A new super group has been formed with Jason Bonham, Glenn Hughes, Joe Bonamassa and Derek Sherinian. They are calling themselves Black Country, taking their name from the industrial area in England from which Bonham and Hughes both hail. The band is currently in the studio with producer Kevin Shirley (Black Crowes, Aerosmith, Led Zeppelin) cutting tracks for an upcoming album to be released in late 2010 or early 2011.
With Bonham (Led Zeppelin, Foreigner) on drums, Sherinian (Dream Theater, Billy Idol, Alice Cooper) on keyboards, Hughes (Deep Purple, Trapeze) on bass and vocals and Bonamassa on guitar and vocals, the band already has six tracks cut. The next recording session will take place in March and the band hopes to finish recording in early April. Shirley made the announcement on his website: “So there it is folks – the cat is out the bag! This is Black Country. The songs are all original and what a lineup. They are all the very best players in the world, for my money!”
Shirley added, “Jason Bonham is a totally unique drummer and a supreme, yet oh-so-tasty powerhouse. Derek Sherinian is super versatile, and is playing mostly overdriven Hammond organ in this ensemble and is the color on the palette. Glenn Hughes plays bass and sings with a range very, very few can even get close to, and Joe Bonamassa, perhaps the best Blues Rock guitarist around, plays hard riffing guitar as well as adding his signature vocals alongside Glenn. You’ll just have to wait – we’re planning to get this out late summer, and it’s promising to be phenomenal!”
Recently named “The Blues Rock Titan” by Guitar World Magazine, Bonamassa’s new solo album, Black Rock, will be arriving March 23, 2010. Produced by Shirley, who has produced Bonamassa’s last six solo albums, it will be released on Bonamassa’s own J&R Adventures label.
