Joe Bonamassa returns with ‘B.B. King’s Blues Summit 100, Vol. III‘, the next five songs from the landmark tribute project honoring what would have been B.B. King’s 100th birthday. Out now via KTBA Records, this new volume features five inspired collaborations that capture the spirit, range, and legacy of the King of the Blues: ‘Sweet Little Angel‘ feat. Buddy Guy, ‘Don’t You Want A Man Like Me‘ feat. Larkin Poe, ‘Heartbreaker‘ feat. Trombone Shorty & Eric Gales, ‘Watch Yourself’ feat. Jimmie Vaughan, and ‘When It All Comes Down (I’ll Still Be Around)‘ feat. Larry McCray.
Bonamassa has also revealed details for one of the project’s most anticipated collaborations – ‘The Thrill Is Gone‘, featuring Chaka Khan and Eric Clapton. The pairing of the powerhouse vocalist and guitar legend marks a historic moment within ‘B.B. King’s Blues Summit 100‘, bringing together two of the most influential artists ever to interpret King’s timeless classic. The track will be released with the full album on February 6th.
Leading the Vol. III release is ‘Sweet Little Angel‘ featuring Buddy Guy, paired with a new music video that interweaves archival and live footage of B.B. King and Buddy performing – a poignant celebration of their friendship and shared musical lineage. “Buddy Guy is obviously the first call you make when putting this project together, and ‘Sweet Little Angel’ was his preferred song,” says co-producer Josh Smith. “This take shows you why Buddy is the living legend he is. Our most important living blues artist. In regards to the track, both Buddy’s vocal and guitar playing are from the same live track. No messing around, old school. The Real Deal indeed!!!”
‘Don’t You Want A Man Like Me‘ features the powerhouse duo Larkin Poe reimagining one of King’s most playful songs with swagger and soul. “Larkin Poe are such a talented pair, and they both killed this track,” says Smith. “They brought such a unique spin and attitude to the original that flips it on its head. Mostly, it’s just such a fun rocking track. The vocals are incredible as is the lap steel guitar solo!!”
On ‘Heartbreaker‘, Eric Gales and Trombone Shorty deliver one of the project’s most explosive moments. ”Man, Trombone Shorty and Eric Gales together?!?! What a combo’‘, Smith says. “So much talent. Shorty kills the vocals and plays all the horns on the song, and Eric does what he does!!! Pays tribute to B.B. while always being himself. This one just came together magically!!”
‘Watch Yourself‘ finds Texas blues legend Jimmie Vaughan at his most relaxed and soulful. “What an honor to have Jimmie Vaughan,” says Smith. “This is one of my favorite B.B. shuffles ever, and Jimmie brought so much fun and attitude to it. Jimmie also cared so much about the track that he recorded his own horn section unprompted (not knowing we were going to add the horns later anyway)! So cool and such a great performance.”
The volume closes with ‘When It All Comes Down (I’ll Still Be Around)‘ featuring Larry McCray. “This song is a personal favorite from B.B.‘s magical 60’s/70’s era,” says Smith. “Larry is truly the top of the heap, the greatest contemporary bluesman in the world. We just knew he would kill this song, and he does nothing less. The best!!!”
Produced by Joe Bonamassa and Josh Smith, ‘B.B. King’s Blues Summit 100‘ continues to unfold in monthly installments through February 2026, culminating in the full 32-track album’s release on February 6th. With the blessing of the B.B. King Estate, The B.B. King Music Company, and the King family, Bonamassa and team set out to unite generations of artists who have been shaped by King’s influence.
“When B.B. was alive and active, he was the blues – he was the sun which all planets rotated around,” says Bonamassa. “You only get one shot to do this correctly. And I think we nailed it.”
Previous volumes have featured Gary Clark Jr., Keb’ Mo’, Paul Rodgers, Joanne Shaw Taylor, Pat Monahan of Train, Aloe Blacc, Michael McDonald, Susan Tedeschi, Derek Trucks, Bobby Rush, George Benson, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, and D.K. Harrell – each artist bringing their own story, sound, and respect to King’s legacy.
