Don't Explain

Stellar duet to play legendary songs

It would be too tight for Joe Bonamassa and Beth Hart to perform within the confines of one band. He is a brilliant guitar-player, and she is as brilliant a singer, and neither would be content give up anything to the other one. However, there are hardly any other performers who would be able to form a better duet for some temporary collaboration than these two. Hart is not that often blessed with an opportunity to play with an instrumentalist of Bonamassa’s level, and Joe himself would be happy to take up the role of a leading guitarist with vast area for his noble exercises. Fortunately, both musicians have known each other for quite a while now, thank to numerous joint shows. One could assume it long ago that, having made friends, these two would one day want to do something interesting together, which eventually did happen. In autumn 2011, the delighted audience received a CD called Don’t Explain with the names of Joe Bonamassa and Beth Hart featured on the cover. The newly formed duet presented a collection of popular mostly blues and soul songs which have beaten time and aging.

Don’t Explain set very serious goals before Hart

The appeal of Don’t Explain is that the CD is destined to please you no matter why you decided to listen to you, whether because of Bonamassa or Hart. And the reason is that both did their best for the album. In the meantime, the singer was occupied with a harder mission. Beth dared to work on truly legendary material, which always means a certain amount of serious risk. However, after the first two tracks already, Ray Charles’ Sinner’s Prayer, and Tom Waits’ Chocolate Jesus, we gladly establish the fact that the singer accomplishes that. Moreover, the variety of Don’t Explain forces Hart from time to time to resort to some non-typical of her vocal manner. There are tracks here where her voice, usually pretty rough and strong, turns fragile and subtle. Yet the best performance are presented on the centrally located title Don’t Explain, and large-scale I’d Rather Go Blind. The former is a mild bluesy piece with abruptly changing voice intonations, and the latter is producer Kevin Shirley’s amazing job as he keeps both Hart and Bonamassa in the shade of string arrangements, and then advances them forward as the emotions burst out.

Perfect collaboration to please everyone

Why do we get to speak of Beth Hart more than of Joe Bonamassa? Well, the guitarist’s excellent performance on the album is somewhat granted or obligatory, and thus expected. Whereas the singer’s contribution might be a big surprise to a lot of listeners. On her solo efforts, Hart seems to restrain her as if to keep unseen the abyss that lies between her and the band playing for her. Don’t Explain, a collection that embraces powerful samples of soul, blues, country, and rock, gives her a chance to show all she has and can. Still, there are songs on the record where Bonamassa apparently looks like an only leading artist. In For My Friends he lays out a classy solo in rock style, which does not sound like exactly him. In Something’s Got A Hold On Me, Joe saturates country with the genre’s most challenging technical elements, and in gospel Well, Well he sings together with Beth Hart. On the whole, Don’t Explain is a must-listen for all of those who either like Bonamassa’s guitar, or Hart’s singing. There is a big chance that once you listen to it, you’ll become a fan of both.