Bonamassa has some chops

With a wailing guitar and a raspy growl of a voice, Joe Bonamassa is a presence in the… With a wailing guitar and a raspy growl of a voice, Joe Bonamassa is a presence in the blues underground — and he’s only 25 years old. But don’t let his age fool you; he’s been playing in the music industry and touring extensively for more than a decade. Touring heavily at a young age, Bonamassa has matured beyond his years, and his music is living proof.

A guitar player since the ripe age of four, Bonamassa has developed chops that are unheard from the everyday guitar player. He plays music filled with soul and blues that can make any broken heart weaker. Bonamassa has performed for so long and has never developed an “attitude” towards his profession or his skills. He is a constant learner, working on new techniques and styles of play, and is constantly working to better himself as a guitar player and musician. The key component to his guitar work is his soloing, which is embedded in the middle, end and sometimes beginning of his songs. His guitar screams as he works away at every chord progression, moving through with precision and grace.

With the release of So, It’s Like That in the fall of 2002, Bonamassa presented a powerful lineup of songs that are the epitome of blues music. He pulls the powerful blues intonations from his previous works and mixes them with a liberating collection of muscular rock songs. The result is an album filled with tracks that have remarkable riffs and catchy, unforgettable hooks.

By the age of 12, Bonamassa was already touring New York with an adult backing band and had the distinct opportunity to open for B.B. King at a show in Rochester, N.Y. During his set, King invited Bonamassa onstage to play along with him.

On So, It’s Like That, Bonamassa developed his songwriting abilities. He wrote the majority of the songs on the album, and has recently been signed as a songwriter for DreamWorks Music Publishing. Working on being a major talent as a musician — already a phenomenal guitar player and now maturing as an almost equally phenomenal songwriter — Bonamassa looks to continue rising as a young and fresh artist in the music world and making his way to the top of the blues scene.

Joe Bonamassa will bring a night of blues to the Rex Theatre on the South Side Thursday. The 21-and-older show starts at 8 p.m. with tickets set at $13. For more information, call (412) 381-6811.