You can't really argue with Joe Bonamassa's first two albums in his record collection. As a seven year old, with advice from his dad, he purchased Steve Morse's The Introduction and B.B. King Live at the Regal.

After listening to these albums, he was a music fan for life and well on his way to becoming a guitarist himself. He met King five years later, and that interaction changed the course of his life, as he counted King as a friend and a mentor.

Bonamassa has carved out an impressive career of his own and helped pave the way for many others, plus he's never forgotten his influences. With that in mind, he recently released a most wonderful tribute album, one that should appeal to every blues fan, B.B. King Blues Summit 100 (KTBA Records), a massive 32-track, two disc set celebrating the King of the Blues with guest appearances from just about every current blues artist imaginable.

If you're a blues fan you know most, if not all, of these tracks as heard from the King himself. That being said, these interpretations are spot on. Bonamassa does an outstanding job of plugging the right combination of artists into the perfect song, and the musical arrangements are strongly reminiscent of King's versions.

I'm not going to bog you down with a review of each song.. Trust me, they're ALL well-done and you won't be skipping any tracks at all. Instead, I'm just going to let you know who appears on which track.

Christone “Kingfish” Ingram is featured on the opening track, “Paying The Cost To Be The Boss,” singer/guitarist Marcus King follows with “Don't Answer The Door,” and Michael McDonald and Susan Tedeschi provide a dream team vocal combo for “To Know You Is To Love You,” with Derek Trucks guesting on guitar.

Kenny Wayne Shepherd and Noah Hunt team up for “Let The Good Times Roll,” with Reese Wynans guesting on keyboards, and the legendary Buddy Guy reprises “Sweet Little Angel,” hewing closely to his version for Vanguard in the late '60s.

Larry McCray ably handles “When It All Comes Down (I'll Still Be Around),” and Shemekia Copeland and Myles Kennedy team up on vocals for the U2 track that introduced King to a whole new set of fans in the late '80s, “When Love Comes To Town,” with guitarist Slash also sitting in.

“The Thrill Is Gone” features Chaka Khan on vocals and Eric Clapton on guitar, and Jimmie Vaughan provides vocals and guitar on “Watch Yourself,” backed by The Texas Horns (Mark “Kaz” Kazanoff – tenor sax, John Mills – baritone sax, Al Gomez – trumpet).

Bonamassa plays lead guitar behind another living legend, Bobby Rush, on “Why I Sing The Blues,” reproducing the King's nimble fretwork perfectly. Jimmy Hall of Wet Willie fame sings King's first hit, “Sweet Sixteen,” with guitar support from Larry Carlton. Larkin Poe (Rebecca Lovell – vocals, Megan Lovell – lap steel guitar) tackle “Don't You Want A Man Like Me,” with sizzling results.

Keb' Mo' delivers vocals on the King classic “I'll Survive,” backed by a stellar horn section, New Orleans stalwart Trombone Shorty provides vocals, trombone, and trumpet with support from guitarist Eric Gales on a funky take of “Heartbreaker.” George Benson sings “There Must Be A Better World Somewhere,” while Gary Clark Jr. supplies vocals and guitar on “Chains And Things.”

Guitarist Warren Haynes leads the band through a terrific, slow burning version of “How Blue Can You Get,” Chris Cain does a wonderful version of “You Upset Me Baby,” with vocals and guitar, Ivan Neville's on vocals and clavinet for “Ghetto Woman,” backed by excellent guitar from Bonamassa and Josh Smith, who also shine on “Night Life,” sung by Bad Company front man Paul Rodgers.

Guitarist Robben Ford and vocalist Jade MacRae join forces for “Ain't Nobody Home,” while singer/guitarist Joanne Shaw Taylor covers King's “Bad Case Of Love.” Rock n' Roll Hall of Famer Dion offers a funky take on King's late '70s standout “Never Make A Move Too Soon,” before guitarist Josh Smith and singer Marc Broussard deliver a soulful version of “Three O'Clock Blues.”

Train vocalist Pat Monahan and British guitarist Chris Buck take on King's “Think It Over,” Fabulous Thunderbirds front man Kim Wilson sings “It's My Own Fault,” young guitarist/singer D.K. Harrell gives a wonderful interpretation of “Every Day I Have The Blues,” and John Nemeth does an excellent job with “Please Accept My Love.”

Singer Aloe Blacc offers an inspired read of “So Excited,” and Australian vocalist Dannielle De Andrea's version of “When My Heart Beats Like A Hammer” is equally inspired.

Bonamassa is front and center on a rollicking cover of “Playin' With My Friends,” before the album wraps with “Better Not Look Down,” with guitar from Kirk Fletcher, vocals BJ Kemp and Kim Fleming, and wonderful spoken word contributions paying tribute to King from Kingfish, Bobby Rush, Guy, Bonamassa, Haynes, Shepherd, Copeland, Keb' Mo, Gales, Broussard, McCray, King, Cain, and Nemeth.

There's a core band in support on all tracks --- Bonamassa and Josh Smith on guitars, Lemar Carter on drums, Travis Carlton on bass, and Jeff Babko on keyboards. The horn section on selected tracks includes Steve Patrick and Tyler Jaeger (trumpet), Marc Douthit and Jimmy Bowland (saxophone), Barry Green (trombone), and Matt Jefferson (bass trombone), with backing vocalists Mahalia Barnes and Karen Lee Andrews, violins from Songa Lee, Daphne Chen, and Camille Miller, and cello from Giovanna Moraga Clayton.

They are all marvelous throughout, providing an excellent musical backdrop for the performers, and one that the King himself would surely approve.

B.B. King Blues Summit 100 is truly a tribute fit for a King. Joe Bonamassa and friends have delivered an outstanding, overwhelming set that should satisfy every B.B. King fans and introduce a lot of new fans to the King of the Blues and his music.

--- Graham Clarke