The album’s title pays homage to King’s Grammy-winning 1993 Blues Summit, and the project carries that same collaborative spirit forward on a global scale. For Bonamassa, it’s both a tribute and a mission. “B.B.’s only wish was, ‘Do what you can to keep the blues alive,’” he says. “Well, hopefully this album gives a B12 shot to his legacy – and to the legacy of the blues.”
The announcement arrives during an especially significant moment in Bonamassa’s own career. His latest studio album Breakthrough earned him his fifth GRAMMY nomination, while Eric Gales’ ‘A Tribute To LJK‘ – produced by Bonamassa and Josh Smith – was also nominated in the same category. On the road, Bonamassa is currently in the midst of his Fall 2025 U.S. Tour, which runs through December 6th and includes stops in Texas, Louisiana, Georgia, Florida, and more. The tour marks the final run with longtime keyboardist and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Reese Wynans, who recently announced that he will step back from everyday touring after this season. For tickets or more information visit www.jbonamassa.com.
Tracklist:
Disc 1:
- Paying The Cost To Be The Boss feat. Christone “Kingfish” Ingram
- Don’t Answer The Door feat. Marcus King
- To Know You Is To Love You feat. Michael McDonald, Susan Tedeschi & Derek Trucks
- Let The Good Times Roll feat. Kenny Wayne Shepherd & Noah Hunt
- Sweet Little Angel feat. Buddy Guy
- When It All Comes Down (I’ll Still Be Around) feat. Larry McCray
- When Love Comes To Town feat. Slash, Shemekia Copeland & Myles Kennedy
- The Thrill Is Gone*
- Watch Yourself feat. Jimmie Vaughan
- Why I Sing The Blues feat. Bobby Rush
- Sweet Sixteen feat. Jimmy Hall & Larry Carlton
- Don’t You Want A Man Like Me feat. Larkin Poe
- I’ll Survive feat. Keb’ Mo’
- Heartbreaker feat. Trombone Shorty & Eric Gales
- There Must Be A Better World Somewhere feat. George Benson
- Chains And Things feat. Gary Clark Jr.
Disc 2:
- How Blue Can You Get feat. Warren Haynes
- You Upset Me Baby feat. Chris Cain
- Ghetto Woman feat. Ivan Neville
- Night Life feat. Paul Rodgers
- Ain’t Nobody Home feat. Jade MacRae & Robben Ford
- Bad Case Of Love feat. Joanne Shaw Taylor
- Never Make A Move Too Soon feat. Dion
- Three O’Clock Blues feat. Marc Broussard
- Think It Over feat. Train & Chris Buck
- It’s My Own Fault feat. Kim Wilson
- Every Day I Have The Blues feat. D.K. Harrell
- Please Accept My Love feat. John Nemeth
- So Excited feat. Aloe Blacc
- When My Heart Beats Like A Hammer feat. Dannielle De Andrea
- Playin’ With My Friends
- Better Not Look Down feat. Kirk Fletcher
About Joe Bonamassa:
Blues-rock superstar Joe Bonamassa is one of the most celebrated performing musicians of today. As a three-time GRAMMY-nominated artist and 15x Blues Music Award Nominee (4-time winner), he achieved his 27th No. 1 album on the Billboard Blues Chart with his most recent studio album, Blues Deluxe Vol. 2. Only in his mid-40s, Bonamassa has become a living legend with an astounding multi-genre catalog. He has released more than 40 albums, including studio and live recordings, as well as collaborative albums with his adventurous side projects: Black Country Communion and Rock Candy Funk Party.
A prolific writer who is always on the hunt to expand his eclectic musical horizons, Bonamassa has a limitless work ethic whether it’s in a studio, on the road, or working with other artists to spur new music. In recent years, he has produced an immense number of albums including Joanne Shaw Taylor, Marc Broussard, Larry McCray, Jimmy Hall and others for his independent label KTBA Records, and has also recently launched Journeyman LLC, a full-service artist management, record label, concert promotion, and marketing company that builds awareness for independent artists worldwide.
Bonamassa has been featured in several publications from Esquire, WSJ, and Parade to Rolling Stone and American Songwriter, as well as on the covers of Guitar World, Guitar Player, Vintage Guitar, Guitarist, and Classic Rock Magazine. His non-profit Keeping The Blues Alive provides funds and resources to schools and artists in need and has positively impacted more than 100,000 students to date while raising over 2.2 million in donations.
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