_____________SaturdayFebruary6th2010Nassau, Bahamas

The worst kept secret in the world..... well, this 2010 album is all but finished, just a few finishing touches back in my studio, and it's all over! That's my family above, enjoying the Atlantis resort on my wife's birthday. For all you metalheads, all will be revealed soon, and there's a diary to prove it!

I'm headed back to continue the recording of the Black Country debut album, which is going to be very authentic - a real band, playing real songs and not a plethora of overdubs to water it down. That's not to say it's a live-in-the-studio album..... everyone is playing live in the studio, but there are selective refinements to enhance the music. Then later this year, new recordings with Journey and Joe Bonamassa for 2011 releases, amongst others...

Now, I hope you'll all go and listen to the new Joe Bonamassa album, Black Rock. If you pre-order it from the store, you'll get it two weeks before street date, WITH free shipping. Click here for details

_____________FridayJanuary14th2010An island in the Caribbean

Kevin Shirley, Jason Bonham, Derek Sherinian, Glenn Hughes, Joe Bonamassa

So there it is folks - the cat is out the bag! This is BLACK COUNTRY.

I am producing the debut album and we already have six tracks cut. We're going to do the next session in March when I'm through with my current project, and I hope to finish in early April. The band is (above) Jason Bonham on drums, Derek Sherinian on keyboards, Glenn Hughes on bass and vocals and Joe Bonamassa on guitar and vocals. The songs are all original and what a lineup! They are all the very best players in the world, for my money!

Jason Bonham (Led Zeppelin, Foreigner) is a totally unique drummer and a supreme, yet oh-so-tasty powerhouse. Derek Sherinian (Dream Theater, Billy Idol, Alice Cooper) is super versatile, and is playing mostly overdriven Hammond organ in this ensemble and is the color on the palette. Glenn Hughes (Deep Purple, Trapeze) plays bass and sings with a range VERY, VERY few can even get close to, and Joe Bonamassa, perhaps the best Blues 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! Perhaps if you're around San Bernadino about March 17.........

But there's more...... look out for Joe Bonamassa's new solo album, Black Rock, arriving March 23rd. I am holed up producing an album, and am away from my family for a couple of months, and I'm looking forward to seeing my babies real soon!

_____________FridayJanuary1st2010Malibu, CA

Happy New Year!

Deep Purple in B&W: Glenn Hughes, David Coverdale, Tommy Bolin

Just finishing a remix of the Deep Purple album, Come Taste The Band. What a trip!! It's been such fun - started off with The Drifter and didn't want to stray too much from the originals, but by the end I'm pushing it, and there are some different bits and pieces all over - I'm diggin' it. Sent the mixes to both David Coverdale and Glenn Hughes, who also came up to my studio, The Cave, for a day - Coverdale: "Kick arse. KS...a veritable sonic treat..." Glenn Hughes: "Yeah baby!...sounds great...Drums are way better...sounds more cohesive...2 thumbs up..." * I was a Deep Purple fan before I was a Zeppelin fan...

Too much work, and too little babies, so no party to see the year in. The Good Wife and I watched The Hangover and had a glass of bubbly Veuve Clicquot as the year rolled over. It's one way to do it - and having no hangover myself was a first for January 1 of any year, I guess!

_____________SundayDecember27th2009Malibu, CA

Back home in Malibu after an OK commute yesterday. I think my wife wants to live in Indiana. Hmmm. I kinda like winter being 65 degrees and the breaking waves, but that makes one of us... the crashing surf did seem very loud last night. Xmas was a blast - literally. And icy too! It looked like a disco ball after an earthquake - every ten seconds brought a new present for Talon, who was inundated with gifts - Toys for Tot - really. The Outlaws went out of their way to make us comfortable, and it was a fun week! I honestly don't think there is anything Talon didn't get wrapped and with love!! Oldest son and one time "leedle prince" Josh, moves to New York City tomorrow, so I'm helping him vacate his apartment today, but tomorrow it's work day (yay!), so I get to do something I really enjoy! We're recording Joe Bonamassa's vocal for his duet with B.B. King tomorrow, mixing it and mailing it off to be mastered and the new album, Black Rock, will be done!!!!! Then it's mix-a-rama all the way through New Year, more recording and travel for early next year. Oh, there's a pod of dolphins just swam by.......

_____________ThursdayDecember24th2009Medora, IN

Christmas Eve. Here in Indiana, it's a day for visiting and gifts, and a lot of preparation has been done. There are numerous trees all over the house, with presents for everyone, under all of them, and oodles of food everywhere! It's wonderful to be amongst such a tight-knit community, and we'll spend the day visiting folks all over Jackson County. Yum yum!

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Read the January 2010 Mix magazine article on the making of the forthcoming Joe Bonamassa album, Black Rock - pdf of the article here.

Read the entire magazine online here.

Schumi is baaaack..........

 

KevTheCave

(c) Caveman Productions Inc. 2010