting phenomenon. The now 31-year-old musician is considered the most important newcomer to the blues rock scene in recent years, and with his new album "The Ballad Of John Henry" he has finally established himself in the top league of the genre. Bonamassa's musical bow to the "ultimate working class hero" - as such he himself describes the title track of the new CD - goes hand in hand with his 20th year as a professional musician. Finally, here lies another difference to the brief flash of a supernova: Joe Bonamassa appeared at the end of 2005, at least in Europe, as if from nowhere, but already at that time the son of a guitar shop owner from Utica in the US state of New York could refer to a long musical career. He had started playing guitar at the tender age of four: "My dad gave me a short-necked Chiquita guitar, but by the time I was seven, I switched to a regular instrument." At the age of twelve, he had played in the opening act of B.B. King, who then immediately took him under his wing as a mentor. "After our first show together in Rochester, he took me on tour and I was on the road with him for 20 concerts at that time - he gave me my first little breakthrough back then," Bonamassa recalls almost two decades later. Since then Joe Bonamassa has released nine solo records, "The Ballad Of John Henry" is his seventh studio album. In addition, he can refer to the CD "Bloodline", which he released with the band of the same name in 1994, in which he played with Waylon Krieger (son of Doors guitarist Robby Krieger), Erin Davis (Miles Davis' offspring) and Berry Oakley Jr. (son of the Allman Brothers member). The included "Stone Cold Hearted" and "Dixie Peach", two singles that made it into lower US chart regions. Years of touring as a soloist paid off in 2000, when his Tom Dowd-produced solo debut "A New Day Yesterday" was released in the USA - this, along with all subsequent albums, was also released in Europe at the beginning of 2006, when Bonamassa set out to storm Europe via the renowned Dutch blues label Provogue/Mascot, introducing himself to the European blues audience with "You And Me" and documenting his appearance on the German TV cult show "Rockpalast" on DVD in the same year. Since then, it has not only been one hit after the other in terms of record releases and tours. Bonamassa, who appears rather inconspicuous off stage, but explodes all the more violently on his guitar on stage, convinced audiences and critics alike: The respected Internet magazine "Blues Wax" named him "Artist Of The Year" at the beginning of 2008, the renowned US trade journal "Guitarist" named him "New King Of Blues" and voted him "Best Blue Guitarist"; the not exactly unknown colleague Ted Nugent recently attested to him after a joint jam session: "This fellow belongs in the same class as Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jimi Hendrix and Jeff Beck!« The recognition he enjoys in the professional world was also reflected in the fact that the famous guitar maker Gibson has produced its own model "Inspired By Joe Bonamassa" of his famous Les Paul Goldtop in a limited edition of 300 copies. The fans saw it the same way, flocked to his concerts on this and the other side of the Atlantic, and his last studio work "Sloe Gin" not only reached the Top Ten of the Billboard Blues Charts like all his previous releases, but also debuted there at number 1. Now - after the concert recording "From Nowhere In Particular" - "The Ballad Of John Henry" follows seamlessly. Bonamassa demonstrates not only his talent as a songsmith, but also taste and flair in the selection of outside originals: He gave songs by Tony Joe White ("As The Crow Flies"), Tom Waits ("Jockey Full Of Bourbon"), Ailene Bullock ("Funkier Than A Mosquito's Tweeter"), Sam Brown ("Stop!") or Anthony Newley/Leslie Bricusse ("Feelin' Good") his very own stamp in the studio. "When I recorded the first half of the album, I was the happiest person - happier than I've ever been in my life. When I set out to do the second half, it was just the opposite." Which didn't stop Bonamassa from capturing his strongest work to date on CD, in terms of songwriting as well as his explosive as well as intricate guitar playing. "The song 'Happier Times' was written when I was all the way in the basement - it's probably the best and most honest song I've ever written," the 31-year-old reveals. The fact that he has experienced and gone through a lot emotionally in the recent past was reflected in several songs that revolve around relationships. For example "Last Kiss", which is about a failed relationship. Or in "The Great Flood," which is something of an apology letter to a former partner with whom he now maintains good friendly relations. "I just felt like we were carrying around too much that was unsaid that we should put into words at some point," he sums it up. Joe Bonamassa recorded "The Ballad Of John Henry" again with aces like Carmine Rojas (bass), Anton Fig and Bogie Bowles (both drums) as well as Rick Melick (keyboards) and Blondie Chaplin (rhythm guitar). And for the first time in his long career, he worked with horn players: Lee Thornburg and David Woodford provided additional sonic color under the renewed direction of veteran Kevin Shirley (Led Zeppelin, Aerosmith, Black Crowes). But Bonamassa wouldn't be himself if he didn't think further outside the box of just making music: He's involved with the Blues Foundation's Blues In The Schools Program, acts as a columnist for the trade publication Guitarist, and - when he's not on tour - hosts his quarter-hour series "Daily Cup Of Joe" every weekday on the satellite radio station Sirius. And he can always be heard on UK radio station Planet Rock with his own show on Tuesdays. Joe Bonamassa is unstoppable and on the verge of ascending the blues rock throne. He manages the balancing act of following in the footsteps of his teachers like B.B. King and at the same time being innovative and building a bridge to intelligent rock.